Brandon Loy

One of the top defensive shortstops in the draft, Loy has enhanced his draft status with improved performance at the plate. His calling card is still his defense, which includes quick feet, solid range, sure hands and a strong arm. He makes all the routine plays as well as spectacular ones and rarely commits errors. In his first two years at Texas, the righthanded hitter batted .271 and was most notable at the plate for his bunting prowess. Loy led NCAA Division I with 25 sacrifices in 2009 and ranked fourth with 17 last year. He has been asked to bunt less this year, when he hit .327 in the regular season with 20 extra-base hits, nearly matching his previous career total of 21. The 6-foot, 170-pounder projects to have well below-average power with wood bats. He controls the strike zone well but sometimes tries to pull and lift pitches, which isn't his game. Loy has average speed and runs the bases well, though he won't be a big basestealing threat. He might be relegated to the bottom of a big league lineup, but his defensive prowess could make him a major league regular.