2014 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20

[splitterpfj]

Cleveland just took a pitcher from UW-Stevens Point.

[colbyjack]

Signing J.J. Schwarz as a 17th rounder seems unlikely, but here's his report:

 

87. J.J. Schwarz, c, Palm Beach Gardens HS

R-R, 6-2/190, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

College Commitment: Florida

 

Even though Nebraska’s Jakson Reetz and Louisiana’s Chase Vallot, both Perfect Game All-Americans, rank higher than Schwartz on the PG draft list, it wouldn’t be shocking if Schwartz was actually the first catcher selected. He has had an outstanding spring and been well showcased playing alongside Palm Beach Gardens teammate and first baseman Pavin Smith, another potential high round draft pick. Schwartz has an ideal catcher’s build at 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, combining both the strength and durability needed behind the plate with a high level of athleticism. Schwartz doesn’t have a single standout tool but is well rounded and polished in all aspects both offensively and defensively. Part of that is attributable to his father, Jeff, a former Major League reliever and a minor league instructor in the Marlins organization. Close followers of the draft know to never ignore Major League bloodlines.

[miggs721]

Probably be near impossible to sign JJ Schwarz, highly touted Florida commit

[Kelbysdaddy]

Curtis Curtis? What was his momma thinking?

[LouisEly]

11th round: Brandon Woodruff, MSU (2014) 6.75 ERA, 37.1 IP, 47 H, 25 BB, 29 K (did not give up a HR though to 157 batters)

 

15th round: Caleb Smith, Rice (2014) 8.16 ERA, 14 IP, 15 BB, 20 K (three schools in three years - Auburn, CC, Rice)

 

Could be some long innings in Helena and Maryvale this year.

[WV Brew]

Curtis Curtis? U. Of Pittsburgh calls him "Luke". Yeah, I assumed Schwarz was a flyer who probably will not sign. His father played in MLB for 2 years apparently.

[colbyjack]

Ben Onyshko, 16th round, PG player profile (no report):

 

http://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=307011

 

Zach Hirsch, 19th round, PG player profile (no report):

 

http://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=207440

[WV Brew]

Here you go LouisEly. You just bring in Hirsch to put out the fire.

 

Player ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK SFA SHA

 

57 Hirsch, Zach..... 1.72 5-2 31 0 0 0/0 4 52.1 36 12 10 14 50 6 0 1 187 .193 2 2 0 0 2

[colbyjack]

Another talented player here late on Day 3. Like Schwarz, very unlikely he signs. Here's his report:

 

196. Tate Blackman, ss, Lake Brantley HS

B/R, 6-0/185, Altamonte Springs, Fla.

College Commitment: Mississippi

 

Blackman is the fourth and final of a set of Blackman Brothers that have come through Lake Brantley High School and moved on to baseball at the next level, joining Trey (Stetson), Ted (Coastal Carolina) and Tanner (currently a junior at Stetson). None of Blackman’s older siblings went on to play professional baseball, though, a very likely destination for Tate either this year or after three years at Mississippi. Blackman isn’t an extremely toolsy player but grades out as Major League average across the board with ability that plays up with his feel for the game on both offense and defense. Any team that drafts him with the intent on signing him will probably have extensive notes from last summer, when Blackman frequently outperformed some of his more athletic teammates at major events across the country.

[WV Brew]

There's your Wisconsin guy. Pretty much struggled at Notre Dame though. Another LouisEly special.

[SoupTown]

re the 6th rounder Burkhalter.

 

I love the idea of high school guys that are 'just under 90 mph' but with great control on multiple pitches. If you have a bundle of them, 2 or 3 will add 5 mph over the next 3 to 4 years, and you will have a couple 95 mph guys with control. When I compare him to Sneed (third round) I almost feel their draft positions could be swapped.

[yfinn6]

Burkhalter also said he was going to sign right?

 

I hope he doesn't wind up setting up bowling leagues; a few Vietnam Vets might not roll on Shabbos.

[TheCrew07]

Awesome movie reference!

[Mass Haas]

Brewers' 19th-rounder impresses on and off the field

Befriending high school student with Asperger's indicative of Hirsch's character

By Caitlin Swieca / MLB.com

 

***

 

Crew goes back to Hawaii for 12th-round pick

 

"I mean, the two Hawaiian kids on the same team, being drafted by the same organization in the same Draft is really cool," Yamamoto said. "I'm happy for him (Kodi Medeiros), happy that he got what he got. We're going to have fun up there."

 

Sounds like Medeiros has shared with him an agreed-to first-round signing number.

[Mass Haas]

Brandon Woodruff selected early on day 3 of draft

Michael Bonner, Clarion (MS) Ledger

 

The third Mississippi State player came off the board on Saturday in the MLB first-year player draft. Milwaukee selected pitcher Brandon Woodruff in the 11th round, 326th overall.

 

Saturday marks the second time in Woodruff's career that he heard his name called on draft day. In 2011 before enrolling at Mississippi State, the Texas Rangers picked the right-handed pitcher in the fifth round. The Rangers selected Woodruff 152 spots higher than the Brewers.

 

Woodruff joined pitchers Jacob Lindgren and Jonathan Holder, who were also drafted. Both Lindgren and Holder were taken by the New York Yankees.

 

Woodruff now has a decision to make. He can cut his losses and sign with the Brewers. Woodruff saw his role decrease at MSU from Friday-night starter to cleanup duty reliever.

 

Woodruff appeared in 15 games in 2014 and posted a 6.75 ERA. He walked 25 batters in 37 1/3 innings. If those numbers continue, he won't get too many opportunities in 2015. The Bulldogs have younger arms to develop and can't necessarily wait for Woodruff to iron out his issues.

 

As a junior, Woodruff also holds the most leverage he'll have in negotiations. He can threaten to go back to Mississippi State for his senior year if he doesn't agree with the terms presented by the Brewers. Next year he has no option but to sign.

 

However, the junior has the option to play in the Cape Cod League. He could play in the premier college baseball summer league, fix his mechanics, confidence and come back to Starkville to write a new chapter in his career. An improved 2015 season would undoubtedly help his stock and perhaps move him into the slot he passed up three years ago.

 

Woodruff has until July 18 to sign a deal with the Brewers.

 

***

 

Columbus (MS) Dispatch

 

Brandon Woodruff was drafted in the 11th round Saturday by the Milwaukee Brewers. The 2012 National League Central Division champions are hoping to sign Woodruff on the potential of his arsenal of pitches. Woodruff was a top prospect out of Wheeler High School and turned down around $500,000 to come to MSU after being selected by the Texas Rangers with the 23rd pick in the fifth round of the 2011 MLB Draft. In his first three seasons, Woodruff went 3-6 with a 4.70 ERA, starting 18 games in 34 appearances with 81 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched. Woodruff struggled with the starting rotation role in his junior season by going 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in 15 appearances that included six starts.

 

"I would like to thank the Bulldog family for all the support and encouragement over the past few years," Woodruff said. "I am excited to see what the future holds, knowing that Starkville will always be my home."

[Mass Haas]

Link includes brief video report

 

Philipsburg Grad Drafted By Brewers

 

PITTSBURGH – Redshirt junior pitcher Luke Curtis was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round of the MLB Draft on Saturday afternoon.

 

“There is definitely a lot of excitement right now,” Curtis said. “I have to thank everyone at Pitt. All the hard work and coaching I was given has helped me to get drafted today. It was such a great experience at Pitt and I was able to take advantage of what I learned. It is a surreal feeling right now.”

 

Curtis, who was primarily a relief pitcher throughout his time at Pitt, led the Panthers with a 2.17 ERA this season en route to a 1-2 record on the mound. In 29.0 innings of work, Curtis allowed just seven earned runs while striking out 25 batters.

 

In one of his two starts on the season, Curtis pitched five shutout innings against Ohio University in leading the Panthers to a 6-1 victory. He appeared in 16 games total and recorded a season-high five K’s against Presbyterian on March 11.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers draft Blacksburg native Earls in 13th round

Limestone pitcher picked on final day of draft; Mets draft Upstate pitcher Roseboom

By Todd Shanesy, GoUpstate.com (SC)

 

Kaleb Earls just couldn't take all the tension inside his Blacksburg home, so the Limestone College pitcher went outside by the pool Saturday afternoon to keep up with the Major League Baseball draft on his cell phone.

 

“My whole family was just as nervous as I was,” Earls said, “and I just wanted to be by myself when the moment happened.”

 

Information coming to Earls' phone lagged a few seconds behind the computer inside. When the moment happened, he heard it. He didn't see it.

 

“Everybody in the house screamed,” he said. “I was like, 'All right. Something just happened.' ”

 

What happened was that Earls was picked in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

“It's awesome,” he said. “I kept double-checking to make sure it was real.”

 

Milwaukee also drafted Spartanburg Methodist pitcher C.D. Pelham from Lancaster in the 25th round. His former SMC teammate, outfielder Wes Rogers, went in the fourth round Friday to the Colorado Rockies.

 

A second player from USC Upstate was selected as well. Senior pitcher David Roseboom went in the 17th round to the New York Mets a day after fellow hurler Chad Sobotka was picked in the fourth round by the Atlanta Braves.

 

Earls, a 6-foot-5 junior right-hander, was followed closely all season by Brewers scouts and was asked to come to a pre-draft workout May 29 at Miller Park in Milwaukee. He said he got another phone call Friday night from the team but heard nothing Saturday — until the cheer from inside the house.

 

“I knew the Brewers really liked me, especially after that workout in Milwaukee,” Earls said. “I had also talked to the Braves and the Mets, but I really felt like the Brewers would take me.”

 

Earls pitched 82 innings with three complete games this season for Limestone, posting a 4.15 ERA and striking out 87 batters. It was a drastic increase in pitch speed during the past year that caught the eyes of scouts. He went from mid-80s as a sophomore to a consistent low-90s as a junior and hit 95 mph on the radar gun during a game in which Brewers and Braves scouts were present.

 

“I haven't played summer ball since American Legion (Post 109 in Gaffney) after my freshman year of college,” Earls said. “After my sophomore year, I decided to just work out and long-toss. I threw with Michael Wright (Gaffney High/SMC) three times a week and did a lot of running. I gained a lot of muscle weight, too, and went from 165 pounds to 190. That made a huge difference in momentum toward the plate. … Next thing I knew, I had a bunch of scouts impressed with me.”

 

Earls is the sixth player to be drafted from Limestone. Others were Joe Maloney, 10th round by Texas Rangers in 2011; Marques Kyles from Spartanburg High, 48th round by Brewers in 2010; Kevin Pucetas from Broome High School, 17th round by San Francisco Giants in 2006; Brad Correll, 29th round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2002; and Tracey Sanders in the 58th round by the Cleveland Indians in 1990.

[Mass Haas]

From the prior post, now a tweet:

 

13 (386). Kaleb Earls, RHP, Limestone College, SC

 

@K_Earls32

 

Everything is happening so fast. Signing the contract today and will be in Arizona by tomorrow for mini camp...

[Mass Haas]

Brewers' 19th-rounder impresses on and off the field

Befriending high school student with Asperger's indicative of Hirsch's character

By Caitlin Swieca / MLB.com

 

Now a tweet --

 

19 (566). Zach Hirsch, LHP, Nebraska

 

‏@zhirsch

 

Heading to Helena, Montana tomorrow to get this thing started. Extremely excited to begin this journey.

[Mass Haas]

As for 18th round Pitt RHP Luke Curtis --

 

When the Milwaukee Brewers called Pitt pitcher Luke Curtis on Saturday morning, he knew he might get drafted.

 

He just had no idea it would happen so quickly, going in the 18th round — the 536th player selected.

 

“It kind of shocked me being that early,” he said, “because I hadn't heard from them in a couple hours. It was very exciting. I am very, very grateful.”

 

Curtis, a junior right-hander, was one of two Pitt pitchers selected Saturday during the final day of the draft. Teammate Joe Harvey went in the 19th round (No. 572) to the New York Yankees.

 

Curtis, who pitched mainly in relief for Pitt this season, said he hasn't decided if he will come back to Pitt next year for his final season of eligibility.

 

“In the next 24 hours, I will get more details from the Brewers as far as moving forward,” he said. “That's a decision that hasn't been made.”

 

He did have this to say about playing professional baseball: “It's your dream.”

 

Curtis, who graduated from Philipsburg-Osceola High, compiled a 2.17 ERA, with 25 strikeouts in 29 innings. He finished with a 1-2 record.

[Mass Haas]

More confirmation that 17th round Palm Beach high school catcher won't be signing --

 

By Anthony Chiang, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

 

After capping off a memorable career at Palm Beach Gardens this year, J.J. Schwarz knew he had a tough decision in front of him.

 

“It’s really hard to make a decision because there are two good options in front of you and you have to decide which one is best for you and your family,” Schwarz told The Palm Beach Post of the choice between college and pro baseball in April.

 

But it was made easier after he was not selected in the first two days of the 2014 MLB draft. The 6-foot-1, 193-pound catcher finally had his name called Saturday, as the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 17th round with the 506th overall pick on the final day of the draft.

 

Despite being the first high school player from Palm Beach County taken in this year’s draft, Schwarz said he will pass on professional baseball to play at Florida. He notified Gators coaches of his decision Friday. According to Baseball America, Schwarz entered the draft as the 73rd best prospect. He batted .337 with seven home runs and a team-high 35 RBIs.

 

Tweet --

 

Can't wait to get up to Gainesville this summer and start my career with the Florida Gators!!

[Mass Haas]

Winnipeg hurler taken by Brewers

Winnipeg Free Press

 

Winnipeg banged out a pair of hits Saturday when two of the city's top players were chosen in the MLB first-year player draft.

 

Pitcher Ben Onyshko, 17, got the call he was waiting for when the Milwaukee Brewers took him in the 16th round (476th overall). He was the sixth Canadian chosen in the draft. Chris Shaw, a catcher at Midland Junior College in Texas, was taken in the 14th round (435th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals, the fifth Canadian chosen.

 

Onyshko, a 6-2, 205-pound southpaw, can now accept a baseball scholarship to attend Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., or sign with the Brew Crew and turn pro this summer if offered a contract.

 

"He's a competitive kid and he's come a long way," Baseball Canada's director of national teams Greg Hamilton told Alexis Brudnicki of canadianbaseballnetwork.com. "He's in an enviable spot. He's got a scholarship to Stetson, which is obviously a very good Division I program, and he's a very good student -- there's a good match there athletically and academically. And he put himself in a position to be considered reasonably well in the draft.

 

"So is he ready; can he go out and survive in professional baseball? He's got the ability to survive, there's no doubt about it... He's left-handed and he's 88 to 90 (m.p.h) with a decent breaking ball and some compete level and a feel for a changeup. So can he survive in the pro world? Sure. But he's also got a real good chance to be a really good collegiate pitcher too."

 

Onyshko moved to Vauxhall, Alta., when he was 15 to attend the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. There he honed his skills in a baseball-intensive environment and also became a member of Canada's national junior team.

 

This spring, pitching with the junior team, he faced Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista with the bases loaded in a Florida exhibition game. He held the $14-million per year superstar to a sac fly and gave up two runs on four hits over his three innings against Toronto.

 

http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/240*308/5944210.jpg

 

Ben Onyshko

 

From March 11th -- Canadian teenage pitcher Ben Onyshko has day to remember against the Blue Jays

 

***

 

Shaw is a graduate of the Okotoks Dawgs Baseball Academy in Calgary, where he moved to from Winnipeg to complete his final year of high school. This season with Midland he hit .384 with 14 HRs and 63 RBIs in 57 games. Shaw, 6-1, 195-pounds, had announced he will be playing at the University of Oklahoma for the start of the 2014 school year. It was not immediately known if he would sign a pro contract.

 

He was drafted by the Brewers in the 38th round in 2012, but opted to remain in school.

[Mass Haas]

More twitter love from 6th round Mississippi St. RHP David Burkhalter --

 

Thankful for the opportunity to chase my dreams as I transition from a Bulldog to a @Brewers! Grateful for all the support during this time!

[Mass Haas]

18 (536). Luke Curtis, RHP, Pittsburgh

 

The latest player to be placed in bold in our Official Signing Thread.

 

@LCurtiz_13

 

It's official! Very excited to be a part of the @Brewers organization! Can't wait to be on the plane in the AM and off to Montana! #BrewCrew

[Mass Haas]

Pitcher Burkhalter signs with Brewers

Ruston ace, sixth round draft pick signs contract in front of family, friends

by Tabby Soignier, Monroe (LA) News-Star

 

Ruston pitcher David Michael Burkhalter shakes hands with Milwaukee Brewers scout Scott Nichols after signing a Major League Baseball contract. / Tabby Soignier photo/The News-Star

 

http://cmsimg.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DI&Date=20140608&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=306090011&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Pitcher-Burkhalter-signs-Brewers

 

The McAllister’s Deli in Monroe had no significance to Ruston pitcher David Michael Burkhalter before Sunday.

 

It was just a perfect meeting place off Interstate 20 for his family and the Milwaukee Brewers scout, and now the restaurant will always signify the start of Burkhalter’s trek to the Major Leagues.

 

The right hander signed a contract with the franchise after the Brewers selected Burkhalter in the sixth round of the First Year Players Draft on Friday.

 

“It’s been two days, but it still hasn’t sunk in,” Burkhalter said. “I don’t think it will until I get out on the field.”

 

The pitcher who graduated from Ruston High School less than a month ago signed a $200,000 signing bonus and will report to Arizona on Tuesday for rookie ball.

 

Burkhalter originally planned on playing collegiate baseball at ULM when he signed with the Warhawks this past November, but the deal was too much to pass up. He and his family — parents David and Suzanne, older sisters Lindsey, Lexi and Arielle and younger brother Ayres — were able to keep the gold from the ULM maroon and gold but paired it with navy (the Brewers colors) on Sunday.

 

Two of the three sisters are married with the other one engaged, but Ayres (age 11) will have a tougher time being away from his brother. For one, he was banking on being the ULM bat boy next year but really it will be just being away from his one brother, whose side he never left Sunday, including the private meeting with the parents and scout. Ayres was right in the middle of it.

 

“I think it kinda hit them (my parents) after,” Burkhalter said. “They were like, ‘What’s your brother going to do?’”

 

That tight knit bond between Burkhalter and his family also stood out to the scout as an asset too, rather just his talents on the mound.

 

“When I got to know him a little better and know the family, I thought, ‘This kid is really good,’” said Scott Nichols, who is the deep south scouting supervisor for the Brewers. “There’s a lot of talent out there, but you have to have the total package. With the make up, the work habits, along with his tools, it takes more than just tools to make it.”

 

Nichols is in his third year with the Milwaukee organization and prior to that he spent 23 years with the St. Louis Cardinals and remembers watching the last major pitcher that went to the Brewers from Northeast Louisiana — ULM’s Ben Sheets, who went 10th overall in the 1999 draft after three years when then-NLU.

 

“Oh yeah,” Nichols recalled. “He’s a great guy.”

 

The first time Nichols laid eyes on Burkhalter was last summer during the East West Showcase in Syracuse, New York and then again in January at the Marucci Showcase.

 

“Then I was lucky enough to see him in New Orleans at a tournament, and I had my boss with me, and my boss was like, ‘Scott, keep me posted on this guy because I like what he’s doing,’” Nichols said. “He can pitch. He’s already got the mechanics and his size.”

 

Burkhalter posted an 11-1 record as a junior with a 0.93 ERA prior to signing with ULM last fall. This past season he finished 7-3 with a 0.70 ERA for the Bearcats, while giving up seven earned runs in 70 innings pitched and struck out 104 batters.

 

“I think it’s the way he goes about everything,” Nichols said. “The way he prepares before his starts, he prepares like the pros do already. He’s ahead of the game there, so now he’s going to get professional instruction from these guys and they’re going to love him because when they see him they’re gonna be like, ‘Oh my God.’”