Despite what the national and public narrative will tell you, the prep position player is the heart and soul of the draft. They're the highest-upside athletes with the carrying tools to imagine an impact player emerging. But while the majority of the high-upside preps go in the top few rounds, teams that opt to get creative with their bonus pools may look for upside down the board.
Here are five down-board position players with an emphasis on athleticism, twitch, and "now" tools that teams can buy into with some excess money to spend.
Dawson Hinson, SS, Friendswood (TX)
Hinson missed almost the entire 2026 season with injury, but he is a capable ballplayer with a good combination of speed, arm strength, and a strong operation in the box. Hinson is a smaller, twitchy kid who's naturally choked up on the bat. The swing is fully synced, with some rhythm in …