Who should the Brewers take in the 1st Round

[bklynbrewcrew]

Weiters just doesnt seem productive enough for me. I would rather not spend big money on him. I really hope Moustakas falls and if he doesnt I would take Parker.

[fewgoodcards]

Which only emphasizes how big it could be to add a player like Mike Moustakas into the system. He would immediately give the organization an impact bat, which it desparately needs with Braun's promotion. It makes too much sense, and the only reason I don't have Moustakas going to the Brewers is because I don't think he falls that far. If he does, and the Brewers don't take him, I may suffer a pulled Kotchman.

 

moustakas and heyward would be great picks for you guys and both seem to fit in with the needs that you were describing, lefthanded power bats.

 

i ran the cardinals draft at minorleagueball.com and i was absolutely thrilled with my first 2 rounds.

 

i took

18. kevin ahrens

36. pete kozma

71. nathan vineyard

82. wes roemer

 

i don't think any of those players will still be available at the spot i drafted them at on thursday.

[colbyjack]

I have seen a few people question Wieters' productivity in college, which prompted me to write a Crack of the Bat column on his productivity during his college career:

 

www.pgcrosschecker.com/cr...nsistency/

 

What is most impressive to me is how well he hit last summer on the Cape. If you focus too much on his numbers this year I think you are going to miss out on one heck of a player.

 

Nice draft fewgoodcards. I agree that those players seem unlikely to fall to those spots, but you never know.

 

After the first round, I really hope Jordan Zimmerman falls to the Brewers third round pick.

[gordofieldo]

Of course no one is implying they will draft for need, nor should they. But I'm telling you all...Moustakas will be a Brad Nelson type of guy if they pick him. The guy doesn't fit anywhere. I think he is a nice pick if you groom him and develop him into a good catcher in the system. With his bat, he will always be useful somewhere. But I don't think a player is done any favors by being switched from position to position in the minors like Nelson was and Moustakas would be. I would take Wieters no quesitons asked with that pick if he is available and then my next two choices are Smoker or Weathers.

[Never Outhustled]

I'm telling you all...Moustakas will be a Brad Nelson type of guy if they pick him. The guy doesn't fit anywhere. I think he is a nice pick if you groom him and develop him into a good catcher in the system. With his bat, he will always be useful somewhere. But I don't think a player is done any favors by being switched from position to position in the minors like Nelson was and Moustakas would be.

 

Nelson would be in the Bigs if he could hit. Nelson was regressing at the plate before he switched positions. IMO, Moustakas and Nelson just don't compare as hitters, and they don't really compare defensively either. Moustakas has the hands and arm to be a quality 3B. It gets somewhat overlooked that Domiquez is considered a future gold glove caliber 3B, yet its Moustakas who plays SS on there HS team. Theres not too many gold glove 3Bs that didn't play SS on there HS team.

 

 

I would take Wieters no quesitons asked with that pick if he is available and then my next two choices are Smoker or Weathers.

 

I like Casy Weathers, but I wouldn't take a reliever 7th. Do you think whoever drafts him will make him a starter? Colbyjack mentioned earlier he thought Weathers might be able to do that.

[Hate those Rodents]

Is Jason Heyward a reach? He seems like someone that would be really nice to project as a corner outfielder for us...

[Mass Haas]

Today's Phillippe Aumont article:

 

slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseba...7-sun.html

[Never Outhustled]

I have seen a few people question Wieters' productivity in college, which prompted me to write a Crack of the Bat column on his productivity during his college career:

 

Really a good article on a hot topic item. Wieters production has gone up just the last few weeks alone, which is good to see.

 

When talking about a disappointment I think many people want to see a player like Wieters put up ?Nintendo? numbers, meaning numbers that don?t seem humanly possible while dominating the competition.

 

I'm not so much looking for Nintendo numbers, but your right in the fact that I'm disappointed in him because I thought he'd put up numbers like Braun, or even Gillespie. However, I'm sure you could throw at me 100 guys with Wieters production that turned out to be middle of the order hitters.

 

I guess the other thing I should realize is that if Wieters turns out to be a #6 type hitter, he'll still play in a few All-Star games.

[colbyjack]

But I don't think a player is done any favors by being switched from position to position in the minors like Nelson was and Moustakas would be.

 

Nelson is just one example that didn't work, but did he not work out because the team moved him around? And the Brewers really didn't move him around that much. They converted him to a 1B immediately upon drafting him, and had him play a corner OF spot a couple of years ago before moving him back to 1B last year.

 

Corey Hart moved from 1B to 3B to the OF and handled the moves just fine. If that is the reason a player doesn't make the big-leagues, they probably aren't going to make the big leagues anyway.

 

If you're concerned about where Moustakas fits, move him to LF, as the organization definitely has a need for power hitting corner outfielders, and let his bat carry him. If he doesn't make it, it will have nothing to do with where he fits in the system.

 

I like Casy Weathers, but I wouldn't take a reliever 7th. Do you think whoever drafts him will make him a starter? Colbyjack mentioned earlier he thought Weathers might be able to do that.

 

I don't know if anyone other than me would try Weathers as a starter first. I suggested the same with both Ryan Wagner and Craig Hansen, but obviously both were groomed as closers.

 

As for Aumont, I just read late last week that there are some character issues involved with him, more than the reasons that were stated in the story that Mass Haas provided (you have to like his honesty). I guess he is living with guardians now, and now with his parents. I haven't heard what that is about, and I'm not sure if it is viewed as a negative.

[geothite]

Maybe this is a petty concern or simplistic analysis, but in HS when a guy plays everywhere on the diamond it is sometimes because he cannot really play a position.

 

Also, read somewhere that even though bulk/size isn't an ultimate indicator of run production potential in prospects, there seems to be a track record for guys who are Moustakas' size and the track record picking guys his size or smaller this high is scary bad (6' 175-180). It isn't a statistically insignificant population either. I am not a scout or expert on the draft but it was something I read over on baseballprospectus.com.

[Yount19]

I don't know if he reads this board or not but the Brewers Clubhouse store manager swears that if Moustakas is available, the Brewers will select him. He says he has sources!! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

But seriously, the last guy the Brewers picked that played Catcher and everywhere else was pretty good and that was BJ Surhoff. Didn't he play C, SS, 3b among other?

[gordofieldo]

Funny that you would mention BJ Surhoff.....

 

Because he fits the mold of the typical Brewer pick (i.e. they passed on a better player).

 

Lets not forget that they could have had Will Clark that draft, and I would dare anyone to say that Surhoff was a better player than Clark was.

[colbyjack]

Forget Will Clark, about about Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin and Rafael Palmeiro?

[patrickgpe]

i think i am finally up on the draft (thanks patrick!)

 

heres what i am thinking in order of what i would be happy with

 

1. heyward.

2. wieters

3. moskos (i love lefties who can bring the heat)

4. Detwiler

 

 

i know signability is a problem, but catcher is our biggest weakness on the farm, if we can draft wieters and sign him, then we may be set once Estrada is gone...

[bklynbrewcrew]

I really hope we land Moustakas since the system really needs a power bat. If not him Heyward would be a good fallback option. I also wouldnt mind Parker despite the fact that he is a HS righthander. Weiters might be a solid choice but I would rather not spend so much on him.

[splitterpfj]

But seriously, the last guy the Brewers picked that played Catcher and everywhere else was pretty good and that was BJ Surhoff. Didn't he play C, SS, 3b among other?

 

Yes, Surhoff was playing some SS for the Tarheels, until Walt Weiss arrived on campus, then BJ moved behind the plate.

 

Forget Will Clark, about about Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin and Rafael Palmeiro?

 

The '85 draft turned out to be one of the best ever, I remember all the previews at the time had the Brewers torn between Surhoff and Bobby Witt for the top pick.

[RyDogg66]

I want the Brewers to take Weiters. If he is gone, I'd like them to select someone who projects to be a big hitter in the OF in 3-5 years. Is that is Moustakas, then so be it.

[fewgoodcards]

heres what i am thinking in order of what i would be happy with

 

1. heyward.

2. wieters

3. moskos (i love lefties who can bring the heat)

4. Detwiler

 

 

moskos only brings the heat when he is in the pen. he has been about 87-89 in the rotation and not striking out anyone. personally, i don't understand why he is ranked so highly. IMO he has 3rd starter upside in the rotation and is probably better in the pen. everyone says you don't take a closer that high when talking about weathers, so why don't they say it about moskos?

[bjkrautk]

moskos only brings the heat when he is in the pen. he has been about 87-89 in the rotation and not striking out anyone. personally, i don't understand why he is ranked so highly. IMO he has 3rd starter upside in the rotation and is probably better in the pen. everyone says you don't take a closer that high when talking about weathers, so why don't they say it about moskos?

 

I can't say it as a universal truism, but I remember being surprised by the radar gun when a certain Brewers pitcher made a relief appearance and threw much harder than I had been accustomed to.

3-4 years later, as his stamina increased, Ben Sheets showed an ability to hit the low-to-mid 90s with regularity as a starter. (The relief appearance, BTW, was in his first All Star game.)

 

I don't know that Moskos can or will do the same, but there aren't a ton of lefties that can throw with that velocity (either in the bullpen or the rotation); there are more than a handful MLB lefty starters who only throw 87-89. I will agree, though, that it's awfully hard to pick someone in the top-10 unless you think they can be a starting pitcher.

 

(Ultimately, I have to defer to people who have actually seen most of these players in action.)

[DHonks]

bjkrautk,

 

the problem with that as a comparison is that Sheets was throwing a 2-seamer, since the club had stressed efficiency and low pitch counts in the minors. That's why he went from being a groundball pitcher to being a flyball pitcher...he scrappyed it.

[DAS1410]

This was posted on Scout.com

 

DRAFT REPORT: THE ELITE EIGHT

By Frankie Piliere

Posted June 4, 2007

 

- The future of Canadian righty may be all but set, at least in terms of the draft. According to a few high ranking scouts, Aumont has worked out a pre-draft deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. That deal of course would be meaningless if Aumont were to be nabbed before Milwaukee picks (7th overall), but it appears likely that he will be there and that he will be the team's top pick.

[Tedaldtada]

According to a few high ranking scouts, Aumont has worked out a pre-draft deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Well, here's hoping that this guy is good. Now I kinda hope someone takes him in front of us. Oh man, this is going to be interesting.

[splitterpfj]

Do we always have to take the pitchers who don't need to shave yet? You have to figure some of these guys have to pay off sooner or later, but this will be 3 times in 4 years. That's way too often for my blood.

[bjkrautk]

I used to dislike the idea of Aumont solely due to his being a HS RHP in the first round.

 

...then I open Colby's draft profile and see he's 6-7...

 

...and - like seemingly every pitcher that size - has trouble repeating his mechanics...

 

 

...And I'm penciling in May 2009 for the Tommy John pool.

 

 

I get that even 'closest to the majors' -type first round picks sometimes fall short. Likewise, I understand that you don't often get top-of-the rotation talent unless you draft it in the opening round(s). Still, do they have to take a guy who's so clearly a 'boom or bust' prospect?

 

(I have to say this now because, presuming he is our pick in the first round, I will be hoping for the best as soon as he signs his contract. Much like Jones, Rogers, and Jeffries, once he's our guy, then I'm wishing for the best. I just don't really want him to be our guy.)

[colbyjack]

Aumont is extremely athletic, so he has a better chance repeating his mechanics than some of the stiffer giants that are often available (like Blake Beaven).

 

I am somewhat excited about Aumont in that I've been hearing so much about the movement on his pitches lately. He's drawn some Kevin Brown comparisons lately due to how much his fastball dips and dives. Of course for every Kevin Brown there are 50 Jamey Wright's, but that can be said of any draft eligible prospect drawing comparisons to proven and successful big-leaguers.

 

And carrying some comments in from a few other threads on the draft forum, keep in mind that I predicted that not only would Aumont would be the pick, but that Moustakas wouldn't be available at the 7th spot. I keep hearing the Brewers will take Moustakas will be there if he's available, but it just doesn't look like that's going to happen.

 

And even if it's not Aumont, don't expect Heyward or another bat. Jarrod Parker and Madison Bumgarner are the names most frequently associated with the Brewers, two other prep arms, although Parker may not be available either.

 

And I've said all along that I would believe the Matt Wieters pick when I see it. I'd love to see it, but I'm not going to tease myself.