Joseph Sanders

First-year Auburn coach John Pawlowski was a big league pitcher, but his teams at College of Charleston and now Auburn are known for high-octane offenses with all-or-nothing approaches at the plate. Several highly-regarded sophomores at Auburn struggled this spring with lots of strikeouts, but Sanders, a junior, responded to the approach and was having a tremendous season, ranking second in the Southeastern Conference in home runs in April. But on April 21, he was struck in the jaw with a pitch, and while his jaw didn't need to be wired shut, it was broken. Sanders, whose mother Barbara spent 25 years in the Air Force and went through cancer treatments in 2008, showed his toughness by returning less than a month later for the final series of the season against Alabama. He went 2-for-11 in the set, mashing his 19th homer in the final regular-season game. Sanders' bat is his best tool, as he has hand strength and solid plate coverage. He's played third base and second in college, and he's just an adequate infielder, with erratic footwork. His arm plays at either position, but he may not have the hands to stay in the infield, making him more of a utility player in the Ty Wigginton mold. He has enough speed to make a shift to the outfield possible, but he'll have to be more patient for his power to play in pro ball; he walked just 33 times in 128 college starts. The lack of college hitters may push him into the first six rounds anyway, if he's signable.