• Full name Kenneth J. Diekroeger
  • Born 11/05/1990 in Woodside, CA
  • Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Stanford
  • Drafted in the 4th round (133rd overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2012 (signed for $500,000).
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    Diekroeger's career has been a bit of a roller coaster. He emerged as one of the top high school prospects in 2009, showing great athleticism, and the Rays took him in the second round, but he turned down a reported $2 million offer to go to Stanford. He looked like he'd be one of the top prospects for 2012 when he hit .356/.391/.491 as a freshman, playing mostly at third base, but his performance since then has not matched expectations. While most scouts think he'll be an average hitter, he has never shown much power, and this season he was batting in the bottom third of the Stanford lineup. He did not play summer ball last year, instead working out to get in better shape, and scouts say he looked trimmer this year than he did at the end of last season. Diekroeger has soft hands and solid arm strength, and while he's athletic he's just an average runner, which limits his range defensively. He played shortstop as a sophomore and spent most of this spring at second base, though he had moved back to shortstop in recent weeks. He'll likely move to second as a pro, and some scouts say he'll end up as a utility player because his versatility is more valuable than his pure offensive or defensive skill. A team that believes he still has offensive upside will take him in the first five rounds, but he won't see another $2 million bonus offer.

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