Brewer fans - draft thoughts?

[colbyjack]

The draft is one month away today, and I'm here to poll Brewer fans to get their thoughts on the upcoming draft. It seems as though we had a lot more interest in past years, and I'm curious if there are any reasons as to why people aren't as interested in the Brewers draft this year (and who knows, maybe you still are).

 

Is it because they aren't going to pick as high in the first round?

 

Is it because the big-league Brewers are more interesting (in that you followed the draft more by default)?

 

Is it because the draft pool isn't considered as talented this year?

 

Do you wait for MLB's site to get up so you can watch the short video clips of these players?

 

Ideally speaking, if you were to target a specific position, what would it be and why?

 

Should the Brewers change their drafting philosophy based on higher expectations at the big-league level (such as drafting a college closer, or college players in general)?

 

Will you throw your computer through a window if they take a high school pitcher?

 

Speak up Brewer fans. I'd love to hear your thoughts to see how everyone is leaning.

[Athens Badger]

For me it is mostly that the Brewers are picking lower, and the draft isn't very rich in talent this year. Combine that with the fact that the Brewers are winning and whoever they draft won't contribute to that for 3 years or so anyway (and I do follow the minors quite closely) and you get me not caring much. For now, anyway.

[Southwest Brewer]

i like checking in on what you have to say, but there is just so many things to keep track of for me.

 

Keep me posted on what's up, I'm interested....I just have absolutely zero to add. I read the posts to get info, but I've never heard of many of the guys you talk about.

[UWRyan428]

I would have to concur with the assessment that it mostly has to do with the early success (or lack of failure) for our team at the major league level. Why look towards the future when the present is filled with success? As for the talent level, I remember the Mark Rogers draft, which lacked huge talent as well, and I still was excited about it and it wasn't because we were drafting fifth. Also, despite Jack's proclamations of taking the best available player, he can actually say it this year with plausible deniablity. They have no needs in their minor league system and, thus, it makes it even more difficult to key in on who to focus on. And why speculate when you know they're going to take Kyle Drabek? It takes all the fun out of it. :-)

[DHonks]

in general I've been kept busier following the minor leagues, as it's very exciting with all the talent we've added in the last few drafts. It's also tricky, as I just don't know these top guys' names as much, and even then, we pick so low that I have no idea how we might be looking

[Oldcity]

I've been reading up on the draft forum, but I just haven't really posted in it. To me, their pick is still pretty high. They can obviously get a very good player.

 

To answer your other questions, I'd always like them to take the best player available, but I wouldn't mind seeing them take a college pitcher this year. They haven't taken a college pitcher in the first round since I started following the draft, and now that the Brewers seem closer to competing, it would not be a bad idea to get major league help sooner. No, I won't throw my computer through a window if they take a high school pitcher.

 

From what I've been reading, however, it sounds like there is a good chance that the best player available will be a college pitcher. It doesn't sound like this is as talented of a draft as last year, especially at the top, but it does seem like there are a lot of solid first-round caliber college pitchers. It seems that one will certainly fall to the Brewers spot.

 

Picking outside the top 10, it is really hard to project who will be available, so that may be why there isn't as much interest as last year either. Last year people were mainly speculating between Braun, Maybin, Tulowitzki, or Romero. It seems a little harder to make a guess because of the later pick.

 

Either way, I'm still excited for the draft and will start to follow it even closer now that it's a month away.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

If I were the Brewers I would be looking at a high school hitter (OF most needed) unless one of the big pitchers on their board falls.

 

Sliding College pitchers will probably still be around inrounds 3-4 with the same talent level of who is going to be left at #16.

 

A Cody Johnson type on the other hand might be there since everyone else will be playing it safe.

 

With the growing success of Jack's drafts, (what would we have given to get an Inman in the 3rd round in most previous years?), I think this would be the year to gamble

[PrimetimeHater]

I think the fact that the Brewers are lower than past years I've paid attention has made it harder for me to lock in on someone that I want them to draft. I think the guy that I've been wanting so far has been Jared Hughes, but I've been checking your college thread and he hasn't been doing so great, so I guess I'll have to do some more research.

[Madtown Bomber]

Could the lack of interest be because of the lack of good quality kids from the State of Wisconsin for the exception or Ryan Rohlinger and Jason Berken? Or because the home town team has failed in picking kids with local ties? That can be the only 2 real reasons that I can think of.

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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lack of good quality kids from the State of Wisconsin

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Actually this might be a banner year for HS guys from Wisconsin getting drafted.

[Oldcity]

PrimetimeHater, Jared Hughes is the guy I've particularly followed. He hasn't done great lately, but I love the ground ball-ness.

[mothershipconnection]

Is it because they aren't going to pick as high in the first round?

 

Is it because the big-league Brewers are more interesting (in that you followed the draft more by default)?

Those are certainly the factors for me.

1) I typically don't know anything about players outside of the top 5, maybe 10 prospects. Even Rogers was someone I hadn't heard of.

 

2) The draft has always been about "the future". Man, we're gonna be better someday, we won't always suck! That guy is gonna be our savior! Well, that someday is finally upon us, so I guess I've been able to focus on being good now instead of maybe being good someday.

[Cracked Bat Collector]

There is a lack of bigger names but I still get excited no matter what just because in that draft is part of our future, how can't you get excited? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Look how we've embraced Inman and Hammond who weren't first rounders. This year will have some more of those guys whether high picks or surprises later on in the draft. I'll be there on June 6 listening online will you?

[pogokat]

I haven't been with it as much this year because the crew is picking lower...there's very little chance that we can accurately guess their pick in this spot..

 

also, i've been watching the minors more closely, so i've drifted a bit from the draft stuff...I'm sure i will pay attention a lot more in the next few weeks...got to see who's coming to WV later this season

 

I hope they take the biggest bat available to them...that or a truely developed college pitcher...

 

I won't throw my keyboard if they draft a high school pitcher...but it's frustrating to wait 6 years for the guy to make it to the majors...

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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Plus a scout at the Concordia University game Friday night in West Bend

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Was it Johnny Logan? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

 

Possible WI HS draft guys:

RJ Seidel RHP LAX Central

Tony Butler LHP Oak Creek

Chris Roberts IF/OF Oshkosh West

Chad Pierce C Fond du Lac

Wes Munson IF Fond du Lac

 

and another couple of guys I can't give you...

 

Possible College draft guys

Ryan Rohlinger IF Oklahoma

Jason Berken RHP Clemson

Daryl Maday RHP Arkansas

Mike Goetz OF UW Milwaukee

 

and another couple of guys I can't give you...

[Madtown Bomber]

Quote:

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Was it Johnny Logan?

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Haha, I have even been around long enough to catch the sarcasm in that question. Do we even consider Johnny a scout anymore? He just comes to games and hands out information cards.

 

That is a solid list. I do remember some of those names that you have mentioned. Now the question I have for you, answer this as best as you can Blazer since I know you have a responsiblitly to your pro organization. In your opinion how does this draft rank in compared to the Erik Corrider draft. I think that was his name.

 

College list seems complete. Rohlinger, Berken, Goetz sounds right. Is Maday producing? I thought I remembered somebody saying on this board that he was struggling.

 

Thanks Blazer...

[colbyjack]

Don't forget about Ryan Zink. A team may just take a flier on him despite his injury. I doubt it, but it's not impossible.

 

JC guys: Tyler Beranek & Brandon Hall, both of Lake City CC.

 

Other than Erik Cordier, I think the talent in this year's draft is comparable to the 2004 class. Butler may be drafted in the 2nd round, but at one point in time Cordier's name was being tossed around as a possible 1st-rounder. No WI draft-eligible prospect has that potential this year, even if we might see some crazy things happen on draft day.

 

Keep the other thoughts coming based on your interest this year. I enjoy reading them.

[Blazer25]

Quote:

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In your opinion how does this draft rank in compared to the Erik Corrider draft.

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I would say for the HS level it is comparable maybe a tick better.

 

You could have 2 guys go in the top 6-7 rounds (I won't say which ones). You could also have a handful of guys that fall into the mid/late rounds or become DNF guys.

 

In the college ranks, I'd say this is the weakest draft in some years. UWW, UWO, and UWSP really have 0 pro guys. UWM has Goetz and maybe 1 or 2 others but that's it.

 

I would also say you may see a DNF situation for a few of the JC guys.

 

Overall, the 06 HS class nationally is a little down, but WI is having a good year.

 

College is the exact opposite.

[PrimetimeHater]

Do you still do mock drafts anywhere colby? I remember enjoying reading the ones you and others did at teamonebaseball.com...but that place looks totally dead now as far as message boards go.

[Madtown Bomber]

Wow, well I guess I stand corrected then. I guess I didn't realize it was that strong at the HS ranks.

 

You are right on the D-3 level. It is pretty poor.

 

Thanks Colby and Blazer

[Madtown Bomber]

Blazer or Colby, Since this is out of most scouting circles in this area you hopefully can give a better opinion without worrying about tipping hands, Where do you see the state kids that play out state possibly going? Jason Berken, likely the highest of the draftable kids, Can Ryan Rohlinger improve on the round from last year and where? And does Maday or Zink go?

[heresrobin]

Personally, I would like to see some mock drafts. Just so that I can get a rough idea of what people are thinking that the Brewers are going to be looking at with their pick. With pitchers this year, it seems like such a crapshoot - I'm having a difficult time distinguishing the pitchers from one another.

 

As far as drafting a high school pitcher, I would prefer that the Brewers don't. It seems to me that the Brewers are already going to have several highly touted "high school" pitchers in Arizona and Helena this summer with Rolando Pasqual, Wily Peralta, and Jose Romero.

 

Draft interest waning a bit this year for Brewer fans also probably has something to do with the perception that the parent club is better and that there are less holes to fill.

 

I also have to admit that my interest may not be quite as high as last year because of the lower pick. But that doesn't make much sense because a team can obviously still get a high impact player outside of the top six or seven picks.

 

I'm such a novice with the MLB draft too. I sort of wait for the draft to happen and then anxiously wait to hear the breakdowns of those players on this site from the experts.

 

On the other hand, this thread has inspired me to do a little bit of research on the Brewerfan frontpage and compile a short Most Wanted list.

[Blazer25]

Bomber,

 

I would guess that Berken and Rohlinger would battle for the earliest pick.

 

Berken is a smallish RHP and some teams are scared of those guys, especially ones with TJ surgery in the past.

 

Rohlinger has put up huge numbers for 3 years in one of the top 2-3 college conferences in the country. His slug% is very high for a 2b (where he projects as a pro). I'd think he'd be a very attractive player for a saber-friendly team like Oak, Bos, or Tor.

 

Zink will be a late round pick (due to his being hurt all year) and may not get selected at all. (Because I would doubt he'd sign)

 

Maday is probably a mid round guy (10-15th) based on his stuff alone. Dave Jorn, the pitching coach at Ark, told me last summer that Daryl has the best stuff on his staff, he just needs to put the mental part of it together.

[plowjockey]

The later pick in the first round doesn't really allow for much discussion, as we can't really focus on one or two players to talk about. I think the interest will be as high, just less talk. I agree that if we were to see a few mock drafts, we could begin to look at information and form opinions.

[colbyjack]

Re: Jared Hughes:

 

While his stats don't lend one to believe that he has been absolutely unhittable, his numbers are still pretty good. Plus, as I've noted almost every week, along with some notes from CalNiner, he never gets hit very hard because his stuff moves so much. Put a good defense behind him and wood bats in the hands of batters and I think he's going to fare pretty well.

 

As for a mock draft, it's really hard to project this year, and in my educated opinion the Royals aren't going to take the best player out there (Andrew Miller). As I pointed out on another thread already, MLB.com has released their draft coverage, with Jonathan Mayo taking a stab at the top 10 picks:

 

mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ne...;fext=.jsp

 

Jim Callis has offered his top 20 and I have my top 30 for everyone to view at any time.

 

How about some names? Here are some players I have heard recently in conneciton with the Brewers:

 

Hank Conger-C

Conger may be the first prep hitter taken, and may not even be available when the Brewers make their pick. He has been hitting some prodigious blasts this spring, and similar to Weeks, Fielder and Braun, there is some question concerning his defensive ability. Clearly he would be taken for his bat, an approach I applaud Jack Zduriencik and his staff for taking (always draft the bat first).

 

Check out some video of Conger taking BP at the Aflac All-American Classic (among a few other of the top prep prospects) at BaseballWebTV.com (and refer back to some of my reports from the Aflac game for my thoughts on Conger among others):

 

www.baseballwebtv.com/Upl...layer.html

 

Jeremy Jeffress-RHP

This is the warning not to throw your computer screen out the window. Jeffress is a prep righty, hailed more for how hard he throws than how well he pitches. We've seen this before as Brewers fans with JM Gold, Nick Neugebauer, Mike Jones and Mark Rogers. With the Brewers' interest in Jeffress, it's clear that they are going to take the potential each and every time they can. For those that can't watch another hard-throwing prep pitcher selected, take solace in the fact that Jeffress is rising so fast that he is a likely candidate to be taken in the top 10 overall, with the Dodgers being a popular destination.

 

Their profiles aren't up yet, but the Brewers have been reported to be scouting the three top college closers hard: Miami's Chris Perez, UC Irvine's Blair Erickson and Arizona's Mark Melancon. I've talked about this before, but with increased expectations the Brewers might feel inclined to take a player that is a lot closer to contributing at the big-league level. Their struggles in the bullpen might re-inforce this approach.

 

There are also reports that the Brewers are keeping tabs on quite a few different college starters. Jared Hughes, Josh Butler, Joba Chamberlain, Kyle McCulloch and Brett Sinkbeil's names have all been associated with the Brewers.

 

Jonathan Mayo took his stab at the top 10, here's my top 15 plus one:

 

1. Royals: Tim Lincecum

I've already reported that this pick seems likely.

 

2. Rockies: Evan Longoria

Everyone automatically thinks the Rockies will pick up Miller should the Royals not take him. They won't, and yes, they would take another hitter.

 

3. Devil Rays: Brandon Morrow

Same as the Rockies, everyone thinks the everyone below the Royals is holding their breath hoping for Miller to fall. The D-Rays pass on the big bonus and go for the power arm.

 

4. Pirates: Andrew Miller

Miller doesn't fall that far, but he falls three picks further than he should. The Pirates will make up with this pick for not selecting BJ Upton first overall in '02.

 

5. Mariners: Brad Lincoln

The Ms are keyed in on college pitching, and they'll take the best one that falls to them.

 

6. Tigers: Clayton Kershaw

I've seen numerous places report that the Tigers are all over Kershaw, so this will be a popular selection in mock drafts leading up to draft day.

 

7. Dodgers: Jeremy Jeffress

Same as the Tigers taking Kershaw, the Dodgers are likely going to be linked with Jeffress for a few weeks. Logan White is known as a SD not afraid to take a prep arm.

 

8. Reds: Daniel Bard

The Reds would be smart to get their hands on the best pitcher they can. They aren't that smart, so they won't...

 

9. Orioles: Kyle Drabek

Three prep pitchers in the top 10 may be somewhat of a surprise, but what may be more surprising is the fact that the Orioles may take Drabek as a SS similar to when they took Markakis as an OF.

 

10. Giants: Matt Antonelli

The Giants and Antonelli's name have been connected quite a bit this spring. Under Sabean they seem to have a backwards approach so to speak by taking prep arms and college hitters.

 

11. D-Backs: Greg Reynolds

I can almost guarantee you that the D-Backs will take a college pitcher with this pick, as they need some arms to catch up with their seemingly endless supply of impact bats.

 

12. Rangers: Drew Stubbs

The exciting yet strikeout prone CF falls no further, staying in-state with the Rangers who have been looking for a centerfielder for a very long time.

 

13. Cubs: Luke Hochevar

The Cubs don't pick again until the fourth round due to their offseason free agent signings, so they may be more likely to take a chance on arguably the best pitcher available this year.

 

14. Blue Jays: Blair Erickson

Not a surprising pick for the college conscious Blue Jays, nabbing the first college closer of the draft.

 

15. Nationals: Jared Hughes

The Nats are intent on loading up on a couple of college arms in the first round, possibly taking a closer here or with their next pick.

 

And the one more...

 

16. Brewers: Hank Conger

See above.