In the alleged post-steroids era, teams are taking a broader view on how to evaluate a player's draft stock. On one hand, traditional ways of evaluating a player in terms of tools remains a viable way to scout a player. Can a player hit? Can he run? Is he a good defender? How is his arm strength?
On the other hand, unless a team is drafting a five-tool player, there are some risks. If team's draft a player who's known for his bat and it turns out he can not hit at the professional level, what is the team left with?
One recent alternative is to draft a player with impressive athletic ability, but possibly someone who is lacking the gaudy statistics of a player who has a "plus, plus" bat tool, etc. The theory is that a player who is very athletic is likely to be at least good at most of the tools and if one of them declines in professional ball, the player is able to adapt and easily develop their other tools.
However, as one special assistant told Jason Churchill of espn.com, "If it a kid isn't a good hitter in high school, he's not likely to become one."
The question of athletic ability vs. specific talent is most important with high school players who's ability is harder to judge on statistics because of the depressed competition. So which players will be drafted for their hitting and which for their athletic ability?
Bats
Josh Sale, Blanchet HS, OF
Nick Castellanos, Archbishop McCarthy, 3B

Kris Bryant, Bonanza HS, infielder
Kaleb Cowart, Cook County HS, infielder
Christian Yelich, Westlake HS, 1B
Athletes
Austin Wilson, Harvard-Westlake HS, OF
Chevez Clarke, Marietta HS, OF
Ty Linton, Charlotte Christian, OF
One guy who fits on both sides of the fence is Manny Machado and that's why he's getting so much talk as the #2 overall pick.
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