Jeff Gelalich

Gelalich played alongside Astros 2009 first-round pick Jio Mier in high school in California, but he wound up at UCLA after being drafted by the Phillies in the 41st round that year. He showed flashes of potential before finally coming into his own as a junior, more than doubling his career home run total while lowering his strikeout-walk ratio from 2-1 over his first two seasons to 1-1 this year. Gelalich has a solid all-around tools package. He is a plus runner who plays a solid right field, though his average arm probably fits better in left at the big league level. He has a simple approach, with a wide base, a short stride and the ability to barrel up hard line drives from the left side. He has improved significantly at hitting the ball where it is pitched, taking sliders away to the opposite field while turning on fastballs in. He flashes good power, hitting home runs off the center-field batter's eye and atop the hitting structure at UCLA this spring, but most scouts project him as a solid-average hitter with average power.