Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20 -- Rodon, Amaral do not sign

[YoungGeezy]

Not sure if it would take much at all. He is most likely graduated now, he has been hit with injuries (Tommy John, got light up by a foul ball amongst some others.) He pitched out of the pen this season so his stock is nowhere near were it was. I believe he has gone for 3rd round to being picked in the 30's, 20's, now 10's. He will be 23 in December. Really his leverage is not very good at all. Still he has good upside and will be an interesting prospect.

[Never Outhustled]

Toledo sounds like a good pick. Good velo, already had his TJ and came back strong. Nice pedigree. Most importantly, his name is totally fun to say.

 

I bet it takes a chunk to sign him.

Nah, he's a 4th year junior. He'll take what he can get now, likely around $80-90K.

 

Nice arm, keep those power relievers coming.

 

[jjgott]

Thoughts on the HS kid Mallex Smith? Looks like a nice swing on the little video MLB.com provides. Is he signable?

[YoungGeezy]

Man all of these OF's, not sure we will get any middle infielders

[Raw Biz]

2 more OF's: Andrew Cain out of UNC-Wilmington and Mallex Smith out of High School (FL)

Maybe the Brewers didn't have many of them rated very high but there were 3 or 4 MI's drafted in Round 13.

Edit: RHP Jacob Barnes out of FL Gulf Coast University in the 14th.

[Never Outhustled]

Man all of these OF's, not sure we will get any middle infielders

 

They'll meet after the day is over, re-organize, and grab some college guys to fill whatever spots are empty. Much like last year with guys like Greg Hopkins and Nick Shaw.

[Raw Biz]

6 SS and a 2B went in Round 15. The MIs are out there. Maybe the Brewers just don't feel they need depth at that position. I know you want to take the best player available but after a certain point, doesn't the talent kind of equal out? I mean, how big of a difference is there between the 400th-best rated player who's a pitcher and the 410th-best player who's a SS?

[gregmag]

If I suggest that we nickname our sixth rounder "Goforth and multiply," have I violated our ban on religious discussions in the baseball forums? Ditto for Tommy "Holy" Toledo? Meanwhile, will Malcolm Dowell's PAs feature the theme music from "Clockwork Orange"? These are the questions that will keep me awake tonight.

[And That]

Baseball America on Carlos Rodon:

 

 

 

An important part of a quality North Carolina State recruiting class,

Rodon may not make it to campus because he's left-handed and athletic.

At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds with room to fill out, Rodon has been

inconsistent this spring but gives scouts a lot to like. When he's on,

he features an 88-92 mph fastball, a curveball and slider with solid

command. The slider is arguably his best secondary pitch, and both

pitches are sharp and show plus potential. On off nights, Rodon has

dipped into the mid-80s and struggled with command. While that may scare

some teams off, others see a raw pitcher who will benefit from advanced

coaching. Consistency with his mechanics, tempo and arm slot could help

him blossom. Because of the raw material, Rodon could see himself gone

before the fourth round concludes.

[StearnsFTW]

Toledo sounds like a good pick. Good velo, already had his TJ and came back strong. Nice pedigree. Most importantly, his name is totally fun to say.

 

I bet it takes a chunk to sign him.

Nah, he's a 4th year junior. He'll take what he can get now, likely around $80-90K.

 

Nice arm, keep those power relievers coming.

I agree. Better than the Wooten-types whose results outstrip their stuff.

[Yount19]

17th Round Mario Amaral

 

Ronald Regan H.S./Miami, Fla.

 

Catcher, 6-1 205 (Bats Right/Throws Right)

 

Shouppes’ Comments: “Mario is a big kid who swings the bat really well. He’s a right handed hitter who is one of those guys who’s best baseball is certainly in front him. He’s a little raw and not quite where he’s going to be but he certainly has a very high ceiling. He’s a 6’1 205 pound catcher and Perfect Game has him ranked among the 250 top collegiate prospects in the nation. Mario is going to be a pretty good player for us and a pretty good catcher.”

 

http://www.wctv.tv/fsuspo....html?storySection=story

[Raw Biz]

Brewers finally draft MI at 551, Round 18: SS Christopher McFarland out of Lufkin (TX) HS.

[Yount19]

Round 18: SS Christopher McFarland

 

http://www.tossitaround.c...r-the-2011-draft-39.html

 

He has a potential to be a big power hitter at the next level

[brewtank34]

I like me some Tommy Toledo! Very high ceiling...just needs to add some physical development and strength. I'm going to keep my eyes on this kid.

[ListachRides]

McFarland is an exciting surprise. I saw his name mentioned much higher than this. Sounds like a real tough sign, but might be this year's Scooter Gennet. From BA:

 

It's usually difficult to lure Rice recruits away from college, and it's unlikely a team will buy McFarland away from the Owls after a lackluster spring. He's a 6-foot-1, 195-pound righthanded hitter with solid tools across the board. He makes contact and projects to have gap power, and he's an average runner with a fringy arm who'll have to move from shortstop to second or third base

[Yount19]

Renaldo Jenkins.. Round 19...

 

http://uabsports.cstv.com.../spec-rel/111510aaa.html

 

He is a very good runner, a solid defender in the infield, likes the short game and will be a strong gap-to-gap hitter -- all things that are a part of the way we play here. We believe that when he concentrates on baseball alone, the sky is the limit."

[Oxy]

6 SS and a 2B went in Round 15. The MIs are out there. Maybe the Brewers just don't feel they need depth at that position. I know you want to take the best player available but after a certain point, doesn't the talent kind of equal out? I mean, how big of a difference is there between the 400th-best rated player who's a pitcher and the 410th-best player who's a SS?

I love it. I am guessing that the only reason that the guy is a 410th rated player is because he is a SS. If he were an OF, the rest of his skills probably wouldn't get him drafted. From a grand scheme of things, I feel like the league is moving heavily toward pitching and defense, which means that bat first OF types are undervalued, i.e. the best players on the board. At this point, I highly, highly doubt we'd be able to find our MI of the future, but I bet it is still possible to find a diamond in the rough in the OF which will generally require fewer tools to end up being a successful MLB player.

 

I am totally new to this prospect game though, so I'm just spewing from the cuff here and could be way off base.

[StearnsFTW]

McFarland is an exciting surprise. I saw his name mentioned much higher than this. Sounds like a real tough sign, but might be this year's Scooter Gennet. From BA:

 

It's usually difficult to lure Rice recruits away from college, and it's unlikely a team will buy McFarland away from the Owls after a lackluster spring. He's a 6-foot-1, 195-pound righthanded hitter with solid tools across the board. He makes contact and projects to have gap power, and he's an average runner with a fringy arm who'll have to move from shortstop to second or third base

Yeah, the Rice commitment hurts. Would be very exciting to sign him though.

[Hotdog]

Signing both or one of McFarland or Jenkins more then makes up for no early round selections for 3B and SS. Solid, strong athletes. No tweeners!!!

[Raw Biz]

I'm all for getting more pitching and defense, which is why I wanted a few MIs (specifically SS). Right now, we really don't have any good defensive SSs in the system (some may argue we don't have any offensive ones either, including the MLB level). We did draft a few SS so I'm happy now. It would've been really nice to get Lindor/Baez but I guess I have to get over that.

[DHonks]

I had two former students drafted today in rounds 14 and 18, I believe. Seeing as it's that low, I hope both go to college.

[Raw Biz]

Round 20: RHP Brandon Williamson - Dallas Baptist University

http://9theranch.com/college-baseball-midlands-williamson-at-front-of-dallas-baptists-run/

Another taller pitcher at 6'3, though only 180 pounds.

[CheezWizHed]

Round 18: SS Christopher McFarland

 

Sounds like one of our draft-and-attempt-to-sign-over-slot picks every year. Interesting, especially since he is a SS.

 

edit- actually, I'd put money down that the Brewers will sign at least one of Jenkins and McFarland...

[colbyjack]

Toby has been adding a ton of great stuff to the round-by-round, pick-by-pick thread, but here is some additional info on the players taken in the rounds 6-20:

 

Chris McFarland isn't a SS long-term. I like his versatility, and his overall tool-set, but he probably settles in at 2B/3B, or possibly even as a utility player. Here are some of my comments after watching him take part of the UA game practice from last August:

 

McFarland took grounders at third just before McCullers, and showed very good quickness and just looked very natural at the position. I know McFarland has played all over the infield in the past, including shortstop, and will actually start the game for the National team ahead of McCullers at third base before shifting over to second.

 

His arm isn’t as strong as McCullers’ is (few are), but again, he just looked very natural and graceful at the hot corner. So much so that he may carry more value at second. He also charged the ball very well, with good footwork, a quick release and accurate throws.

 

At the plate it took him a while to find his rhythm, but once he did he hit some sharp line drives, mostly up the middle and the other way to right field. He showed good bat speed but not much power on this day with a wood bat.

 

While he can play shortstop, it looks as though he’s already starting to outgrow the position. He is an excellent overall athlete, and could play just about anywhere on the field.

 

Dustin Houle from PG's Canada Preview, one of the team's more exciting picks IMO:

 

http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5822

 

Houle, a player of native Canadian descent from Penticton, B.C., who moved to the Vancouver suburb of Langley in order to further his baseball development, has emerged as a solid No. 2 pick behind Robson, his Blaze teammate. He doesn’t turn 18 until November, making him one of the younger players in this year’s draft.

 

Houle made huge strides this spring at the plate, generating significant bat speed with a short, compact swing, and putting balls into play with authority. He has easy defensive actions at third base, but may end up as a catcher in the long run.

 

PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Dustin Houle, 3b, Langley (B.C.) HS. Houle transferred high schools so he could play baseball on a regular basis with the Langley Blaze, Canada’s top travel team, and his game has taken off, especially at the plate.

 

2. DUSTIN HOULE, 3b, Langley (B.C.) HS / Langley Blaze, Team Canada

Made huge strides with bat; ++ bat speed, puts ball in play with authority; all skills for 3B, catcher in future.

 

I covered Mike Strong in the Northwoods League last summer where he sat 88-91 and touched a few ticks higher. Many scouts and coaches rated his curveball as the best breaking ball in the league. From 5 Tool Talk:

 

I covered Strong last summer in the Northwoods League, as he received a lot of support from the coaches I spoke with as one of the league’s top pitchers with arguably the best breaking ball. That breaking ball is a sharp, slow curveball that worked just as effectively as Jungmann’s. He did a good job throwing his fastball for strikes, putting batters away with his curve. He has a decent frame with somewhat of a low three-quarters crossfire delivery that was very similar to Chris Capuano’s. That delivery is easy enough, and he repeats it well, and I could see him being particularly tough on left-handed batters at the next level.

 

Tommy Toledo has missed time at Florida due to injury, but has a live arm with a good repertoire -- from 5 Tool Talk:

 

I don’t think I’ve seen Toledo for two to three years, as I know he has missed at least one full season due to injury. He has a skinny build, with sloped shoulders and strong limbs. He has a good fastball and flashed a really good changeup to strikeout Gonzalez, the only batter he faced, in the eighth. He pulled the string perfectly on this pitch, thrown with the exact same arm angle and velocity as his fastball with a little late dip to it.

 

---

 

Hard throwing right-handed reliever Tommy Toledo walked in South Carolina's go-ahead run in the eighth. He continued to show good run on his fastball and a potentially nasty slider.

 

David Goforth from Perfect Game's Mississippi draft preview:

 

The undersized Goforth, meanwhile, has a big arm with a fastball that has touched 98-100 mph this spring, but his smaller frame will likely scare most teams off.

 

WILD CARD: David Goforth, rhp, Ole Miss. For the second year in a row, Goforth has earned this designation. Despite a fastball that routinely continues to light up scouts’ radar guns at the dizzying speed of 97-100 mph, Goforth has struggled again to win on a steady basis (4-7, 5.03 this year; 1-5, 8.27 a year ago). For all his arm strength, Goforth is also just 5-foot-10, and it may be too risky for teams to invest an early-round pick in a player that has two obvious strikes against him.

 

8. DAVID GOFORTH, rhp, University of Mississippi (Jr.)

Huge arm (FB at 97-100) in small frame (5-11/180); ++ struggles to win, throw quality strikes, miss bats.

 

Carlos Rodon from Perfect Game's North Carolina preview (along with Houle, one of the more exciting picks IMO):

 

8. CARLOS RODON, lhp, Holly Springs HS

Mature 6-2/210 frame, + easy delivery/arm action, ball comes out easy, FB 89-93, sharp 78 CU, good CH.

 

Some good video on Mario Amaral located on his PG page:

 

http://www.perfectgame.or...erprofile.aspx?ID=244001

[Mass Haas]

Brewers take UNCW's Cain in round 12 of draft

By Chuck Carree, Wilmington (NC) Star-News

 

UNC-Wilmington junior outfielder Andrew Cain was chosen in the 12th round Tuesday by the Milwaukee Brewers in the annual Major League Baseball Draft.

 

The Brewers were the first team to contact Cain in both the fall and the spring and he is pleased with the round he was picked.

 

"I have a decision to make now,'' he said. "It is right in the middle where I got drafted. It is not extremely high, but I am satisfied with it.''

 

He was the lone current Seahawk taken thus far. The draft resumes at noon Wednesday and concludes after 50 rounds.

 

Cain is a 6-foot-6, 215-pound right fielder known for his athleticism. Scouts say he runs well, throws well and can hit with power. He belted a career-high 10 home runs and drove in 48 runs while batting .302 in the spring.

 

He also swiped 18 bases in 21 attempts, and had two outfield assists.

 

Baseball America considered him the 20th best prospect in the state.