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1
 |
Votes |
Drafted: '05, 1st round (12 overall)
|
|---|---|---|
| 562 | ||
| Previous Rank | ||
| NA | ||
| ETA in Majors | ||
| 2008 |
When told that Bruce would be topping our Top 50 list, one scout said, "Wow, that's got to be one special bat for a corner outfielder to be No. 1." The implication is that since Bruce won't end up playing a premium position and isn't as pure a five-tool player as some other outfielders on this list, he must be able to flat-out rake if the scouting industry considers him to be the best prospect in all baseball.
Indeed he can. In 2007, Bruce finished second in the Minors with 80 extra-base hits, hitting well over .300 across three levels of competition. In his two-plus years of pro ball, Bruce has belted out 165 extra-base hits for a career .543 slugging percentage. He may not have the jets of a Maybin or Upton, two of the other high school outfield draftees from 2005, but he's got some speed and can hold his own in center, a position he's played frequently in the Minors. That being said, he profiles as an elite right-fielder who'll hit for average and power while stopping runners from taking the extra base with his arm. The 2005 draft may go down as one of the best of all time -- and Bruce may be the most pure hitter of the lot.
