SAN DIEGO - Dylan Cozens clutched the black bat in his hands like a toothpick and unleashed on a batting-practice fastball. Dozens of scouts watched from the stands Sunday afternoon at Petco Park, where Cozens displayed power to all fields before the annual Futures Game, a showcase for the game's top prospects.
His mere presence is arresting; Cozens, a former defensive end, is almost always the largest player on the field at 6-foot-6, 235 pounds. The 22-year-old righthanded hitter has slugged his way to prominence while playing for double-A Reading, the team with the best record in organized baseball.