Milwaukee Brewers Instructional League Rosters - BaseballAmerica.com

[JDBrewCrew]

Kyle Lobner ‏@BrewFrostyMug 11m11 minutes ago

Taylor Williams pitching today for Brewers in instrux. Very good news to see him back and throwing.

 

Kyle Lobner ‏@BrewFrostyMug 1h1 hour ago

Brewers instrux wrap up with an early, 7 inning final game today. Atmosphere pretty laid back here - no one on field an hour before.

 

Kyle Lobner ‏@BrewFrostyMug 2m2 minutes ago

Taylor Williams is still a bit of a work in progress on the way back. A couple of walks before the inning is halted early

 

Kyle Lobner ‏@BrewFrostyMug 2m2 minutes ago

Tucker Neuhaus also in the lineup in instrux today. He had something of a lost year due to injury in 2016.

 

Kyle Lobner ‏@BrewFrostyMug 5s5 seconds ago

Weston Wilson and Ronnie Gideon back-to-back in the Brewers lineup. Both had huge seasons for @helenabrewers.

 

Kyle Lobner ‏@BrewFrostyMug 14s14 seconds ago

First impression on R. Gideon: Big dude. Has some work to do to be in full-season shape, but there's no question where his power comes from.

[ZBTMP]

From Baseball America

2016 Draft Report Cards: Reviewing The Draft Classes

Best Drafts

3. Brewers

 

Best Pure Hitter

5. Lucas Erceg, 3b, Brewers (2)

 

Best Defensive Player

5. Lucas Erceg, 3b, Brewers (2)

 

Best Pro Debut

College/JC

2. Lucas Erceg, 3b, Brewers (2)

 

Closest to the Majors

College

3. Corey Ray, of, Brewers (1)

 

 

High praise for Erceg. Its probably also noteworthy that the (2) teams' drafts ahead of the Brewers (Reds & Braves) had A Round competitive balance selections (as well as higher draft slots).

[And That]

It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Brewers are with their placement of Erceg at the beginning of next season. I don't think it would be a good idea for him to go straight to AA, though it wouldn't surprise me if they did it given how hard they pushed guys this year.

 

But if he destroys Carolina League pitching for a month, so be it, and that's far preferable to having him struggle in AA and being demoted.

[CheezWizHed]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the defense comment for Erceg after his rough start in Helena.

[Mass Haas]

Frosty Microbrews: Rattlers wrap up a long season at Instructional League

By Kyle Lobner / Wisconsin Timber Rattler

[MrTPlush]

Does Erceg have the upside of someone like Tulowitzki?

 

Easy answer, no. Erceg doesn't play SS and even if he did he wouldn't have defense near Tulo's. Tulo also puts together 4+ WAR offense when healthy. He has been one of the best SSs of the last decade to compare that to Erceg isn't really fair.

 

That being said Erceg does have the ceiling of an All Star bat with solid defense if all goes right. I will live with that when he wasn't even a first round pick.

[reillymcshane]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the defense comment for Erceg after his rough start in Helena.

I thought the same thing. To hear his defense is looking that good is nice.

[recte44]

It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Brewers are with their placement of Erceg at the beginning of next season. I don't think it would be a good idea for him to go straight to AA, though it wouldn't surprise me if they did it given how hard they pushed guys this year.

 

But if he destroys Carolina League pitching for a month, so be it, and that's far preferable to having him struggle in AA and being demoted.

Exactly what im thinking. Lets see if he's up to the challenge.

 

Sent from my LGLS450 using Tapatalk

[Mass Haas]

Brewers minor-leaguers move to the mound

Todd Rosiak, Journal-Sentinel

 

Posted the same link in the Ramirez / Berberet thread to keep that topic separate, so click that for the J-S, but article also includes the following notes:

 

Comeback trail: Two highly touted pitching prospects, right-hander Taylor Williams and left-hander Nathan Kirby, are nearing the end of their journey back from Tommy John reconstructive surgery.

 

Williams, a fourth-round pick out of Kent State in 2013, pitched in a handful of instructional league games and topped out as high as 97 mph with his fastball according to some reports.

 

Kirby, taken 40th overall out of Virginia in 2015, is slightly behind Williams in the recovery process. He threw off a mound but didn’t face hitters.

 

“Both are continuing to push their way back,” farm director Tom Flanagan said. “Both of them, to get to this point where they know they’re getting back to being normal members of the pitching population, I think, is good to see.

 

”It’s just one more box to check off. Their health is No. 1. We know their abilities and what they are; it’s just a matter of getting them healthy and then getting them on the road of moving up in the system.”

 

Turning heads: The influx of talent in the Brewers’ minor-league system was palpable in the roughly monthlong instructionals session.

 

Pitchers Phil Bickford, Kodi Medeiros and Cody Ponce, infielders Gilbert Lara and Lucas Erceg and outfielder Corey Ray were the biggest names to take part. And each had something different to focus on.

 

“To a man, a lot of our staff had the observation that our talent level was up, certainly,” Flanagan said. “I think the players even sensed it, in terms of the competition between the guys.

 

“Guys doing the math, looking around and counting who’s here and saying, ‘Wow.’ That intensity really helped.”

 

Flanagan said infielders Jake Gatewood, Wes Wilson, Ronnie Gideon and Chad McClanahan and catcher Payton Henry all turned heads with their play. Gatewood was taken 41st overall in 2014, while the others were drafted by the Brewers in June.

 

McClanahan and Henry were drafted out of high school.

[CheezWizHed]

Flanagan said infielders Jake Gatewood, Wes Wilson, Ronnie Gideon and Chad McClanahan and catcher Payton Henry all turned heads with their play.

 

Considering Gatewood is the only name in that list on my top 25, but all of them are on my watch carefully list, this comment made me feel all warm inside...