Chris Serritella

Serritella was the state of Illinois' best college position prospect in 2011, but he missed the entire season after breaking his right wrist in an intrasquad game. After the Royals drafted him in the 31st round last June, he opted to play in the summer Prospect League, where he won MVP honors and the home run (15) crown. A redshirt junior, Serritella has continued to produce this spring, leading the Missouri Valley Conference with a .394 average in the regular season, ranking second with 11 homers and carrying a 21-game hitting streak into the MVC tournament. In a down year for college bats, he offers big lefthanded power. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder doesn't always make consistent contact with his big swing, and some scouts think he punishes mistakes and wonder if he can handle quality velocity, but it's still hard to walk away from his pop. He isn't much of a runner and needs to improve defensively, but he has the hands to get the job done at first base.