2009 Draft -- Latest: Fangraphs' Revisits the 2006-2009 Drafts

[ILuvDaBush]

How would everyone here rank our draft?

 

I would have to say Arnett and Davis, no matter how you slice it, are #1 AND #2. Heckathorn is arguably number three (though I would take Hall). Beyond that, how would you rank our top ten?

 

Mine:

1. Kentrail Davis (OF-MIL) Just needs a winning organization

2. Eric Arnett (RHP-MIL) Just needs a good pitching coach

3. Brooks Hall (RHP-MIL) Just needs to concentrate on how to be a thrower

4. Kyle Heckathorn (RHP-MIL) Just needs to concentrate on how to be a pitcher

5. Josh Prince (SS-MIL) Just needs to put on 20lb of muscle...anywhere

6. Max Walla (LF-MIL) Just needs to hit HRs

7. D'Vontrey Richardson (OF-MIL) Just needs to find the baseball diamond

8. Del Howell (LHP-MIL) Just needs a pitching coach

9. Scooter Gennett (2B -MIL) Just needs to proce he belongs in professional sports

10. Cameron Garfield (C-MIL) Just needs to acclimate himself to the pro game

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't know the rest of the field well enough to do my own top 10, but I personally would have Arnett at #1. I love that we were able to get an impact bat like Davis, though (& get him signed), in addition to finding some nice arms.

[HiAndTight]

I was absolutely thrilled with this draft in general.

 

We hit on absolutely every aspect of what I thought we should have.

 

 

We got pitchers who excelled in college and are big power arms in Arnett and Heckathorn, and we got prep pitchers with high upsides in Hall, and we got a college pitcher who struggled, but who has a big time arm and fell in Howell.

 

WE got players with awesome tools everywhere from Walla, to Davis, to Richardson, to Garfield, and on and on.

 

 

THIS is the type of draft that I believe the Brewers will look back upon in a few years and point to as a real turning point.

 

 

 

Anyway, my top 10.

 

1-Arnett

Just a pure power arm whom I thought would be gone by 15 at the latest.

2-Brooks Hall

Really lucky to get him where we did in my opinion. If he can add 2-3 MPH, he becomes a truly elite arm.

3-Davis

Was a projected top 10 pick coming into the Spring and we get him in the supplemental 1st round. Hitters who press and try and do it all often struggle. I am really excited to see him in action next year.

4- Scooter Gennett

Another guy who was on many lists as an early round pick coming into the Spring. A couple poor showings in showcases and what not and he falls to the 16th round where we snap him up. I would like to see us try and leave him at short for a year or two and see what happens.

5- Del Howell

Again, there is a theme here. I've long since wanted to see this organization spend money on talent later on in the draft. They of course did this and did it well with the Draft and Follow process, however the fact that we were willing to take some risks is encouraging for the future.

6- Josh Prince

A shortstop who excels defensively, but who also walks at a fantastic rate and projects to add some power? Oh, and steals a ton of bags at a high rate? What's not to love.

7- Max Walla

A prospect with off the meter type power. Not a great start to his pro-career, but so what? As a young prep bat, I'll comfort myself with the reports of his impressive BP displays until next year and hopefully more success.

8-Cameron Garfield

Like Walla, very raw, a 5-5 game was a nice start to his pro-career, but even after that, he held his own for his age. Also very good reports regarding his defense. Perhaps our next good catching prospect.

9-Michael Fiers

Yes, he doesn't have the "stuff" that others do, and while numbers are secondary at this stage, a 59/5 K to BB ratio is impressive. Our next loogy, and he could move fast.

10-D'Vontrey Richardson

Probably should be higher based upon the immense praise heaped upon him in the instructional league, and the fact that he is a legit 5 tool athlete, and the fact that he has not yet dedicated himself to baseball.

 

 

 

There are a few other guys I find very interesting. Halton and Stang would top that list, but I was very pleased with this draft. If the Brewers continue to spend aggressively in the draft, they will benefit from it a great deal in the long run. I have absolutely no doubt about that.

[ILuvDaBush]

HiAndTight, No Heckathorn? I would imagine a slight oversight, though I am curious where you would slot him. We obviously both like Hall. I see a Phil Hughes-clone. Gennett was a big-time signing. I really didn't think we'd get him. And D'Vontrey could become the top player out of this draft. There's a high attrition rate for pitchers, but with our low-A pitchers and this crop, I could see the Brewers developing a core of pitchers much like our core group of hitters of a few years ago (Hardy-Hart-Prince-Weeks-Crabbe).

[Tedaldtada]

I also loved this draft.

 

1. Eric Arnett: Quick mover who could sniff AA this summer.

2. Kentrail Davis: Reminds me a lot of Rickie Weeks with the bat.

3. Kyle Heckathorne: Crazy slider will rack up plenty of K's for this big righty.

4. Max Walla: I will never forget his post draft interview. Power to spare and a good arm? Sounds like a RF to me.

5. Josh Prince: Great eye and instincts, he should be in AA by 2011 at the latest.

6. Brooks Hall: Looks like a beast. If he bulks up, watch out.

7. Del Howell: Best lefty taken (and signed) after the 10th round in mlb? Howell is probably that guy.

8. Scooter Gennett: Great value sign with the potential to be another Taylor Green or something similar.

9. D'Vontrey Richardson: Holy crap, the initial reports are exciting. Brewers need to take their time, but this is a possible BOOM pick.

10. Cameron Garfield: Rest up Cameron, we could use a big year in R? from you next year. D seems solid, bat is iffy.

 

Pretty similar to everyone else's...

 

Others:

 

Burgos: I love his mound presence, and his stuff ain't to bad either.

Halton/Kreiger: Older players in R Ball who put up pretty nice numbers. Hey, either you can hit or you can't. So far these guys can hit.

Fiers: I'm with HiAndTight on this one.

Brownstein: Versatile

McKlevie: Richardson Jr.? Please figure it out Demetrius.

Currie/Pokorny: Hopefully, they follow in Wooten's footsteps, or are they converting them to a SP's?

Lamontagne: Sleeper alert, especially if he can actually hit 95.

Roberts: Supposed mad power. What else?

 

Hope I spelled everyone's names right...

[colbyjack]

1. Kentrail Davis (OF-MIL) Just needs a winning organization

 

I think Davis' struggles at Tennessee this past spring due to the cruddy season they had is a little overblown. I've seen Davis play quite a bit over the years, and laying off of outside breaking stuff has been a consistent problem for him. I'm confident he can correct it, as Matt LaPorta had the same problem before he made some significant adjustments at the plate prior to his senior year, but to place the blame of his swing on the Volunteers 2009 season is a big stretch for me.

 

That said I really like this past year's draft. I think it's their best effort since 2005. Here's the order I have them ranked in my personal P50, not necessarily the order that I like them (as Hall and Gennett could skyrocket up this list once we have a chance to follow their play):

 

1. Arnett

2. Davis

3. Heckathorn

4. Richardson

5. Howell

6. Prince

7. Walla

8. Hall

9. Garfield

10. Gennett

 

Roberts is the one that I think will be a sleeper to follow on most everyone's list next spring to see if his early success was legit.

[Mass Haas]

Lisa Winston of MiLB.com

[HiAndTight]

HiAndTight, No Heckathorn? I would imagine a slight oversight, though I am curious where you would slot him. We obviously both like Hall. I see a Phil Hughes-clone. Gennett was a big-time signing. I really didn't think we'd get him. And D'Vontrey could become the top player out of this draft. There's a high attrition rate for pitchers, but with our low-A pitchers and this crop, I could see the Brewers developing a core of pitchers much like our core group of hitters of a few years ago (Hardy-Hart-Prince-Weeks-Crabbe).

Yeah, obviously that was a mistake.

 

Frankly though, and few will agree, but I think I'd place him behind Howell. I really, really like Gennett, Hall and Howell. Loved that we picked up guys who I believe are top 75 talents much further down, and guys who all have the ability to really contribute to this organization. Not just be Sept callups, but be mainstays.

 

I'm very possibly overselling them, but we'll see

 

So yeah, I guess I'd slot him 6th. Again, this is just a gut feeling, so I understand how some will think I'm just crazy. If he could possibly stay as a starter his value shoots through the roof IMO, but I don't believe he will.

[marty22]

HiAndTight, No Heckathorn? I would imagine a slight oversight, though I am curious where you would slot him. We obviously both like Hall. I see a Phil Hughes-clone. Gennett was a big-time signing. I really didn't think we'd get him. And D'Vontrey could become the top player out of this draft. There's a high attrition rate for pitchers, but with our low-A pitchers and this crop, I could see the Brewers developing a core of pitchers much like our core group of hitters of a few years ago (Hardy-Hart-Prince-Weeks-Crabbe).

Yeah, obviously that was a mistake.

 

Frankly though, and few will agree, but I think I'd place him behind Howell. I really, really like Gennett, Hall and Howell. Loved that we picked up guys who I believe are top 75 talents much further down, and guys who all have the ability to really contribute to this organization. Not just be Sept callups, but be mainstays.

 

I'm very possibly overselling them, but we'll see

 

So yeah, I guess I'd slot him 6th. Again, this is just a gut feeling, so I understand how some will think I'm just crazy. If he could possibly stay as a starter his value shoots through the roof IMO, but I don't believe he will.

Hi and Tight, I think I might be with you; I'm really high on Howell. Heckathorn sounds like a reliever from almost every source I've read, even though I know it's early and the organization has taught the Changeup to many pitchers to make them starters, but Howell's power left arm has me very excited. We have to remember that Howell is more potential than results at this point, but I definitely see where you're coming from.

[TooLiveBrew]

FanGraphs' Marc Hulet recently posted his draft review of the Brewers ('09, '08, '07, & '06). He doesn't cover every pick... just the notable ones.

 

Link

[Scooter1027]

I really hope one or more of Davis, Walla, and Richardson really comes on this year. The organization could use an infusion of impact bats at the lower levels. Right now there's a bunch of interesting pitchers in the lower levels, but only Logan Schaefer and Caleb Gindl were real quality offensive prospects at the A ball level last year.