2014 Minor League Pitcher and Player of Year; Position Switch In Store for Coulter

[Mass Haas]

Brewers announce 2014 Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year Awards

 

Congratulations, Jimmy and Clint.

[Mass Haas]

Via Adam McCalvy tweet --

 

Gord Ash says a position switch is likely in store for #Brewers MiLB player of the year Clint Coulter. 1B, 3B, LF are options.

[dacbrewers]

Via Adam McCalvy tweet --

 

Gord Ash says a position switch is likely in store for #Brewers MiLB player of the year Clint Coulter. 1B, 3B, LF are options.

 

I think dh is the only position Coulter can play unless your going to give him 5 years to learn a new one.

[BrewersAA]

I disagree with that, the kid is supposed to be an incredible athlete and very coachable, and he's played baseball his whole life. What makes you think he couldn't play the field?

[Jenkins5]

I disagree with that, the kid is supposed to be an incredible athlete and very coachable, and he's played baseball his whole life. What makes you think he couldn't play the field?

 

Because he struggled at the hardest position to play while in the lower level of the minors (all pitchers are well polished and hit all their spots every pitch), obviously there is zero chance any other position is possible.

[dacbrewers]

I disagree with that, the kid is supposed to be an incredible athlete and very coachable, and he's played baseball his whole life. What makes you think he couldn't play the field?

He has stone hands catching...how is he going to play an infield position? Try him in Of first.

[dacbrewers]

Brewers announce 2014 Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year Awards

 

Congratulations, Jimmy and Clint.

Wonder where Rogers finished for poty?

[nate82]

I disagree with that, the kid is supposed to be an incredible athlete and very coachable, and he's played baseball his whole life. What makes you think he couldn't play the field?

He has stone hands catching...how is he going to play an infield position? Try him in Of first.

 

This is just not even true.

 

I have not seen any scouting report that even comes close to stating this. Others who have seen Coulter play will probably also state that this is false.

[TheCrew07]

I'll stick with what I've been saying since last season, I hope Coulter is our 3 bagger of the future.

[3and2Fastball]

Yes if Coulter can continue hitting at each level and can play 1B that would fill a huge hole

[dacbrewers]

I disagree with that, the kid is supposed to be an incredible athlete and very coachable, and he's played baseball his whole life. What makes you think he couldn't play the field?

He has stone hands catching...how is he going to play an infield position? Try him in Of first.

 

This is just not even true.

 

I have not seen any scouting report that even comes close to stating this. Others who have seen Coulter play will probably also state that this is false.

I wasn't quoting any scouting report. I am telling you what I saw when personally watching him catch...maybe I just saw all his bad games but when you can't catch a strike...that's a problem.

Maybe after trying him in the outfield, they can try him at pitcher. NOT. Please no more OF to Pitcher conversions.

 

From what I saw of him...way too many passed balls...plus he would of had even more if not for the generosity of scorekeepers giving wild pitches to pitchers instead of passed balls to Coulter.

Can he hit...YES..Is his bat going to make up for his defensive mistakes? Granted it's possible.

Who's ahead of him at first and OF?

[JohnBriggs12]

Will be interesting to compare Coulter to Cub prospect Kyle Schwarber. They are 4 months apart in age but even though he caught in college, Cubs wasted no time switching him to OF. Hopefully Coulter can concentrate more on hitting.

[TheCrew07]

Coulter isn't an incredible athlete, he's not in Harrison's class athletically, but he's above average. It's true that there isn't another 1B higher in the system that I would like more than Coulter though I'm extremely excited about David Denson who would slot behind him. In fact if Denson repeats WI I would expect him to put a similar season to Coulter's 2014. However I hope that Denson bumps up to BC with the rest of that WI crew.

 

Catching is an entirely different animal, I caught this summer for the first time in 20 years and I was pissed at myself for dropping balls all over the place while I was working with a young man on his mechanics, and I have very soft hands in the field or catching a football for example. I don't think his propensity to whiff or drop pitches eliminates him from playing on the infield, it's a completely different kind of action.

 

As an FYI, any ball in the dirt that gets through the C is a wild pitch by rule, that wasn't generous scoring. There were absolutely a ton of balls that got through all of the WI catchers last year that shouldn't have, but the scoring rule is very clear. I didn't think Coulter was a catcher because I never saw him get down and block a ball properly, he would pick or stab at everything, he didn't seem to have developed that instinct.

 

I hope Clint can make the transition to 3B and if not the OF, I'd hate to have an arm like his sitting at 1B.

[dacbrewers]

Coulter isn't an incredible athlete, he's not in Harrison's class athletically, but he's above average. It's true that there isn't another 1B higher in the system that I would like more than Coulter though I'm extremely excited about David Denson who would slot behind him. In fact if Denson repeats WI I would expect him to put a similar season to Coulter's 2014. However I hope that Denson bumps up to BC with the rest of that WI crew.

 

Catching is an entirely different animal, I caught this summer for the first time in 20 years and I was pissed at myself for dropping balls all over the place while I was working with a young man on his mechanics, and I have very soft hands in the field or catching a football for example. I don't think his propensity to whiff or drop pitches eliminates him from playing on the infield, it's a completely different kind of action.

 

As an FYI, any ball in the dirt that gets through the C is a wild pitch by rule, that wasn't generous scoring. There were absolutely a ton of balls that got through all of the WI catchers last year that shouldn't have, but the scoring rule is very clear. I didn't think Coulter was a catcher because I never saw him get down and block a ball properly, he would pick or stab at everything, he didn't seem to have developed that instinct.

 

I hope Clint can make the transition to 3B and if not the OF, I'd hate to have an arm like his sitting at 1B.

 

Good take on Clint. My concern in the OF is tracking balls. Guys with above average speed that were drafted as outfielders still can have trouble tracking balls...I could name a few guys previously drafted by the crew but won't.

[jerichoholicninja]

Maybe we should start drafting players that will actually stay at their position instead of moving everyone to first or the outfield.

[Mass Haas]

August honor from Baseball America for Coulter

[TheCrew07]

Maybe we should start drafting players that will actually stay at their position instead of moving everyone to first or the outfield.

 

Very few players stick at the position they were drafted at, most of the HS kids are SS... as was Coulter before his transition to C. College draftees don't move around anywhere near as much, it's just that most teams have their best athlete playing SS so that's why so many HS draftees have to change positions, they are obviously the best athletes on their respective teams. The college players whom are drafted were usually already moved, though many college SS don't stick at the position professionally either.

 

I wanted to move Coulter to a different position after 2013 so I feel this year set him back defensively, however his bat exploded so I'll take what I can get.

 

I don't mind the "have bat, will travel" mentality, I'm actually in favor of drafting the bat over other tools which is why Schwarber was my bat prior to the draft, I'd just like the Brewers to be a bit more decisive about position switches, even the most casual observer could tell you that Coulter was a below average A ball catcher.

 

As JB12 pointed out the Cubs have a similar dilemma with Schwarber, though he's a much better C than Clint was. The Cubs don't have a legit C prospect, that's the only position they don't have covered by multiple high profile players, so they have incentive to ride out Schwarber behind the plate. Outside of Lucroy the Brewers' catching situation isn't overwhelmingly positive either.

[Mass Haas]

2014 Minor League Classification All-Stars

 

RHP Taylor Williams gets some love from Baseball America, in addition to Nelson and Coulter.

[trwi7]

Hopefully they try Coulter at 3B first. Would hate to see him go to the two easiest positions without even trying a tougher one like 3rd. If he's not good and makes no improvement by the end of next season, then move him.

[HiAndTight]

I disagree with that, the kid is supposed to be an incredible athlete and very coachable, and he's played baseball his whole life. What makes you think he couldn't play the field?

He has stone hands catching...how is he going to play an infield position? Try him in Of first.

 

This is just not even true.

 

I have not seen any scouting report that even comes close to stating this. Others who have seen Coulter play will probably also state that this is false.

 

 

It's absolutely untrue. I believed strongly that Coulter would be able to become a good defensive catcher if he was given time. The fact is if he wasn't as good offensively, he'd probably be given more time to develop behind the plate. But, and I've said this since he was drafted, if they do move him, they should try him at 3rd base 1st.

 

IF you're not going to give him the time to develop behind the plate because his bat is so advanced, at least try to maximize his value by moving him over to 3rd. It'll be ugly early on I'm sure, but he's got all the tools you need. And it's much easier to move him to 1B or LF if he doesn't become a major league caliber 3rd basemen.

 

 

I guess I'm just baffled how someone who's watched the kid play thinks he's only capable of being a DH.

[HiAndTight]

Maybe we should start drafting players that will actually stay at their position instead of moving everyone to first or the outfield.

 

Very few players stick at the position they were drafted at, most of the HS kids are SS... as was Coulter before his transition to C.

 

 

Coulter was a Catcher in High School. He played SS and 3B earlier on, but played catcher(primarily) since he was a Soph in HS.

 

But to the original comment, we should start drafting players at positions they will actually play? How often are you going to draft a guy in the 1st round out of HS who played LF? If he's not a better athlete and defender than his own teams CF'er, RF'er, SS, 3B, then there isn't much of a chance he's going to be a viable big leaguer.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with drafting a guy like Coulter IMO and giving him a couple years behind the plate. Again, I still believe if he hit .235/.315/.400 they'd leave him behind the plate and let him develop there. But with his bat as far along as it is, they obviously want to push him a bit quicker.