Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20 -- Latest: 15th-rounder Bates turned down significant bonus

[colbyjack]

Please use this thread to share your thoughts, links, stories, pictures and anything else on the Brewers picks on draft day from rounds 6 through 20. Please do not start separate threads to discuss the individual picks.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Another position player gets added to the mix in William Hawn - 3B from Tennessee. Anyone have any splits on him?

[battlekow]

The Brewers drafted Cody Hawn once already, in the 23rd round of 2007.

 

College splits for Hawn.

[Nader Raider Tim]

Look's like it's Cody Hawn. Am I right about that? Put up some pretty nice stats. Hopefully that is him.

 

http://www.utsports.com/s...ebl/mtt/hawn_cody00.html

[battlekow]

Baseball America:

Tennessee had its first winning season in three years under coach Todd

Raleigh. The team seemed poised for more, but missed regionals after

finishing 30-26. Junior first baseman Cody

Hawn captured the Volunteers' season in microcosm. A pure hitter

who hit .364 with 22 home runs as a sophomore, he got off to a slow

start thanks to a sprained left shoulder and never got on a roll like he

did in '09. He still wound up hitting .327/.441/.593. His bat will have

to carry him, and at 5-foot-11 he doesn't have classic first baseman

size.

[TheCrew07]

There's our first Canadian

[battlekow]

MLB.com scouting video on Cody Hawn.

 

MLB.com scouting video on Joel Pierce.

[battlekow]

Baseball America:

One asset for Canada's top prep players is their youth; the next four

players discussed are all 17. Righthander Joel Pierce is 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, with arms down to

his ankles, in the words of one scout. His arm length helps him throw

90-92 mph, but he'll need to shorten his arm action. He gets swings and

misses with his fastball because of its run and sink. He mixes in a

slider and changeup that show flashes, but he needs to be more

consistent and confident with them. Pierce could be a single-digit pick

and is committed to Coastal Carolina.

[battlekow]

College Splits on Austin Ross: "Nice pick for 8th round."

 

Ross's college splits

 

MLB.com scouting video on Ross

[battlekow]

MLB.com scouting video on Yadiel Rivera

 

Baseball America:

 

Yadiel Rivera has a lean,

athletic 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. He's a legitimate shortstop with

great range and smooth actions. He's an average runner and his arm is a

little light for the left side of the infield, but he shows slick

glovework. His swing is inconsistent and he doesn't have much strength

yet, but his bat could come around when he adds muscle to his

projectable frame. His offensive growth will determine whether he can

start up the middle or serve as a reserve or utilityman.

[battlekow]

College Splits on Rafael Neda: "As good as some of

the C's who went 5 rounds ago."

 

Neda's college splits

 

Neda's MLB.com scouting video

 

Baseball America:

The school year got off to a rough start for Rafael Neda, as he came down with swine flu in the fall

and lost 15 pounds. Neda has always been a gym rat, however, and as soon

as he was healthy he got back to work and rebuilt his 6-foot-1,

220-pound frame. He has a rock-solid build without an ounce of fat.

While offense can be difficult to judge in New Mexico's high altitude,

scouts have no question Neda can hit, though his power is a question

mark. In previous years he had a closed stance and a middle-away

approach. This year, he narrowed and opened his stance a bit in an

attempt to hit more home runs. He did that, though his contact rate

suffered a bit and he still had just 10 homers on the season. He shows

amazing raw power in batting practice, but scouts see him as a .280

hitter with average power. Defensively, Neda needs work. Early in the

year he was setting up too deep behind the plate and had to stab at a

lot of balls, but he is a solid receiver and adequate blocker, with soft

hands. He has fringe-average arm strength, and his throwing is hindered

by bad footwork. Some scouts expect him to lose a few pounds in the

grind of catching a full pro season, which will help loosen him up and

help his throwing. He's not the most vocal leader, but he is a smart

player who leads by example. Neda profiles as a sixth- to 10th-round

talent, but could go higher to a team that likes his bat and is willing

to work with him behind the plate.

[YoungGeezy]

Well they took a Walter State prospect in the 13th round ( RHP Mike White) to bad it wasn't the one I have have been watching for, former Fond du Lac standout who lead Walters State nearly every hitting category.

 

White was 8-0 with a 2.14 ERA in 80 IP racking up a 84/35 K/BB he was so is 6'6

[battlekow]

Well they took a Walter State prospect in the 13th round ( RHP Mike White) to bad it wasn't the one I have have been watching for, former Fond du Lac standout who lead Walters State nearly every hitting category.

White is the second redraft already this year (Hawn); they drafted him in the 33rd round in 2008.

[YoungGeezy]

wow another college player in the 14th now 11 of 14 picks have been college kids...not much youth being added thus far

[battlekow]

Baseball America on Greg Holle from 2007:

The state's high school class offers few polished arms, but there are

some with upside. Righthander/outfielder Greg Holle was held back early in the season after

wrenching his back swinging a weighted bat in the on-deck circle. He has

run his fastball up to 93 mph and shown the ability to spin a breaking

ball. A good basketball player, Holle has a projectable frame and a

loose arm, but there's effort in his delivery. Offensively, Holle has

big-time raw power and is a plus runner, but there are huge holes in his

swing. Signability is a major issue with the Texas Christian recruit.

[battlekow]

16th-rounder Andrew Morris is the third Brewers redraft already; he was previously drafted by them in the 44th round last year.

 

MLB.com scouting video on Morris

 

Baseball America:

A 44th-round pick of the Brewers in 2009, Morris has an average fastball

in the 88-91 mph range, touching 92, and relies on his split-finger

fastball as his primary secondary offering. His curveball has some depth

and lacks power.

[battlekow]

Baseball America:

Brian Garman has been in and out

of Cincinnati's rotation the last three years, and he figures to be a

reliever as a pro. When he comes out of the pen, the 5-foot-11,

202-pound lefthander has a 90-92 mph fastball and can reach the mid-80s

with his slider. He has a short, quick arm action and throws strikes. He

usually commands his fastball well, though when he tires as a starter

he'll leave it up in the strike zone. Though he's small, his strong

frame should make him a durable reliever. He's the best senior sign in

Ohio this year.

[Tedaldtada]

So, are any of these guys gonna be tough signs?

[YoungGeezy]

John Bivens is an intesting prospect, Three Sport Star in High School to go on to being a 2 Sport college athlete at Virginia. Played Linebacker for the football team. Appears to be a extremely gifted athlete which the Brewers like. For some reason he transfered to Virginia St. and decided to focus on baseball.

 

A workout video of Bivins

 

High School Football video

http://rivals.yahoo.com/v...Bivens-Prince-Geor-23772

 

Virgina St. Sports Home page..... Trojan drafted in 12th round by Milwaukee Bruins? wow....

http://www.vsu.edu/pages/102.asp

 

Stats

http://150.174.33.55/~jju...ll/10season/teamcume.htm

[battlekow]

So, are any of these guys gonna be tough signs?

Looks like 18th-rounder Thomas Keeling might be. Baseball America had him in their top 200 (#189) This year's Del Howell?

?The Yankees could have taken a huge bite out of the Oklahoma State

rotation when they drafted Tyler Lyons (10th round) and Keeling (20th

round as a draft-eligible sophomore) a year ago, but both lefthanders

decided to return to school. Keeling has improved his stock and should

go slightly ahead of Lyons in the fifth to seventh round this June, but

he's still trying to figure out how to harness his quality stuff.

Keeling would have placed fourth in NCAA Division I in strikeouts per

nine innings (12.9) in 2009 if he hadn't fallen a few innings short of

qualifying, and he ranked fourth with the same rate at the end of the

2010 regular season. Yet he didn't become a full-time starter until his

redshirt junior season and went just 4-6, 5.74 this spring. Keeling's

best pitch is a 90-93 mph fastball that tops out at 96 with riding life.

The 6-foot-3, 184-pounder gets that movement by throwing across his

body, which hampers his control and ability to throw a breaking ball.

His slider has improved but he still can't consistently find the strike

zone with it. After missing the 2007 season because the growth plate in

his shoulder blade was irritating a muscle, Keeling has been healthy

since. But he's still learning how to pitch.

[battlekow]

MLB.com scouting video on Rowan Wick

 

Baseball America:

 

Outfielder Rowan Wick is a thick

6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. He has played catcher and has a strong arm,

but doesn't have the mobility or receiving skills to play behind the

plate as a pro. He'll have to watch his body and will probably end up in

left field or at first base. Wick's frame and strength draw comparisons

to another Canadian, Indians prospect Nick Weglarz. He has strength in

his lefthanded swing and should have more as he matures. His trigger can

be a little slow, although he has squared up good velocity in games the

national team has played against extended spring training teams, and he

hit a double off of a Gerrit Cole fastball in a game last summer. What

really gives Wick trouble is his recognition of breaking balls and

offspeed stuff.

[YoungGeezy]

Rowan Wick OF 19th round

 

Can't go wrong taking a young Canadian Bat...Has hit wood bats whole life.

 

Batting practice

[Boisebrewer]

Rafael Neda sounds a lot like Angel due to the fact that he's gym rat. Hope he hits as well as Angel.

[battlekow]

Pierce drafted in 7th round, Rutchkyj in the 16th

Mary Caton/Windsor Star

Joel Pierce became the highest local pick in the 2010 Major League

Baseball draft when he was selected in the seventh round (219th overall)

by the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday.

The hard throwing right hander

learned of his selection just moments after pitching the Massey Mustangs

into the final for OFSAA baseball in Toronto.

Left-handed Evan

Rutckyj, of St. Joseph high school, was taken 505th overall in the 16th

round by the New York Yankees.

Calls seeking comment from

Rutckyj's advisor, Toronto's Dan Lawson, were not returned.

Eslewhere

in Toronto, the 17-year-old Pierce struck out nine and gave up four

hits and one run in Massey's 3-1 victory over Pickering St. Mary at

Connorvale Park .

He'll play shortstop for Massey in today's 1

p.m. gold-medal game against their crosstown rivals from St. Anne.

"It's

really been a good day," Pierce said Tuesday afternoon.

When

Massey's game ended, Pierce's mom told him the draft was in the seventh

round and at that moment, his cell phone rang.

It was Brewers'

scout, Jay Lapp, who works out of London, telling him the good news.

"He

just said have fun and we'll talk business later," Pierce said.

A

member of Canada's junior national program, Pierce shut his phone off

for the game and put the draft out of his mind.

"I didn't think

about it," he said. "I was in the zone of the game."

Pierce

collected a pair of infield hits and scored an insurance run on a

suicide squeeze play.

Prior to the draft, Pierce hoped his

hometown Detroit Tigers might call his name but he knows Milwaukee is a

solid option.

"They have a great history with Canadians," Pierce

said.

Doug Melvin, the Brewers' general manager, is from nearby

Chatham and Gord Ash, the vice-president and assistant GM, is from

Toronto.

Over a six-year period ending with the 2009 draft, the

Brewers drafted 37 Canadians, that's 17 more than the Toronto Blue Jays

during the same period.

There are 11 Canadians in the Brewers'

system right now, including Amherstburg native Chris Dennis, an

outfielder with the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Sarnia native

Nick Bucci, a right handed pitcher, is also with Wisconsin.

Pierce

has signed a letter of intent to play collegiately for Coastal Carolina

so he'll have to make a decision soon as to which direction he's going

to take.

"I'll have to talk it over with family and advisors and

decide which is the best route for me," he said. "It's a win/win

situation."

[battlekow]

Regis rising senior to ride the Green Wave of Tulane

Dylan Butler/Five Boro Sports

Chris Bates said he’s always hoped that one day he’d be able to pitch at

a major Division I school. But that was more of a dream for the Regis

left-hander, until the 6-foot-4 rising senior drove to Georgia with his

father, Chris, and younger brother, Schuyler, for the WWBA Wood Bat 17U

Perfect Game tournament earlier this month.

 

Pitching for the Taconic Rangers, the Ossining, Westchester native

caught the eye of coaches from Tulane University. On Thursday, Bates

verbally committed to play for the Green Wave, which competes in

Conference USA.

 

“All those big programs – Tulane, Rice, North Carolina – it’s always

been a dream that I’d love to go there,” Bates said. “Now its a

reality.”

 

This isn’t the same Chris Bates who had a decent junior year at Regis

despite battling injuries. Now fully healthy for the first time in his

high-school career, Bates has added three to five miles per hour on his

fastball and was clocked in Georgia throwing 88 mph.

 

That’s all the Green Wave coaches needed. Bates was still skeptical

about Tulane since it was in the heart of Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New

Orleans. But those fears subsided when Bates toured the campus,

including the $10.5 million Greer Field at Turchin Stadium, a 5,000-seat

baseball jewel built in 2008.

 

“I went down there and was amazed at the campus,” Bates said. “It’s the

complete opposite of what you’d think of it, there were beautiful

buildings and the classrooms were amazing. When I went down, that sealed

the deal for me.”

 

Bates, who also drew interest from the University of Richmond, had

plenty of time to think about his future on the 19-hour ride back home.

But “somewhere in Kentucky,” Bates said he called the Tulane coaching

staff and verbally committed.

 

“I’m in disbelief now,” said Bates, who will attend Tulane with former

Regis teammate Brendan Graham.

 

Bates, who throws a two-seam and a four-seam fastball, along with a

curveball and a change-up, will get both academic and baseball

scholarship money at Tulane.

 

“Tulane is a good fit for Chris both academically and athletically,”

Regis coach Mike Skrapits said. “The coach (Rick Jones) has a very good

reputation, so we know he’ll be in good hands. It’s an exciting time for

Chris and his family as well as for Regis, because we’ve never sent a

player to a college baseball program of Tulane’s caliber.”

 

Bates said he started to take pitching more seriously during the

playoffs when he came out of the bullpen to replace Nick Thomas in an

elimination game against St. Peter’s.

 

“The ball was coming out of my hand a lot different than it was all

season,” Bates said. “(Coach) made a comment about how hard I was

throwing and asked where did that come from? That’s when I realized

there is another level I have.”

 

He took that new attitude into the summer and he said he has never

pitched better in his life.

 

“I haven’t had any bad outings,” Bates said. “One was OK and the others

were great.”

 

Bates has dreams of following his father’s footsteps and even going a

bit further. His father Chris signed a pro contract before injuring his

rotator cuff.

 

And Bates figures Tulane, which has had 40 players selected in the Major

League Baseball amateur draft – including four in the firs -round and

another in the sandwich round – since 1994, and a total of 56 players

who have signed professional contracts, is the perfect place to make

that next step.

 

“My ultimate goal is to go past college into professional ball,” Bates

said. “That would be a great way to get that start.”

 

But first Bates is going to rest a bit and get ready for his final

season of high-school ball in the spring.

 

“I’m feeling really good about this coming season,” Bates said.