Top picks from the 2005 draft

[colbyjack]

This could just as well fit in the minor league forum, but I have been impressed with the success so far for our picks taken in the top 10 rounds. Carlos Hereaud being nowhere to be found and Weeks' not signing yet is a little discouraging, but both of these guys have the potential to be exciting offensive players. And after years of waiting for our 3B of the future, we have two 3B hitting the ball very well in the lower levels of our minor league system.

 

Ryan Braun

.341/.383/.585 in 41 ABs with Helena, 5 extra-base hits, 2:6 BB:K

.352/.391/.641 in 145 AB with West Virginia, 25 extra base hits, 8:33 BB:K

 

So far so good with Braun, who has continued to be a proven run producer. No problems swinging the wood bat so far, however those strikeout rates need to come down.

 

Will Inman

1.98 ERA, 36.1 IP, 31 H, 44 K, 11 BB between two levels (only 2 IP at Arizona)

 

Inman continues to pile up the Ks while exhibiting very good control. Again, so far, so good.

 

Mat Gamel

.339/.382/.519 in 189 AB, 22 extra base hits, 11:46 BB:K

 

The strikeouts stand out a little bit, but I remember Gamel starting the season with a lot of strikeouts, so I'm guessing those have tapered off a little over the last month. He really is hitting the ball well over the last month after starting the season extremely slow, and has continued his reputation as a run-producing machine.

 

Kevin Roberts

3.52 ERA, 38.1 IP, 35 H, 46 K, 14 BB

 

Roberts has been roughed up a little bit since getting promoted to West Virginia, but his cumulative stats remain very good over two levels this season.

 

Steve Hammond

2.50 ERA, 54 IP, 46 H, 54 K, 11 BB

 

Very good control has allowed Hammond to pitch at three levels for the Brewers since being draft & signed. And since he only pitched 24.1 innings in relief for Long Beach State this season, the Brewers have been able to be more aggressive with his work load.

 

Michael Brantley

.338/.417/.365 in 148 AB, 3 extra-base hits, 18:13 BB:K, 11 for 15 in stolen base attempts

 

Not much power, yet, for Brantley, but his patience at the plate for such a young man is admirable, and he's not striking out very much either.

 

Steve Garrison

30.1 IP, 32 H, 2.37 ERA, 24 K, 4 BB

 

Another '05 draftee exhibiting very good control. Things seem bright for this young man.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Cool post, colby...while I had a sense that we had some nice debuts, I didn't see the big picture.

 

It's particularly intriguing to see the success of Inman, and to a lesser extend Garrison, given the reflexive aversion to HS pitchers that you see from time to time. Obviously time will tell, and all the usual caveats about pitchers apply, but the early returns suggest that we may have picked up pretty good value for those picks.

 

I'm also astonished at the success of Hammond, who had very mediocre stats as a reliever in a great college pitchers' park, but has been superb in pro ball. I reckon that is the same scout who saw something in Housman at Fullerton at few years back...

 

Finally, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that Brantley might have some offensive potential...I guess I've gotten jaded by all the past CF picks in the early middle rounds, none of whom have ever hit despite rave reviews for their athleticism. Again, caveats apply.

[DHonks]

very nice Colby. I really appreciate the review. How about a DFE review?

[colbyjack]

DHonks, I will break down the entire '05 draft, along with the DFE signees from '04, in a September feature once the minor league season is over and done with. I will say that it has been fun to follow Derek Miller at WV.

[DHonks]

what's tough for me is that I love the minors, but it's amazing how quickly I forgot where these guys came from (college, hs, juco). But it seems like this year's draft and DFE signings are beginning with an explosion not seen in recent memory. What was the Belcher year, '00? I think that's the last time I was this pumped about draftee performance

[colbyjack]

At this time in 2001 and 2003 I was feeling pretty good about the respective drafts as a whole. While I'm pretty excited about the early guys taken this year, there really aren't too many, if any guys past the top 10 picks outside of Michael Bell that I am excited about. I know Katin has some fans, and Holmberg is having a fine season, but they remind me of the college players we'ved drafted in recent years that have enjoyed success at Helena (Trofholz, Sollmann, Festa, etc.).

 

The Brewers will have another 20+ DFEs heading into next spring, so hopefully they get lucky again. Not to write off the last two DFE classes, but we really haven't a DFE that everyone was excited about since the Eveland/Dillard class.

[brettac1]

If Brantley keeps walking, the instant a picture of him is in his profile it's going to be my pic. I'm calling it.