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One is a high school kid drafted in the second round of 2004, just waiting to put it all together after two promising but inconsistent seasons. One is a college star who vaulted through three levels in his pro debut.

Both, somewhat surprisingly, were sent to the sheltered confines of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' fall instructional league rather than the elite Arizona Fall League, where they both would have fit in well.

And in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' picture, the names Reid Brignac and Evan Longoria are becoming inextricably woven together.

"They're always in the same conversation," said Mitch Lukevics, the Devil Rays' director of player development, adding that for all the differences there are some very important similarities. "And they're both young men with outstanding character who have very good ability."

Brignac, a 20-year-old left-handed hitter, showed flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons, hitting for average with just one homer in his 2004 debut and for power with a plummet in average in 2005.

This year, though, between Class A Advanced Visalia, where he won California League MVP honors, and Double-A Montgomery, he combined to hit .321, second in the system, with 24 homers and 99 RBIs.

The Rays considered sending Brignac to Arizona, but opted instead to work with him in Florida and give the slot to center fielder Fernando Perez.

"He had a terrific year," Lukevics said, "and we thought instructional would cap off a great season."

Longoria, the third player taken in the 2006 draft out of Long Beach State, was considered by many to be the most polished college hitter available and he showed why, signing almost immediately and finishing among organization leaders with 18 homers.

After getting his feet wet with a week at Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley, where he hit .424 with four homers and 11 RBIs while waiting for Visalia to finish up its California League All-Star break, he joined the Oaks and batted .327 with eight homers and 28 RBIs.

Longoria and Brignac were promoted together to Montgomery on Aug. 3 and helped lead the Biscuits to the Southern League championship.

Lukevics hoped that instructional league would just give Longoria a few more reps.

"I think the daily routine of playing is important for him," he said. "Lots of times it's that extra month of mental and physical training that is important. No player is perfect so, to be generic, we work on their weaknesses."

Not that either player has many of those right now.

While all eyes were on the two top infield prospects from the moment their respective seasons began, one young southpaw emerged as perhaps the system's breakthrough player of the year: Class A Southwest Michigan ace Jacob McGee.

McGee, who just turned 20 this past August, was a fifth-round pick in 2004 out of high school in California. Over two short-season campaigns he had struck out 142 in 133 1/3 innings, but this marked his full-season debut.

Despite a misleading 7-9 record, he posted a 2.96 ERA and struck out 171 in 134 innings, scattering 103 hits.

"What can you say about him? He had an outstanding year," Lukevics said. "Like all young pitchers, you're still refining his delivery, working on his fastball command and the consistency of his breaking pitches. It's a matter of refinement and slow, steady constant work."

A few other recent -- and not-so-recent -- Devil Rays top draft picks were in camp for instructional league action, primarily for rehabilitation purposes.

Outfielder Josh Hamilton, the first player taken in the 1999 draft, had not played since 2002 due to a variety of injuries and off-field issues, but had hoped to make his comeback this year at age 25 at Hudson Valley. A knee injury suffered July 29 derailed that plan, but Hamilton was in St. Petersburg for instructs as he recovered from surgery.

"Shortly, he'll take the first steps towards hitting here and we'll see how it progresses," Lukevics said.

Also in camp rehabbing various injuries were pitching prospect Wade Townsend, the club's top pick in 2005, who did not pitch in 2006 due to Tommy John surgery; left-hander Chuck Tiffany, a 2003 second-rounder acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who pitched in just four games before being shut down due to shoulder trouble; and 2006 second-rounder Josh Butler from San Diego State, who was shut down with a tired arm.

Philadelphia Phillies

Texas high-schooler Kyle Drabek has lived a pretty charmed life as the son of a former big leaguer and a first-round caliber superstar for his Woodlands, Texas, team.

But questions about his maturity and makeup allowed him to drop to the Phillies at No. 18 overall in the 2006 draft. The club was thrilled to get a kid with his arm and his upside, but they also wanted to make sure he knew it was about more than just having a really good fastball and curveball (which he does).

So, following Drabek's regular-season debut, during which he went 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA in the Gulf Coast League, they brought him to instructs, where they hoped the work ethic of some of the other less-heralded players might rub off a little.

"He's just getting the experience to see some of the other prospects we have in the system and how they go about their work, what it takes to get through a full season," said director of Minor League operations Steve Noworyta. The Phillies matched him up in sort of a "buddy system" with left-hander Dan Brauer, a seventh-round pick out of Northwestern.

"Brauer's work habits are outstanding, we'd like to see him see how he goes about his work," Noworyta said. "To make sure he knows what it takes to get to that next level, and that he can't just go straight on ability. He has to make sure he understands why he's conditioning and running and doing weight work. He's very good without doing those things, but to get better he has to follow the program."

Cleveland Indians

Before leaving the Indians for his new job as pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland farm director John Farrell shared thoughts on some of the prospects in camp at instructs in Winter Haven.

He's just gotten his first extended look at one of the club's more recent international signs, Taiwanese right-hander Sung-Wei Tseng, a World Baseball Classic participant who signed a 2007 Minor League contract.

Tseng technically had some experience in the United States, having pitched in the Alaska Summer League. Farrell feels that Tseng, a 21-year-old right-hander, will be able to begin 2007 at Class A Advanced Kinston.

"He's a compact right-hander with average velocity and good body control," he said. "He's a college junior that probably would have been slotted in the top three rounds of the draft, so we feel very good about his future here."

The Indians were also feeling good about two of their lower-level catchers, Max Ramirez and Wyatt Toregas.

Ramirez was one of the prospects acquired midseason from Atlanta in the deal for reliever Bob Wickman. The 2005 co-MVP for the Appalachian League, where he hit .347 with eight homers and 47 RBIs, Ramirez split his 2006 time between catcher and designated hitter, batting .292 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs at two South Atlantic League stops, Rome for the Braves and Lake County for the Indians.

"He has a very advanced approach to hitting and is a very disciplined hitter," Farrell said. "Our challenge will be further advancement of [his] receiving and game calling," skills he's working on with catching instructor Chris Tremie.

Toregas, meanwhile, is homegrown, a 24th-round pick in 2004 out of Virginia Tech. He was leading the Carolina League in batting prior to the midseason All-Star Game, but suffered a leg injury and was promoted to Double-A Akron after he recovered.

Before coming to instructs, Toregas was one of two Indians prospects, along with ace pitcher Adam Miller, who were treated to a special on-the-job training session as he joined the Major League club to chart games and watch the action from behind home plate.

The Indians are working with Toregas on controlling balls in the dirt, especially after blocking it, softening his body and smothering the ball. They are happy with the strides he's made at the plate.

Minnesota Twins

The Twins had a few recent top picks in camp for a little more "finishing."

Right-hander Anthony Swarzak, their second-round pick in 2004, finished strong at Class A Advanced Fort Myers, and the Twins feel he is close to being ready for Double-A New Britain.

"He got more aggressive in his approach down the stretch, and his stuff was crisper towards the end," said Minnesota farm director Jim Rantz about the 6-foot-3 225-pounder who posted a 4.61 ERA the first three months of the season and a 1.64 ERA the rest of the way. He's just there to tweak his delivery a little."

Meanwhile, 2004 first-rounder right-hander Kyle Waldrop was also on hand, trying to get some more velocity happening. The Twins feel that with his 6-4 build, he should be able to get his velocity above its current 89-91 mph. His work ethic, makeup and coachability give them optimism in that direction, as does the fact that he's still just 20. Meanwhile, he does have four pitches he throws with life low in the zone.

Finally, 20-year-old shortstop prospect Trevor Plouffe, a first-rounder from 2004, was also in camp. The Twins are still very high on the youngster, who has been pushed for his age, spending the 2006 season at Class A Advanced Fort Myers.

"We're talking youth here, and we pushed this man a little bit," Rantz said. "His numbers from the halfway point were good as he made some adjustments."

Plouffe, who hit .304 in August, also got some time at third base to add to his resume, and the Twins think he has the arm to play there, if necessary. Plouffe is a gap-to-gap guy with occasional pop and bat speed who needs to work on his fielding.

Lisa Winston is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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