Discovering, evaluating and projecting tools are the essence of a scout’s job. Big-time tools lead to big-time excitement, and the more big-time tools a player possesses the more excited an observer gets.

However, it takes another side of the ballplayer to take those tools and appropriately apply them to the game of baseball. For some this comes easily, and for others this becomes the difference between playing in the minors and the majors.

Of course there are other players who are short on tools but big on baseball aptitude, those that make the most of their abilities, and then some, to succeed at the highest level. Easy and popular examples of such players include Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, both of whom have continued to defy the odds while out-playing their tools to become perennial All-Stars at the highest of levels.

Which leads to the question of who is in line to become the next Kevin Youkilis or Dustin Pedroia, the player that had a fine college career, put up impressive numbers throughout, and has continued to get better at the big-league level because of their desire to succeed?

With the draft quickly approaching I’m going to take a look at two players from the college ranks that have enjoyed fine college careers, continued to get better, and are poised to carry their success to the professional game of baseball.

Example A

Meet Derek McCallum, second baseman for the Golden Gophers who is enjoying a break-out season. I had the pleasure of following McCallum last summer in the Northwoods League (a league that has seen quite a few of their alums from last summer enjoy big seasons for their respective teams, a topic I will get back to in a future column). He finished first in the league in hits, third in both batting and total bases and fourth in runs scored. That evidence would lead you to believe that his stroke translates well to swinging a wood bat.

Take a peak at his first two years with Minnesota and you’ll discover that he was a career .311 hitter entering his junior year, although without much power, with a career .417 slugging percentage and 23 extra-base hits.

His summer in the Northwoods may have bridged the gap between his first two years in college and his junior campaign, as entering regional play, McCallum is boasting an impressive .404/.482/.737 (batting/on-base/slugging percentage) line. He is either leading or is among the league leaders in nearly every notable offensive category in the Big Ten.

While his batting average has clearly gone up, I don’t think that is surprising given McCallum’s ability to square up the ball and lace line drives all over the ballpark.

The same can be said for his on-base percentage, which of course is tied to his ability to get base hits. Throughout his career he has shown a disciplined eye, with a career ratio of 56 walks to 71 strikeouts in 563 at-bats. Most impressive this year is the fact that he has maintained a nearly one-to-one ratio, avoiding a huge jump in whiffs, while also enjoying a significant boost in power.

Of course it’s the 17 home runs that stand out this year, as he hit only five collectively during his freshman and sophomore years. I recently watched McCallum play in the Big Ten conference championship, and it was clear he was employing a more aggressive swing tailored for pulling the ball to right field. As noted above, it is equally impressive that he has maintained his discipline with this new approach.

And while McCallum doesn’t have great straight-line speed, he makes up for it with very good instincts and first-step quickness that makes him a good defender at second base. Every time I have watched McCallum play, from last weekend’s action to last summer’s appearance in the Northwoods League all-star game, he manages to make a highlight reel play, ranging either deep to his left or right. He has played some shortstop during his college career, but don’t look for him to move away from second any time soon.

When you combine the fact that McCallum has already enjoyed a fine college career, has proved that he can hit with a wood bat and has continued to improve, drastically, you have a candidate that could continue to make noise at the professional level.

Exhibit B

Ohio Bobcat Marc Krauss is another player that I have been following closely the past few years. He like McCallum is a left-handed hitter that has put up very impressive numbers during his college career entering his junior year. A career .349 hitter between his freshman and sophomore years with an overall .349/.458/.587 line, his numbers look similar to the ones that Kevin Youkilis has been posting at the big league level both this year and last.

While McCallum is leading the Big Ten in nearly every offensive category, Krauss is currently among the national leaders in home runs (27, tied for second), total bases (178, third), slugging percentage (.852, fourth) and OPS (on-base plus slugging, 1.368, fifth). Overall he’s hitting .402/.521/.852, and this previously known pure hitter with a keen eye has suddenly added game changing power to his game, turning doubles into homers. While he entered the spring as a likely early pick, he has gone from a third or fourth rounder to a player that could sneak into the sandwich round.

Again, like McCallum, Krauss isn’t a prototypical athlete and doesn’t rate high on the tools chart. While McCallum’s quickness serves him well in the infield, Krauss lack of quickness serves him better on an outfield corner or at first base. He’s not a complete clodder, as he does run well once he’s gained momentum, and he also owns a strong arm that has allowed him to play third base. His ideal defensive home is first base at the next level, and with is much-improved power surge it is looking more and more likely that the position will be a natural fit.

He too has proven himself with a wood bat, arguably the most impressive pure hitter on the Cape last summer, finishing first in the league in on-base percentage (.473) and RBI (34) while finishing fifth in batting (.344). He also played in the league’s all-star game with more toolsy ’09 talents such as Grant Green, Chris Dominguez, A.J. Pollock, Tim Wheeler and Rich Poythress.

His bat is going to continue to carry him, with his bat speed and plate recognition being his strongest attributes. Again, look to the strong college career and the continued improvement for reasons to be encouraged about Krauss’ future. He clearly can hit and manage the strike zone. Since he is limited defensively, his ability to continue to hit for power is going to dictate his future status.

Talking Numbers

A lot of numbers from the college level have been thrown out in this column, and since we’re on the subject I thought I would bring up the race for the Golden Spikes award.

It’s probably not much of a race, as San Diego State right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg is enjoying a ridiculous reason that will probably lead to him not only being the number one overall pick in the draft, but also taking home the prestigious college player-of-the-year award.

However, Alabama’s Kent Matthes deserves some serious consideration, and some major kudos, for having such a huge year. Here is where his numbers fall nationally:

Home runs: 28 (first)

Slugging: .883 (second)

RBI: 81 (tied-second)

Total bases: 174 (third)

OPS: 1.348 (seventh)

And he is facing some pretty serious competition in the SEC, as a few other notable sluggers putting up big numbers such as Rich Poythress, Cody Hawn and Nick Ebert (who wins the best last name in the game award) can contest to.

Matthes isn’t short on tools. His power arm/bat tools were the main reasons he was selected and participated on the 2004 Aflac All-American squad and went on to become a premium recruit for the Crimson Tide. A senior that has enjoyed a fine career with Alabama, he very well may be a late bloomer, as prior to this year’s .365/.475/.883 line his best season batting at the plate came during his sophomore year when he hit .307, and his best home run season came last year with 11 dingers.

There should be no shame finishing second in the national voting to the legend known as Stephen Strasburg, and Matthes has also improved his future both financially and professionally, with a legitimate chance to be taken in the second or third rounds of the draft.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.