Draft Pick Discussion Thread, Rounds 1-5

[Oldcity]

Is there any chance they drafted him thinking they might not even sign him? Very surprising pick.

[homer]

I'm going to reserve judgement on this one and trust Jack Z. I bet they stick him in left field. The system is woefully short on corner OF with power and this guy could come up and make an impact with the rest of the young guys that are already in the bigs.

 

Having said all that....I'd rather have taken Heyward. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[JoeHova]

What's LaPorta's B-Day, height/weight and handedness?

[SoCalBrewfan]

More speculation that Laporta could catch, from the BA draft blog:

 

The Brewers go off the board and take Matt LaPorta, the Florida first baseman who dominated the Southeastern Conference this spring with a 1.399 OPS. LaPorta is the first college senior drafted and we?ll check to find when the last time a college senior was picked that high.

The question is where the Brewers play him, and this is just a hunch, but with Prince Fielder on board at first in Milwaukee, I?m guessing the Brewers will try LaPorta as a catcher, the position he played when he came to Florida. Some scouts in the past have compared him to Matthew LeCroy, the former Clemson and Twins catcher/DH, and that?s how LaPorta makes the most sense at No. 7 overall?if you view him as a catcher.

[hauser42]

I love this pick. Kid is going to move to LF most likley or behind the plate (bit of a stretch).

 

This club needs to get some bang in the corner OF and this kid can add it. He will be a fast mover like Braun so the lineup will be much tougher with another power stick.

 

Futuer lineup.

 

Hart CF

Hardy SS

Braun 3B

Prince 1B

LaPorte LF

Hall CF

Weeks 2B

Vet Catcher

 

Solid lineup to produce some runs backed by solid starting pitching.

[gregmag]

He pretty much has to start at WV, doesn't he? He turned 22 in January; he's almost two years older than Brantley, almost three years older than Brent Brewer. He's kind of Cole Gillespie II, as an older college player with advanced power. If he doesn't finish next year hitting well at AA, he'll already start to be a disappointment.

 

Does anybody know anything about whether he can play LF? The buzz seems to be that he's unatheletic, but this seems to be the kind of thing about which the Brewers do their homework.

 

Whatever else this pick is, it ain't boring.

 

Greg.

[BillScottCanRake]

Is there any chance they drafted him thinking they might not even sign him? Very surprising pick.

 

He's a four year college player- I can't imagine they wouldn't be able to sign him.

[Robideaux]

I like the pick. The kid can flat out mash. I'd much rather have a polished college bat than a prep RHP project. Porcello or Parker would have been fine in my book, but I wanted absolutely no part of Aumont or another project with a plus plus fastball and questionable secondary stuff.

 

We need to face reality--Our window is only open for about 4 seasons. Then we start hemmoraging players once they reach post-arby contracts. LaPorta will be in the bigs by the time Prince & Co. move on the greener pastures. Jenkins will be gone within the next few years as well, leaving an opening in left field. A power bat would look good there. I assume the Brewers think LaPorta can handle LF or they wouldn't have taken him.

[SoCalBrewfan]

What's LaPorta's B-Day, height/weight and handedness?

 

Colby's already got that up on the official picks thread.

[rotoherb]

I think people need to settle down with the "blocked by Prince" talk. He's not really blocked by anyone until he's ready for the majors. If it turns out that he's ready for the majors in two or three years, he'll have plenty of value, either in the outfield or in a trade. This isn't the NBA or NFL where he's going to immediately be playing behind Prince next season.

 

Take the best player that you feel is available. There's no guarantee that he'll pan out, but you'll kick yourself forever if you pass on a future All-Star just because three years from now you may have a problem.

 

For extreme hyperbole, please see the Portand Trailblazers passing of Michael Jordan because they already had Clyde Drexler.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[homer]

LaPorta is 6'2" 215

BDay is 1/08/1985

 

conflicting reports on which side he bats from. Scouting report says lefty but MLB draft tracker says R/R

[bork]

Has Brewerfan.net ever like any of Jack Z's first round picks? He finds quite a few gems in the subsequent rounds, but his first round picks are universally hated.

[Brian the Automator]

I'm still waiting for my next Khalid...

[Pioneers3]

Quote:

---

Take the best player that you feel is available. There's no guarantee that he'll pan out, but you'll kick yourself forever if you pass on a future All-Star just because three years from now you may have a problem.

---

 

You are right about taking the best available but you would be hard pressed to find many scouts that would say he was the best on the board at #7...not many people had him going in the first round, sandwhich pick or early second was what I was hearing. I don't know what Colby was hearing as he deals with more scouts than I do

[Team Canada]

Has Brewerfan.net ever like any of Jack Z's first round picks?

 

Weeks, but that was a gimmee.

[Never Outhustled]

We need to face reality--Our window is only open for about 4 seasons. Then we start hemmoraging players once they reach post-arby contracts. LaPorta will be in the bigs by the time Prince & Co. move on the greener pastures.

 

We have Prince for 4 more seasons after this year. Braun made it to the majors in just under 2 years, and Laporta is a further advanced hitter than even Braun, or Alex Gordon was. Zimmerman hit well in the majors the year he was drafted, Laporta has a chance to do that if he does indeed have a predraft deal.

[Oldcity]

Man he dominated. .582 OBP.

[colbyjack]

He's a right-handed hitter.

 

I had a Yankees fan email me in the last month asking me why I didn't have LaPorta in my top 30 prospects, as this person remembered that I had him #4 overall to open the 2005 draft rankings. He made a very good point about that, because he has re-established himself very well this year, and despite being a college senior, he really picked up where he left off from his sophomore campaign, and improved in the one area at the plate that he really struggled in past years when it comes to striking out too much.

 

I like the pick quite a bit because it addresses the organization's biggest need which I brought up a few days ago: Power. With Braun at the big-league level, LaPorta instantly becomes the organization's best power prospect, possibly by far. I may have taken Beau Mills over LaPorta, but LaPorta is much more proven having hit in arguably the toughest conference in all of college baseball, the SEC.

[Brian the Automator]

[ We have Prince for 4 more seasons after this year. Braun made it to the majors in just under 2 years, and Laporta is a further advanced hitter than even Braun, or Alex Gordon was. Zimmerman hit well in the majors the year he was drafted, Laporta has a chance to do that if he does indeed have a predraft deal. ]

 

Interesting. The Brewers are in need of a backup outfielder who can hit right-handed and come off the bench. How much of an insane reach would it be to call him up in Sept?

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

can anyone find any video on la porte ?

[bjkrautk]

As long as he can make the transition to LF, I'm fine with the pick. I'd rather have the college hitter we all expect to make the major league club in a few years over the HS RHP that gets hurt years before coming here.

 

(Of course, outside of the first round, I stop caring about HS v. College all together.)

 

I can't wait to hear Jack Z. and the front office talking about why they liked him.

[Team Canada]

The MLB draft tracker has video on everyone.

[dpapo]

Surprised by the pick, but Jack Z. does have a good track record drafting position players in the 1st round. In a couple years and probably sooner, both Jenkins and Mench are going to be gone, so the Brewers are going to need a LF with power.

So, while LaPorta it's a surprise pick, it does make some sense.

[homer]

I bet Atlanta grabs Heyward here.

[RyDogg66]

Im indifferent on this pick. I cant see how anyone who has gotten along as far as he has in baseball couldnt play an average LF.

 

As far as the comment about having a short window for success, and the need to draft someone to help now doesnt make sense. At least, I hope now. It makes more sense to start drafting people to take over for Hardy, Weeks, etc, when they leave via FA.

 

I dont mind this pick, I trust the scouts and Jack Z., but would have preferred a high school bat.