[1] Stephen Strasburg | RHP | San Diego State
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 225
The powerful San Diego State righty heads into the 2009 season anointed as a shoe-in to be the number one pick in the June draft by the Washington Nationals thanks in large part to his outstanding performances on the mound last season (8-3 record, 1.57 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 97.1 innings). Strasburg’s stuff is as dominant as any college pitcher we’ve seen in years. His plus-plus fastball sits anywhere between 94-99 mph and at times hits in the triple digits. He also throws a hard breaking pitch that sits 78-84 mph and is able to take from or add to it to make it and his fastball even more difficult to hit. He also offers a changeup (80-82 mph) which still needs a little seasoning (he doesn’t use it too much yet but will in pro ball). He has excellent command of all of his pitches which makes him even more dangerous. All of this adds up to an ace of the future for the Nationals who undoubtedly will take him with their first pick.

[2] Grant Green | SS | Southern California
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 180
Green did a nice job raising his value heading into the upcoming draft with a solid season in 2008. He looks to be the best position player available in the upcoming draft and his numbers support it. Green finished his 2008 Pac-10 season strong hitting .390, 15 doubles, five triples, nine homers, 46 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He was also amongst the top of the Cape Cod league hitting .348/.451/.537 and projects as both a solid hitter and a power hitter. He should post high on-base numbers and slugging which gives his team the flexibility to have him hit in the middle-of-the-order. His skill set and defensive ability point towards a move to third base (especially with the number of errors he commits at shortstop). So any team drafting him will have to take that into account on draft day in case their hot corner is already spoken for.

[3] Alex White | RHP | North Carolina
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 193
Some think White is actually the safer pitcher amongst the top available in the upcoming draft due to his electric stuff on the mound and less risk associated with him. He dominated in his sophomore season posting a 13-3 record, 2.83 ERA and struck out 113 hitters in 101.1 innings as he went on to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year award. White brings to the table a low to mid-90’s fastball (topping out at 95 mph) and enhances it with a late-breaking plus slider that sits in the upper-80’s. Like most college pitchers, he needs to develop a third pitch to his repertoire (working on a so-so curveball and change) as well as harness his control a bit (42 walks in 2008) before becoming an effective pro. With that aside, he looks to be a fantastic starting pitcher for whomever is lucky enough to grab him and is often overshadowed by Stephen Strasburg's rise to fame and Andrew Oliver's public legal issues.

[4] Dustin Ackley | OF/1B | North Carolina
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 184
Ackley has done nothing but hit his entire college career and has gained a lot national attention as a result. That will usually happen when you hit more than .400 each of your first to seasons and are named Baseball America Freshman of the Year (2007). In fact his 2008 numbers were very impressive hitting .417, hitting four homers, driving in 51 runs, stealing 11 bases and breaking a school record by scoring 82 runs. Ackley has such an advanced approach at the plate you would think he was already a pro. His entire approach is very smooth and balanced and is very repeatable which will help him avoid slumps and lagging mechanics. Hopefully whatever team drafts him doesn’t force him into a power role as he does better when he focuses on hitting to all fields. While he does have some power potential, if he is forced into that role he may get away from what makes him so special. It’s also not very clear what his position will be but he may be better suited for the outfield. Some people aren’t as high on this kid since he doesn’t bring masher power or blazing speed or the stellar defense to the table, but I love his approach at the plate and think it will translate well to the pros.

[5] Andrew Oliver | LHP | Oklahoma State
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 209
Putting Oliver at number five was a debatable decision considering he was suspended for part of 2008 and could miss all of 2009 due to a suspension for being represented by an agent. But putting that aside, this ranking list is based on talent and where they should be ranked for the 2009 draft. So with that being said, putting Oliver at number five was an easy decision because he is the top college lefthander in the upcoming draft. In fact before his suspension, Oliver was 7-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 15 games. He also was able to strikeout 96 batters and held opponents to a .211 average in 98.1 innings of work. His bread-and-butter pitch is his dangerous fastball which is clocked around 90-93 mph (and can reach upwards of 95 mph) which he has excellent command of. He has a rather deceptive delivery which works very well in his favor, especially with his fastball as that combined with it’s great movement make it even more difficult to hit. Oliver usually relies on his fastball to strike hitters out (both with speed and location), but is also work on improving his slider and changeup which he will need to build upon before entering the pros.