Alex Bregman: Prospect Profile for Astros' 1st-Round Pick

Player: Alex Bregman

Position: SS

DOB: 3/20/1994 (Age: 21)

Height/Weight: 6'0", 186 lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: LSU 

Previously Drafted: 2012, 29th round by Boston Red Sox

Background

Alex Bregman has done nothing but get better as a player in his three years at LSU. He was named National Freshman of the Year in 2013, hit .316/.397/.455 as a sophomore and will leave Baton Rouge after hitting a career-high nine home runs. 

Putting up all of these numbers and getting all of these accolades as a shortstop in the SEC makes Bregman a natural first-round talent in this class. He's not the most imposing physical specimen, looking like a slightly taller version of Dustin Pedroia, but his ability to work a count and hit the ball is second to none. 

Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic spoke to some scouts who would call Bregman a "baseball rat" as he prepares for the professional level:

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Depending on the scout rendering the opinion, Bregman might be the best all-around player in the draft — better, even, than Vanderbilt's Dansby Swanson, his rival in the Southeastern Conference. He's a quintessential baseball rat, the sort of person who, those who know him say, is probably thinking about baseball if he isn't playing it.

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It's not the sexiest or most official scouting term to hear, but Bregman is the kind of player every team wants to have in its system. He's been a solid performer in the best baseball conference in the country all three years of his college career and will carry that into professional baseball. 

Pick Analysis

The one question about Bregman at the next level is whether or not he can stick at shortstop. He told Piecoro in the aforementioned article, "I think I can play shortstop at the next level."

If that's the case, it does put less pressure of Bregman's bat. Moving to second base will require him to hit more, but there's little doubt in the scouting community he will be able to do that, with MLB.com offering this analysis:

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Bregman has an unconventional right-handed swing, but it works for him because he has a very quick bat and controls the strike zone well. He has some pull power and could develop average pop if he adds some loft to his stroke. He has average speed that plays up because of his instincts.

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Going back to the rat description, Bregman's instincts make that even more apt. Some players just have a feel for the game that allows their tools to play better than a typical scouting report can offer. Being able to get on base will serve him well with a limited power projection. 

Bregman also has an advantage over most of the bats, college or high school, in this class because he's so polished that it wouldn't be a surprise to see him reach the big leagues in late 2016 as long as he stays healthy. 

Shortstop seems like a long shot for Bregman simply because he doesn't have the kind of lateral quickness needed to handle the position at the highest level. His instincts certainly give him a decent shot to stick there, but it's not likely. 

MLB Player Comparison: Dustin Pedroia

GAIL BURTON/Associated Press

It's always fashionable to compare any undersized second baseman—this assumes Bregman ends up at that position—to Pedroia. The one thing a vast majority of those comparisons don't get right is that Pedroia was a freak as a prospect in terms of his approach and feel for the game. 

Bregman is one of the few players who draws a Pedroia comparison that actually fits. Former big leaguer Dave Machemer told Baseball America that Pedroia's ability in every area of the game is what made him such a unique talent. 

"Everyone scoffed at him and underestimated his ability to play at a high level, but this guy is a winner," Machemer said. "The more I watched him beat us in just about every phase of the game, the more I began to realize how much this guy does."

Fast-forward nine years and those same words could be applied to Bregman. He doesn't have one defining trait, but he does so many things well that he will drive opponents nuts. 

It should be noted that Bregman compares to Pedroia simply as a prospect; it's not an indication that he will be a consistent All-Star and win an MVP award. No one saw Pedroia doing those things at the MLB level when he was coming up, otherwise he would've always been regarded as the best prospect in baseball. 

Projection: First-division second baseman

MLB ETA: 2017

Chances of Signing: 95 percent

There's nothing standing in the way of Bregman starting his professional career. He's regarded as one of the best players in this class, was taken early enough to get one of the biggest bonuses if he wants it and won't get any additional development with another year in college. 

Plus, Bregman understands the fragile nature of draft positioning after he was injured in his senior year coming out of high school. It's important to cash in while the industry is high on you because there's nowhere to go but down.