2016 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-5

[Mr Southpaw]

B Webb South Caroline

[Patrick425]

Two WI players yesterday; anyone in the State expected to get picked today? Kind of incredible there have only been 26 WI prep players ever drafted in the first 2 rounds. WI isn't a hotbed for baseball but that just seems amazing to me.

 

I think you will see more and more northern players drafted higher going forward. Things have changed over the last 10-20 years in regards to Winter facilities and training for northern states players. When I was a kid there were no indoor baseball facilities and kids that played baseball many times didn't swing a bat or pick up a glove between the months of October-March. There were not fall leagues and spring leagues. There were not nearly as many youth league options and you played maybe 12-15 games on very poorly maintained fields. Even 10 years ago when my son was 8 there was only a few indoor batting cages in the area (Hegan's field of dreams on Lincoln avenue was probably the most popular). Now you got Hitters, Stix, new indoor facilities at Infinity Fields in Waukesha, Bigler baseball academy, and there are probably many more that I'm not even aware of. It's become a big business and these places charge a lot of money to participate. Its not uncommon for a Wisconsin kid who is committed to baseball to now play near 60 games a year from March to the mid-October. This plus all the traveling that is now done for some of the more elite players like Gavin Lux. Even my son, who was a just above average youth player, played in tournaments in Cooperstown and Myrtle Beach at ages 10 and 12...something I could not of even fathomed when I was those ages.

 

There is currently a HS class of 2018 outfielder from Waukesha (Jared Kelenic - His dad owns Infinity Fields in Waukesha) who is ranked very high nationally in his age group (I want to say top 5) and has verbally committed to Louisville. It will be very interesting to continue to watch his progress and see where he ends up getting slotted in the draft two years from now.

[LouisEly]

"Webb opened his senior season at Owasso (Okla.) High in 2014 with consecutive no-hitters, then blew out his elbow in his third start and required Tommy John surgery. He spent 2015 rehabilitating his elbow and turned down the Indians as a 38th-round pick last summer before enrolling at South Carolina. A rare Draft-eligible freshman, he has been one of the best starters in the Southeastern Conference this spring and led the league with 117 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings entering the NCAA tournament.

 

Webb can get swings and misses with two pitches. He has a low-90s mph fastball that reaches 96 and has riding life up in the strike zone. If hitters try to sit on his heater, he can change their eye level with his best offering, a mid-70s overhand curveball with tight spin.

 

Though Webb has a decent third pitch in a changeup with some sink, most scouts project him as a reliever. He doesn't have an athletic delivery, doesn't consistently throw strikes and his command is even more sporadic. He does create deception with his mechanics and has an aggressive nature that could work well in a high-leverage bullpen role."

 

The Brewers seem to be able to teach pitchers how to throw a decent changeup, so I'm not that concerned about it. Plus, guys are usually a little erratic the first year after TJ, so I'm not too concerned. A draft-eligible freshman? Might have to go over-slot to sign him.'

 

Edit: that 2nd paragraph sounds a bit like Sheets...

[splitterpfj]

Braden Webb is a, "just plain interesting" pick.

 

He's a draft-elgible college freshman, who's already had Tommy John surgery. He has plenty of talent, but may end up as 2-pitch bullpen guy.

 

I like the arm, but this is a hard player to project.

[Austin Tatious]

"Webb has been on scouts' radars since his high school days as the top prep pitcher in Oklahoma's class of 2014. Webb injured his elbow early in his senior season requiring Tommy John surgery. He went undrafted following the injury in 2014. Instead of enrolling at South Carolina, Webb took time off to rehab his injury. The Cleveland Indians saw enough during his rehab to roll the dice on Webb in the 38th round in 2015, but he elected to pitch for the Gamecocks in 2016.

 

Already old for the class of 2014, Webb turned 21 in April. His lost 2015 season leaves him with the unusual distinction of being a draft-eligible freshman. Most of the major media sources have Webb as a top-100 talent in this season's draft class with our own cookiedabookie slotting him in at 84.

 

Webb has taken the SEC by storm in his freshman season. Prior to Tuesday's Regional Championship game, Webb is 10-5 with a 3.39 ERA over 16 starts. In 93.1 innings, he has 122 strikeouts against 46 walks. The stats alone provide a quick and dirty understanding of Webb's profile as a college arm with great stuff, but control issues.

 

Listed at 6-2, 195 pounds, Webb features a high waist and strong frame. At age 21, he offers less hope for physical projection than the typical college freshman.

 

His fastball typically sits in the low-90s and frequently touches 95-96. The pitch features good life and is a key piece in the repertoire that has him second in the SEC in strikeouts.

 

The pitch that truly distinguishes Webb from his collegiate peers is his curve ball. It is a true 12-6 offering with big break and excellent depth. The curve projects to plus and gives Webb a second pitch capable of missing bats.

 

Webb also utilizes a solid change up on occasion. It is a distant third pitch in terms of the frequency of its usage, but it shows average potential. There is enough here to hope that he can round out a starter's arsenal in the professional ranks.

 

He works from a side step and overhead windup before exploding toward the plate with good momentum and torque components to his delivery which help to fuel his excellent velocity. He sometimes has issues with the timing of the separation of his hands which can correspond with his wavering command. There is a bit of stab in the back of his arm action as well. He works from a high three-quarters release point which requires some spine tilt to achieve.

 

The question marks on Webb come from his command profile and concerns over his durability. His delivery features some effort. As his 4.38 BB/9 rate will attest, Webb occasionally loses the strike zone. Given his control issues and injury history, it seems fair to question whether Webb will be able to realize his potential as a mid-rotation starter or require a move to the bullpen down the line.

 

Webb is competitive and has shown surprising composure in his first exposure to the nation's premier college conference. As a freshman, Webb has more leverage than the typical college prospect in terms of his remaining eligibility. He seems to love being part of the South Carolina program. It's easy to wonder about his signability under the circumstances. He has the potential to go as high as the second round due to his combination of great stuff and success in the SEC.

 

 

 

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/6/7/11875940/2016-mlb-draft-braden-webb-rhp-university-of-south-carolina

[Jenkins5]

I like the Braden Webb pick, sits low 90s but frequently hits 95-96. A true 12-6 curve. He has had a great 1st season back after TJ senior year & taking all last year off to rehab.... Arm will only improve longer removed he is from surgery & more he pitches!

[SoCalBrewfan]

I like it for a third rounder. Seems most likely to be a power reliever but you can imagine a not-unreasonable chance of him being a rotation piece.

[Jenkins5]

LouisEly, thought the same thing when reading it. Sheets jumped in head right away

[Jose Cardenal1]

Man did I use to love watching Sheets throw his curve.

[yoshii8]

I think Braden Webb is my favorite pick so far. Watching video of him, and reading about him, he seems like a super confident player, and very talented.

[Jenkins5]

Man did I use to love watching Sheets throw his curve.

 

I was at his 18 k game, never seen such a gorgeous pitch!

[MrTPlush]

Man did I use to love watching Sheets throw his curve.

 

Yovani Gallardo had quite a curve in his prime years too.

[MilwaukeeBeers]

From a pure stuff standpoint Webb reminds me alot of Blazek

[homer]

There is enough of a mixed opinion as to whether or not Ray will be able to stick in center that I don't agree with the idea that he absolutely won't be able to play there long term.

 

And from a practicality standpoint, Maverick Phillips is a stud defender and will make it to MLB as a center fielder on his glove alone. So even if Ray doesn't stick in center, that doesn't seem to be a huge organizational foible at the moment.

 

That's the point. Between Phillips and Ray's questionable CF tool, we drafted a corner OF without plus power. As we did last year in Clark.

 

Both Clark and Ray can apparently hit so that's a good thing but the power in the farm system is virtually non existent. I just glanced the stats but I don't think we have a single player on the farm with 10 home runs. That is a bit alarming.

 

 

Currently there are 4 players in the Southern League and zero in the Midwest League that have 10 home runs or more.

[StearnsFTW]

If he has fans here, please name me another OF with a college OPS as low as Rays who became an All-Star. Please! Help me be happy again!

 

College stats don't directly correlate with pro stats. If they did, Rickie Weeks would have been a multiple MVP winner, which people still thought he would be when he was in the minors.

 

Yes, some high OPS hitters don't pan out, but that's not the discussion here. I'm looking for an OF who didn't have a high OPS who did become an impact player. Can you name one? Please, help me out!

 

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=jacoby-ellsbury

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=hunter-pence

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=Stephen-Piscotty

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=jackie-bradley

 

Not perfect, but some comparables.

[1992casey]

When you guys quote stuff, if you can provide a link, we can put it in the official thread so it's easier to find later. Thanks.

[Brewer Fever]

RE: Ray it sounds like they took the guy they were most confident would pan out. In a sport where the vast majority of players drafted amount to nothing, I like that approach. You keep drafting that way and you're going to put together one helluva team. Drafting for major upside when it very rarely works out the way you hope seems stupid.

[Jose Cardenal1]

Rd 4. I want Braden Ogle

[DR28]

Corbin Burnes 4th round pick... RHP from St. Mary's

 

I'm liking the college pitchers approach!

[JDBrewCrew]

As a sophomore, Burnes moved back and forth between pitching on Fridays and Saturdays. In his junior season, the right-hander has been St. Mary's Friday night ace all year and has been one of the more consistent college pitchers on the West Coast this season. After a strong performance over the summer on the Cape, Burnes came out of the gate this spring pitching extremely well and helping his profile. Even as he's leveled off a bit, he's continued to perform, albeit in a slightly weaker West Coast Conference. With a very quick arm, he delivers his fastball lin the 92-95 mph range. His secondary stuff isn't quite as good, but his hard slider can be an out pitch at times and he'll mix in a curve and changeup as well. While some worry that his arm is too quick and that effort in his delivery could mean a move to a bullpen, he's shown the ability to maintain velocity deep into starts. Burnes is also an excellent athlete, reminding some of D-backs prospect Braden Shipley. That should help him repeat his delivery consistently and give him the chance to reach his ceiling as a mid-rotation starter.

 

Rated #39 by mlb.com

 

Frankie Piliere

‏@FPiliereD1

#Brewers get tremendous value in Corbin Burnes. 92-96, improving breaking ball and can evolve as starter. Great pick

 

 

Christopher Crawford ‏@CVCrawfordBP 1m1 minute ago Coronado, CA

Sorry, that was the #Brewers who got Burnes. I should have guessed. They've had the best draft of any team and I'm not sure it's close.

 

 

Ĵ.P. ‏@Jaypers413 2m2 minutes ago

Very smart pick for the @Brewers in Corbin Burnes. Mid-90's, good CB.

 

 

Bill Mitchell ‏@billazbbphotog 3m3 minutes ago

Brewers got good value last year with Cody Ponce in 2nd rnd. I feel the same way with Corbin Burnes in 2016 4th rnd.

 

 

Aaron Fitt ‏@aaronfitt 3m3 minutes ago

Aaron Fitt Retweeted Frankie Piliere

Really surprised Corbin Burnes slipped to the fourth round. That’s a great arm. Love what the #Brewers are doing.

[QuevedosTongue]

I love the pick of Burnes. Really good arm and very athletic. I'm excited about this one.

[Bnowell4evr]

Corbin Burnes stood out to me when I was checking out all the prospects on MLB.com. For the people who follow prospects closely, how does he compare to Cody Ponce? Their profiles looked sort of similar to me.

[QuevedosTongue]

Corbin Burnes stood out to me when I was checking out all the prospects on MLB.com. For the people who follow prospects closely, how does he compare to Cody Ponce? Their profiles looked sort of similar to me.

 

I'd have to dig up an old scouting report on Ponce for this, but I know he's quite a bit bigger than Burnes is.

[sfl2hnq17]

Christopher Crawford ‏@CVCrawfordBP 1m1 minute ago Coronado, CA

Sorry, that was the #Brewers who got Burnes. I should have guessed. They've had the best draft of any team and I'm not sure it's close.

[And That]

Funkhouser just went to Detroit. My enthusiasm for this draft has been curbed.