Drew Ellis

While Brendan McKay understandably was drawing the majority of attention for Louisville, as a hitter Ellis was matching McKay hit for hit and home run for home run. Ellis redshirted in his first year at Louisville as he wasn't going to crack the lineup. It took him a while in his redshirt freshman season to earn a starting job, but once he did, he made an immediate offensive impact as he showed bat speed and plus raw power, although from a very pull-heavy approach. Ellis struggled to hit for average last summer in the Northwoods League but did show power (11 home runs). In 2017, Ellis has learned to hit to the center field gaps more often, letting him continue to get to his power while improving his ability to hit for average. Scouts have raised concerns about Ellis' ability to recognize offspeed offerings and his power-oriented approach does involve a significant weight transfer/load, but he's shown the ability to time pitches and get into a good rhythm with his swing. Defensively, Ellis has bounced between first and third base for Louisville this year-he generally slid to third when McKay played first. He's stretched at third base due to limited range and a lack of first-step quickness, but he has an above-average arm and runs enough to have played left field at times the last two seasons. It's Ellis' bat and power that teams are drafting, potentially in the second round.