Cole closest in 'Race for No. 1' 
If the contenders for the No. 1 pick are to catch the favorite, they'll have to put forth monster seasons and answer each and every scouting question within their games to claim their stake -- at least if the first few weeks are any indication.
That's because Rice 3B Anthony Rendon hasn't had a stellar start by his standards, yet has still produced a .387 average and .525 on-base percentage against a strong early schedule. The 6-foot, 190-pound Houston native has drawn eight walks in his past four games and there are no reports of any issues in terms of agility or physical restrictions in accordance with the most recent ankle injury.
Rendon's stock is steady at this stage, which means those in the running have to dig deep. The contenders:
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Keith Law
Keith Law joined ESPN.com in June 2006 as the lead baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., covering the majors, minors and amateurs. Before joining ESPN, Law spent 4½ years with the Toronto Blue Jays as a special assistant to the general manager, and was previously a writer for Baseball Prospectus. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon.
Follow Keith on Twitter: @Keithlaw
Jason A. Churchill
Jason A. Churchill is the executive editor at ProspectInsider.com, covering major league baseball with an eye toward scouting and player development since 2006.
Christopher Crawford
The founder and executive editor of MLB Draft Insider. He can be followed on Twitter @crawfordchrisv
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2013 MLB Draft:
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