RRT I just can't agree with you there...what positions do you feel we have a talent deficiency? Let's talk specifically as hitters, because I think we can all agree that we have a more than capable defense. I'm going to use these in comparison to what we had in 2005, which I think we can all agree was our last Elite team.
C - Significant edge to Lubach in hitting talent
1B - Talent is similar, 2005 had more experience. Buckman/Led were both much more seasoned than Schrieber, however Schrieber is every bit as talented
2B - Talent is similar, Wehrle/Opitz both have a higher long-term upside, but Schleppenbach had a more productive season at the plate
SS - Edge to Simokaitis in production, although no one would argue he was gifted as a hitter. No reason Placzek can't match his plate production. Reveles and Edrington are a step down though
3B - Significant edge to Gordon obviously, but Headley is very capable. Edge is only significant because Gordon was the best player in college baseball
LF - Talent is similar, Alverado is every bit the hitter that Boyer was. Experience edge to Boyer, but even then if Alvarado played every game, I think he'd put up much better numbers. If Meyers was given the at-bats, he'd have put up a real similar year to Bruce as a freshman as well - he's incredibly talented.
CF - Significant edge to Boldt, as he's one of the most gifted players we've had here. Bruce was very good, but Boldt is special
RF - Gerch > Darby over the long haul
DH - Miller is everybit as capable as Bohanon/Fusilier/Buckman
There's a lot of VERY, VERY comparable guys here though in this lineup. You have one all-world hitter in Gordon, and one All-American type in Boldt. So each lineup has a superstar. It's truly not that far off. If you allowed these guys to quit trying to be so flat to the baseball and plane match in their swings, you'd see some immediate results in our "lack of power". The bats handcuffed hitters from hitting 20 bombs in a season, but the philosophy that is taught in Lincoln combined with the new bats just makes it twice as hard.