5. BRANDON WOOD, ss, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Angels) Age: 19 Ht: 6-3 Wt: 185 B-T: R-R Drafted/Signed: Angels '03 (1) Shortstop was the deepest position in the MWL. Wood stood out the most among a group that also included Clinton's Ian Kinsler, Wisconsin's Adam Jones, West Michigan's Tony Giarratano, Peoria's Brandon Ryan and Battle Creek's Hector Made. The third 2003 first-rounder in the top five, Wood fits the offensive mold of the modern shortstop. Though he packs just 185 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, his quick hands and wrists and the loft in his swing give him the power to hit at least 15-20 homers per year. He shows good instincts at the plate and on the bases. Wood's speed is a tick below average, but don't discount his ability to play shortstop. He's agile enough and covers enough ground, especially to his right. He positions himself well, has a plus arm and might have had the best footwork among MWL shortstops. AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG 478 65 120 30 5 11 64 46 117 21 5 .251 .322 .404 12. HOWIE KENDRICK, 2b, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Angels) Age: 21 Ht: 5-10 Wt: 180 B-T: R-R Drafted/Signed: Angels '02 (10) Kendrick missed two months with a groin injury, but that couldn't stop him fro m winning the MWL batting title at .367. A notoriously slow starter, he batted .241 in April and .410 afterward. Kendrick's career .357 average as a pro results from excellent hand-eye coordi nation and a balanced, controlled swing. He lets his natural bat speed do most of the work, and can drive the ball for gap power. He makes contact so easily that it impedes his ability to draw walks. Though his speed is fringe average, his instincts make opponents respect him a s a basestealer. Raw defensively when he signed out of junior college in 2002, Kendrick has improved his arm strength, footwork and range. He also has gotte n better at turning the double play and is now a reliable defender. AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG 313 66 115 24 6 10 49 12 41 15 6 .367 .398 .578 16. KEVIN JEPSEN, rhp, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Angels) Age: 20 Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210 B-T: B-R Drafted/Signed: Angels '02 (2) Jepsen lasted just 10 starts in the MWL a year ago before a tender elbow ended his season. After having surgery to remove bone chips, he returned in 2004 an d displayed the league's best fastball. Jepsen usually pitched at 94-96 mph and peaked at 97-99, and the heavy life on his fastball makes it difficult for hitters to lift. He also shows a power sl ider that can be nearly as unhittable when it's on, as well as some feel for a changeup. His command isn't as good as his stuff, however. Jepsen needs to do a better j ob of throwing each of his pitches for strikes after leading the league with 7 7 walks in 144 innings. His delivery is a bit long in the back and he doesn急 take a direct path to the plate, though his arm action and balance are fine. W L ERA G SV IP H HR BB SO AVG 8 10 3.43 27 0 144.1 122 6 77 136 .228 19. BALTAZAR LOPEZ, 1b, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Angels) Age: 20 Ht: 6-1 Wt: 180 B-T: L-L Drafted/Signed: Angles FA '03 (Mexico) Two years ago, Cedar Rapids had a sweet-lefthanded-swinging, slick-fielding first baseman in Casey Kotchman. This season the Kernels had another in Lopez, who has a much lower profile but was likened to Rafael Palmeiro, just as Kotchman had been. After spending the first half of the year in extended spring training, Lopez showed off one of the MWL's prettiest strokes upon his arrival in mid-June. His bat flies through the strike zone and he manipulates the bat head well, working the ball to all fields. He's wiry but has strong wrists and should hit for at least average power, though some observers think he'll need to add some loft to his swing. Lopez can be a little anxious at the plate, as he hasn't learned to stay back on changeups or draw many walks. He doesn't run well, but his lack of speed doesn't hamper his defense. AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG 236 34 74 14 3 9 35 19 65 6 1 .314 .368 .513 --

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