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Top prospects

Some of the top players eligible for Monday's first-year player draft (with position, school, height, weight, class and age):

ROCCO BALDELLI OF, Bishop Hendricken (R.I.) H.S., 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, 18 years old
One of top high school athletes in draft. Standout in baseball, basketball, volleyball and track. Was state indoor sprint champion, so obviously speed is strongest asset. Above average outfielder. Pulled muscle in side ended season early, but still should be high pick. Could become first Rhode Island player drafted in first round since Bill Almon went No. 1 in 1974.

CHRIS BOOTCHECK RHP, Auburn, 6-5, 195, Jr., 21
Will likely be one of first college pitchers selected. Scouts like his build and ability to throw four pitches well. Won eight games each of first three college seasons, and has 270 career strikeouts in 304 innings. Throws in low 90s and scouts project velocity to increase as he develops.

JOE BORCHARD OF, Stanford, 6-4, 195, Jr., 21
Outstanding athlete is also Cardinal's starting quarterback. Switch-hitter projects to be above-average power hitter. Regarded as outstanding defensive player. Will likely play right field as pro because of incredibly strong right arm. Teams might shy away because of indecisiveness over whether he's dedicated to just playing baseball.

TAGGERT BOZIED 1B-3B, San Francisco, 6-3, 215, Jr., 20
Went from unknown to star last season after vision therapy treatment. Power numbers (30 HRs, 82 RBIs) slipped (14, 52) because of nagging knee and back injuries and teams pitching around him. West Coast Conference's career home run leader (48) is projected to be power hitter in pros. Has good defensive instincts and can play first base, third base, left field or right field. Right-hander with strong arm also pitched for Dons.

SEAN BURNETT LHP, Wellington H.S. (Fla.), 6-2, 170, 17
Polished with great command -- considered by some as best in draft -- and excellent changeup. Young, slender athlete tired late in season, but still is projected to throw between 90-92 mph. Went to same high school as Bobby Bradley, last year's No. 8 pick by Pittsburgh. Committed to Miami.

BRAD CRESSE C, Louisiana State, 6-3, 215, Sr., 21
Rebounded from broken right hand early last season to hit .400 with a Division I-leading 30 homers and 104 RBIs this year. Undrafted as junior, worked on all aspects of game and scouts like short, powerful stroke. Defensive skills suspect, however. Son of former Dodgers coach Mark Cresse and godson of Tommy Lasorda.

BEN DIGGINS RHP-DH, Arizona, 6-6, 220, So., 20
Draft-eligible sophomore selected two years ago by St. Louis as hitter. Excellent all-around athlete who turned attention to pitching with Wildcats. Started season 8-0 before tiring and finishing 10-4. Fastball averages 95 mph, and mixes in good offspeed pitches. Has also shown ability to hit (nine HRs, 34 RBIs) with compact swing, but will be pitchers in pros. Extremely mobile for player his size.

DAVID ESPINOSA SS-RHP, Gulliver Prep (Fla.), 6-1, 170, 18
Scouts impressed with superb baseball instincts. Although he can pitch, being looked at almost exclusively as an infielder. Is a switch-hitter who doesn't have great power potential, but excellent speed makes him ideal leadoff man. Athletic with strong arm and adequate glove. Could eventually move to second base.

TYRELL GODWIN OF, North Carolina, 6-1, 190, Jr., 20
Considered by many as best pure athlete and possibly fastest player in draft. Was selected in first round by New York Yankees in 1997, but chose college scholarship. Strong arm and can hit for average and power. Could be first player since Charles Johnson and Calvin Murray (1989, '92) to be drafted in first round out of high school and college. Some still question desire even after he quit football last year to concentrate on baseball. Nagging leg injuries hampered production.

ADRIAN GONZALEZ 1B, Eastlake H.S. (Calif.), 6-2, 190, 18
Regarded as one of top high school hitters in nation. Stock rose significantly as season wore on. Uses excellent bat speed and strong hands to hit all over field. Doesn't have extraordinary power, but enough that scouts think left-hander will hit for power and high average. Good defensive player.

BEAU HALE RHP, Texas, 6-1, 180, Jr., 21
One of hardest-throwing pitchers with 93-95 mph fastball. Scouts think he can be excellent pro pitcher if curve and slider continue to develop. Threw no-hitter against Sam Houston in second start this season. Workhorse who eats up innings; threw eight complete games this season. Developed winning attitude after going 2-5 in first two years with Longhorns.

MATT HARRINGTON RHP, Palmdale H.S. (Calif.), 6-3, 185, 18
Has chance to become first high school right-hander drafted No. 1. Fastball routinely hits 94-96 mph and might be best in draft. Seems to get stronger late in games - reaching 98 mph in the seventh inning a number of times. Excellent command and good mechanics. Developing curveball to complement above-average fastball, breaking ball and slider. Scouts also like size and determination to continue improving. Committed to Arizona State.

SCOTT HEARD C, Rancho Bernardo H.S. (Calif.). 6-1, 180, 18
Could become first high school catcher drafted first overall since Danny Goodwin in 1971. Defensive abilities are unquestioned. Strongest arm among catchers in draft, knows how to handle pitchers and doesn't let many balls get by him. Scouts concerned about hitting. Batted just .287 this season and is overanxious with tendency to swing at bad pitches.

AARON HEILMAN RHP, Notre Dame, 6-5, 195, Jr., 21
Big East pitcher of year has excellent control, good mechanics and could be first college pitcher drafted. Overpowers hitters with sinking fastball that hits 92-94 mph and induces lots of groundouts. Has been one of nation's top strikeout artists past three seasons. Future as major league closer likely. Needs to continue development of slider and changeup.

BOBBY HILL SS, Newark Bears (Atlantic League), 5-10, 170, 22
Drafted by Chicago White Sox in supplemental round last year, but could not reach contract agreement. Decided to forgo final year of eligibility at Miami and played in independent league. Outstanding hitter with good speed and base-running ability. Ideal leadoff hitter. Excellent fielding skills, but has average arm and could move to second base.

LUIS MONTANEZ SS, Coral Park H.S. (Fla.), 6-0, 165, 18
Outstanding defensive player has seen stock rise past few months. Has great glove and range at shortstop. Strong arm and smooth throwing motion reminds some of young Shawon Dunston. Is also good hitter who scouts think can get even better.

XAVIER NADY 3B, California, 6-2, 205, Jr., 21
Could be first college player chosen. Has excelled at every level, including Team USA. Versatile athlete played shortstop, second base and third base throughout college. Can flat-out hit and has excellent sense of strike zone. Scouts project him to hit for average and power. Holds school record for homers (59) and broke Mark McGwire's Pac-10 career record with .729 slugging percentage. Average on defense.

MARK PHILLIPS LHP, Hanover H.S. (Pa.), 6-3, 195
Widely regarded as best of good crop of college left-handers. Fastball hits 93-95 mph and curveball routinely freezes hitters. Had 0.34 ERA and 100 Ks in 48 innings. Went from unknown to possible top-10 pick as stock rose with each outing.

DANE SARDINHA C, Pepperdine, 6-0, 190, Jr., 19
Has top-notch defensive skills, but scouts concerned about hitting abilities. Hit .353 with 17 HRs and 72 RBIs, but hit just .200 and looked overmatched in Cape Cod League last summer. Teams might take chance because of powerful arm and terrific instincts behind plate. A second-round pick out of high school, could join Stanford's Justin Wayne as first first-round native Hawaiians.

JASON STOKES 1B, Coppell H.S. (Texas), 6-5, 230, 18
National high school player of year has tremendous power potential. Hit 25 homers, third-highest single-season high school total. Also hit 32 last summer for Connie Mack team. Good defensive player with average arm and speed. Scouts also like his competitive nature. Committed to Texas.

JOE TORRES LHP, Gateway H.S. (Fla.), 6-2, 175, 17
Possesses one of best curveballs in draft. Mediocre 4-4 record doesn't tell story - had minuscule 0.38 ERA and 128 Ks in 55 innings. Has fastball with good movement that reached 92-94 mph. Scouts think he can add a few more mph as he grows stronger and develops.

JUSTIN WAYNE RHP, Stanford, 6-3, 175, Jr., 21
Polished pitcher with superb command, possibly best among draft crop. Pac-10 co-pitcher of year has been compared to former Cardinal ace Mike Mussina throughout career. Fastball only hits low 90s, but has three other pitches, including excellent changeup, that he throws for strikes. Knows how to win -- 30-4 career college record.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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