Michael Antonio

Antonio, who is from the same high school that produced Manny Ramirez, ranked as the No. 56 prospect on BA's High School Top 100 list last fall after a strong showing on the showcase circuit, highlighted by an MVP performance at the Summer Rivarly Baseball Classic Invitational last August at Fenway Park. But scouts were disappointed with him this spring, and his stock dropped. On the right day you'll see him hit well and square balls up, but often he has a big swing with a pull-happy approach. He has a wide open set-up and a big leg kick, and his righthanded swing is longer than it was last year. His 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame generates solid raw power, but he is still learning to tap into it. Scouts say he also has become thicker and slower than he was last year. He was an average runner in the past, but scouts clocked him up the line as slow as 4.6 seconds this spring. He has a tendency to be a little too flashy at short, at the expense of making the routine play. He has good hands but tends to get himself in the wrong position to field the ball, and his arm is fringe-average. He's probably good enough to play shortstop in college but figures to outgrow the position in pro ball. A St. John's recruit, Antonio projects as a sixth- to 10th-round pick.