Drafted in the 12th round (340th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2003.
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If Hodges plummets because of his injury and signability, OF Jeremy Laster could be the first Tennessee high school position player drafted. He's a 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete with a huge power/speed ceiling, but he's also very raw. A team may be content to draft-and-follow Laster, who's ticketed for Walters State.
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The Tigers wanted Laster to repeat low Class A last year so he could play more often. The plan worked to perfection, as he had by far his most consistent pro season. He has a long uppercut swing that continues to result in high strikeout totals, but last year he produced 16 homers while playing his home games in a pitcher-friendly park. He followed that with an impressive showing in Hawaii Winter Baseball, where he ranked among the league leaders with six homers. He still didn't control the strike zone in Hawaii, with a 36-3 K-BB ratio in 82 at-bats. The ball jumps off Laster's bat, and he has tremendous raw power to all fields. He's adequate in the outfield, with average speed and arm strength. Even after the breakthrough season, Laster has plenty of untapped potential and must continue improving his pitch recognition. The Tigers could have something special with Laster if he continues developing at this rate, and his ceiling and early-career development path resembles that of Marcus Thames. Laster will start the season in high Class A with the chance for a midseason promotion.
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