Joey Bart already looks like a big league hitter in his first major league

SCOTTSDALE Yonder Alonso Jersey , Ariz. (AP) —camp, especially when the San Francisco Giants catcher sends a misguided pitch soaring over the centerfield fence.The same with White Sox shortstop Nick Madrigal every time he makes a spinning stab deep in the hole, or Tigers pitcher Casey Mize when he leaves an unsuspecting batter befuddled, or the four young arms the Royals selected among the first 40 picks of last year’s amateur draft.All have a couple things in common: They played college baseball rather than turning pro out of high school, and they are all expected to help their clubs sooner than later.Whether it’s the beginning of a trend toward selecting less risky, more advanced college prospects over raw, high-ceiling high school stars remains to be seen. But there are undeniable benefits to stocking a farm system with college players as opposed to an 18-year-old fresh off the prom, including the chance to provide more immediate help — not unlike what is expected of NBA and NFL picks.“Yeah, that’s all high school players versus college players. The risk is lower,” explained J.J. Piccolo, the Royals’ assistant general manager in charge of scouting and player development.“Some would make the case the reward is greater with a toolsy high school player,” Picollo said, “but that’s a case-by-case basis. You have a track record, three years playing against college competition. They’re playing against more advanced players, and the predictiveness of what they may do falls in line a little better. You know what to expect.”None of which is necessarily new. Baseball scouts have been mining the college and prep ranks with equal fervor for years, and the maturity gap — physically and mentally — has always existed.Some things have changed, though.Some baseball officials believe kids chosen right out of high school are more inclined to pass up a modest signing bonus in favor of a few years in college these days, gaining not only an education and experience but also the opportunity to be drafted higher down the road.Others believe patience has grown short in this modern, fast-paced world. Investing five years developing a first-round pick out of high school is no longer as palatable for ownership and fans alike. They’d rather see their first-round picks slipping on a big league jersey and playing in front of thousands of fans than toiling away in some baseball backwater.“Everybody develops at their own pace. It’s hard to put a date on when that’s going to be http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey ,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We didn’t know when (Alcides) Escobar or Salvador Perez were going to develop and become All-Stars. We just knew they would. I wanted to take Salvy out of A-ball, because I knew he was going to be a great player. I wanted to get him going in the big leagues.”Perhaps as a result, the first five picks of last year’s first-year player draft came from out of the college ranks. There were only 10 college kids picked in the first round in 2016, but there were 15 the following year and 13 first-round selections last summer.One of them is Madrigal, the pint-sized second baseman picked fourth overall by the White Sox out of Oregon State. He rocketed through three minor league levels last summer and wowed scouts in big league camp before getting assigned to the minor league camp this week.Even though that’s where he will begin the season, Madrigal may not be there long.“They drafted me for a reason,” he said. “I’m going to show up every day and give everything I can to this organization. When you’re wearing this uniform, you can’t take that lightly.”So far, two selections from the 2014 draft have developed into All-Stars: Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola and Mets outfielder Michael Conforto, both chosen out of college.The only All-Star from the 2015 draft is Astros shortstop Alex Bregman, a product of LSU.Bart, the No. 2 overall pick out of Georgia Tech last year, joined the Giants in big league camp th and has been pounding Cactus League pitching. Mize, the Auburn hurler picked first overall by Detroit, left manager Ron Gardenhire gushing when he was reassigned to minor league camp.“The ball, he can make it do a lot of things,” Gardenhire said. “Some guys you would say when you go down there, ‘Don’t big league it,’ you know Bradley Zimmer Jersey , the whole package. You don’t have to say that to that guy. He’s going to work. He’ll get after it. He’ll get it done.”In other words, Mize is mature enough to handle pro ball after his time in the SEC.The same with the quartet of pitchers the Royals selected among the first 40 picks in last year’s draft. Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar pitched in the College World Series for Florida, Daniel Lynch was the star of Virginia’s rotation, and Kris Bubic dazzled during his Stanford career.Now, even though all four are likely to begin this season at Class A Lexington, there is a good chance they will reach Triple-A Omaha later in the year — one step from the big leagues.“We know their maturity level is good enough to deal with adversity,” Picollo said. “If they’re performing well, you’re not as reluctant to move them quickly. But we also don’t want to set a timeline for them to meet. The most important thing is they’re prepared to pitch in the big leagues — and pitch well — whenever they get here.” It has been a rough first half of the season for Bryce Harper, as the superstar from the Washington Nationals has struggled at the plate.Harper has shown the ability to hit the long ball with 23 home runs and 54 runs batted in, but he is hitting just .214 and the Nationals are flailing in the National League East.As disappointing as things have been for Harper, he is starting for the National League in the All-Star Game on Tuesday and competing in the Home Run Derby on Monday. A win in the long ball contest could be the first step for Harper to get back on track as he approaches free agency at the end of the season.Harper is one of seven National Leaguers competing in the Derby, and he is the second seed in the event. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros is the lone American Leaguer taking part in the contest, which will be held at Nationals Park at 8 p.m. ET. The Home Run Derby will be televised by ESPN.FOX Sports: MLB MLBONFOXThe bracket for the 2018 MLB Home Run Derby! tai9MAU4yGHere's how the competition breaks down:Bracket 1(1) Jesus Aguilar, Milwaukee Brewers vs. (8) Rhys Hoskins, Philadelphia Phillies(4) Alex Bregman, Houston Astros vs. (5) Kyle Schwarber, Chicago CubsBracket 2(2) Harper, Washington Nationals vs. (7) Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves(3) Max Muncy Brandon Guyer Jersey , Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Javier Baez, Chicago CubsAguilar has come into his own this season and reached the All-Star break with 24 home runs and 70 RBI. Aguilar has a .298/.373/.621 slash line. In addition to providing power in the middle of the Brewers lineup, Aguilar has an outgoing personality and is often demonstrative after he hits a long ball. He is likely to be quite animated in the Derby and has an excellent chance to become a crowd favorite.Aguilar will battle Hoskins in the first round, and the Phillies slugger is capable of getting on a hot streak. Hoskins has hit 14 home runs, but if he gets started early, he should be able to challenge Aguilar.Houston Astros astrosHes in DC to make some noise.ABREG_1 is headed to the Home Run Derby! 4hB71fMOW7Bregman has hit 20 home runs for the Astros, and that's one more than he had all of last season. He has a .288/.389/.539 slash line and is clearly a key performer for the defending world champions. Bregman will start at third base for the American League in Tuesday night's All-Star Game.The 24-year-old will have an uphill fight on his hands against Schwarber, who is one of the game's most explosive sluggers. Schwarber has hammered 18 homers to this point, and he has an excellent chance to hit the longest home runs of the night, based on the distance of some of his longest blasts.While Harper has been struggling this year, Freeman has been one of the most consistent hitters in either league. Freeman has 16 home runs and 61 RBI to go with a .315/.405/.533 slash line, but he is more of a line-drive hitter than a long-ball one.Freeman makes it a point to hit nothing but line drives when he takes batting practice, but he should turn it on for the Derby.Muncy is one of the top stories of the season, as he has earned a regular spot in the Dodgers lineup and has played a key role in the team's turnaround following a brutal start. Muncy has hit 22 home runs with a .604 slugging percentage.Muncy will face one of the game's hottest and most explosive hitters in Baez. The Cubs' slick-fielding second baseman has belted 19 home runs and knocked in 72 runs, and he has two homers and seven RBI in his last six games.Harper is the +225 favorite to win the event in front of his home fans, according to OddsShark. A $100 bet on Harper will give the bettor a $225 profit if he is successful. Schwarber is the +350 second choice, while Baez and Aguilar are listed at +500. Bregman is the outsider in the field at +1000.