1B Andrew Vaughn, University of California
6' 215 lbs, R/R, born 4/3/1998
Adley Rutschman is easily the best player available, but there is one guy who can swing it with him in the college crop. Cal first baseman Andrew Vaughn has raked since day one in Berkeley, having slashed .349/.414/.555 with 12 home runs as a freshman in 2017 and then .402/.531/.819 with 23 home runs as a sophomore in 2018. Through his first 39 games in 2019, he is putting up similar numbers with a .384/.535/.696 line, 11 home runs, and a 26/44 strikeout to walk ratio in the middle of Cal's lineup. Vaughn is a complete hitter; he hits for plenty of power, has a fantastic eye for the strike zone, and makes consistent hard contact. You can't beat his track record (46 HR, .377/.491/.685, 68/104 K/BB over 147 games at Cal), and he hit well in a small sample in the Cape Cod League in 2018 as well (5 HR, .308/.368/.654, 10/3 K/BB in 14 games).
Unlike Rutschman, Vaughn doesn't have the defensive value to make himself a can't-miss prospect. Vaughn is a first baseman only, and while he's pretty decent there, it is unlikely he could make it work in the outfield or at third base. That means that all of the pressure will be on his bat, which isn't exactly a problem considering how potent that bat is. Vaughn might actually be a better pure hitting prospect than Rutschman (though with Rutschman's big 2019, that may no longer be the case), but without the added defensive value, he fits more in the 2-4 range than at first overall. However, barring an injury Once drafted, Vaughn should move quickly through the minors be a middle of the order bat in the near future.
Ultimate projection: true middle of the order bat capable of 30+ homers and on-base percentages in the .400 range annually
Likely draft range: picks two through four overall
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