Area Code Games Best Tools
| By Alan Matthews |
| August 21, 2007 |
LONG BEACH--Each summer, scouts from across the United States conduct tryouts with many of the nation's best high school players and select the best performers to attend the Area Code Games in Long Beach. Following are the best tools from the Class of 2008 in attendance at this year's event, as judged by Baseball America national writer Alan Matthews in conjunction with scouts in and college coaches in attendance.
| BEST TOOLS | ||
| Category | Player, Pos. | High School |
| Best Batting Prospect | Tim Beckham, ss | Griffin (Ga.) HS |
| Best Power Prospect | Bobby Stone, 1b | Montgomery (Texas) HS |
| Fastest Baserunner | Randall Thorpe, of | Heritage HS, Colleyville, Texas |
| Best Pitching Prospect | Kyle Lobstein, lhp | Coconino HS, Flagstaff, Ariz. |
| Best Fastball | Gerrit Cole, rhp | Lutheran HS, Orange, Calif. |
| Best Breaking Pitch | Austin Dicharry, rhp | Klein-Collins HS, Spring, Texas |
| Best Control | Anthony DeSclafani, rhp | Colts Neck (N.J.) HS |
| Best Defensive Player | Tyler Rahmatulla, ss | Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, Calif. |
| Best Arm | Aaron Hicks, of/rhp | Wilson HS, Long Beach |
| Best Defensive Catcher | Kyle Skipworth, c | Patriot HS, Riverside, Calif. |
| Most Exciting Player | Aaron Hicks, of/rhp | Wilson HS, Long Beach |