2017 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20

[Jenkins5]

Not going to lie, $125k, free college coming out of high school, and ability to play ball for a career.....I'd be signed quick. I know everyone thinks they will go to college and vault up the rounds and land a huge deal but really never know. One of my friends was drafted by Brewers in high school, had full ride to Mizzou to play SS, passed up on Brewers and 2 or 3 shoulder surgeries that ended his college career.

[Jenkins5]

Brewers, keep collecting those young lottery tickets! Hopefully some Cory Harts, Michael Brantleys, and Scooter Gennetts in there

 

Ward and Santana are two I really want to sign right now. Haven't done enough research on all of them but Ward could be an absolute steal.

[DHonks]

YoungGeezy1, I agree, except those were all high draft picks

[Eye Black]

YoungGeezy1, I agree, except those were all high draft picks

Corey Hart was 11th round and Scooter was 16th round.

[Jenkins5]

Forgot Brantley was actually 7th. We has found some nice HS prospects 10-20. Not all made it but were at least interesting to follow. Left out Rodon and Schwartz because zero chance to sign really

 

2016

11. McClanahan

 

2015

14. Tyrone Perry -Had tons of potential to climb but was not willing to care about weight and conditioning

 

2014

12. Jordan Yamamoto

 

2013

15. David Denson

 

2012

10. Anthony Banda

 

2011

13. Mallex Smith (unsigned)

18. Chris McFarland

 

2010

19. Rowen Wick (unsigned)

 

2009

10. Tyler Roberts

16. Scooter Gennett

 

2008

16. Stosh J Wawrzasek

18. Nick Bucci

 

2007

11. Cody Scapetta

13. Chris Dennis (might been JUCO but younger than most HS kids)

15. Joey Paciorek

 

2006

16 RJ Seidel

19. Lee Hydel

 

2005

18 Zack Braddock

 

2004

16. Alex Periard

17. Lorenzo Cain

 

2003

none

 

2002

12. Callex Crabbe

16. Dana Eveland

 

2001

Tim Dillard (1st time as HS Catcher, unsigned)

 

2000

11. Jon Cory Hart

[MilwaukeeBeers]

Had a lot of time on my hands with the tornadoes and whatnot, so I looked up the twitter accounts of a few of these HS draftees to (stalk) get a feel if they're gonna sign. Not the best evidence I know but hey I'm excited about that run of players.

 

Je'von Ward- In his bio he already has Milwaukee Brewers Organization Good sign? Retweeted the awesome Brewers Prospects account as well. USC commitment

Gage Workman- Has tweeted non stop about being drafted. He's juiced to say the least. Maybe he's a possible sign.

LG Castillo- Said it was the happiest day of his life, he's already wearing the hat!, and his cousin said "he will not disappoint with this opportunity" OU commitment

Ledgend Smith- Don't think he's gonna sign. OK boy probably his dream to play for the Sooners.

Noah Campbell- No idea he's got a great name though

Max Lazar and Christian Santana- Couldn't find much that would give any hints to their plans.

Abdiel Layer- No clue he's from Puerto Rico so maybe he wants to make that jump to pro ball instead of FIU.

 

That's the extent of my subpar detective work so fat lol.

[Jenkins5]

My guess is they get job done with Ward. He seems like the highest priority pick out of the bunch. They are said to have been on Jo Adell, well here is next closest thing. Ton of room to fill out. Very lean right now. Seems like a guy you do what it takes to get.

 

Workman- His choices are to sign or go play one year of college ball and then go away for 2 year (away from the game) for mission trip.

 

Castillo is a guy I think we sign, seems ready to go.

 

Layar I expect him to sign. Brewers have a track record of getting guys from P.R. signed. Could be another Ortega

 

Ledgend Smith is lefty with amazing name, without knowing about his pitching....love him to sign!

[Yolk]

I'm pumped about the Noah Campbell pick. He was THE high school player I was hoping for after the first couple rounds.

[And That]

Campbell is probably going to be a tough sign. He was a top 200-250ish prospect. If he thinks that is what he's worth, he will probably looking for a bonus in the $250k range. Or maybe even higher - tough to know. If he wants to be paid like a top 100 prospect, it'll be closer to $500k.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers select Lancaster's Castillo

By Miguel Rodriguez, BuffaloNews.com

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/bncore/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/lg-castillo.jpg

 

LG Castillo of Lancaster was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers (Harry Scull Jr. photo / Buffalo News)

 

Mr. 3000.

 

The movie starring the late Bernie Mac was the first thing that used to pop into Leugim Castillo's head whenever he thought about the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

That changed around 1:20 p.m. Wednesday when the Brewers turned Castillo's dream of being a Major League Baseball draft pick into reality.

 

The Brew Crew selected the Lancaster High School baseball star during the final day of the annual MLB Draft. Milwaukee nabbed the powerful, yet swift Castillo in the 17th round with the 504th overall selection.

 

"I feel like a new man," Castillo said in an interview with The News after his selection. "One of my dreams just came true.

 

"Mr. 3000, that's one of the first movies I remember so it's weird getting drafted by that team."

 

It's not so weird that Castillo, whose nickname is LG, became the sixth scholastic standout from Western New York to be selected by a big-league club over the past five years.

 

Castillo, the Buffalo News Prep Talk Awards Player of the Year in baseball, hit .588 with nine home runs, 26 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and received nine intentional walks during the just completed season with the Legends. The 17-year-old, who graduates later this month, had a .622 on-base percentage and a 1.028 slugging percentage.

 

Castillo, a three-sport athlete who also earned first team All-Western New York in football for his skills as a wide receiver, helped Lancaster win the Section VI Class AA title in 2016 and reach the semifinals this past season. In fact he helped the Legends reach Section VI finals in three sports starting with baseball last season, football in the fall and basketball last winter – with Castillo having a big hand in football capturing its first championship since 1999.

 

The All-WNY baseball selection also participated in the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars last June.

 

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Castillo, whose Division I suitors included Florida, Miami (Fla.) and LSU, signed a full-ride scholarship to attend the University of Oklahoma. He was in a win-win situation regardless of how the three-day MLB Draft, which began Monday, turned out.

 

It's for that reason he was calm and collected throughout the process, which can be a stressful occasion for some – especially when talents ranked in the top 200 prior to the draft find themselves still on the board after more than 300 selections. Castillo wasn't among the top 200 prospects, according to MLB.com, but was MaxPreps' preseason top prospect in New York State.

 

In addition to being able to hit tape-measure home runs, he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds – something that did catch the attention of a few football coaches at the schools courting him for his baseball talents, he said.

 

"LG is the prototypical professional prospect," said Clarence coach Dave Smith, who had pitching prospect and Red Devils alumnus Mark Armstrong get drafted by Cincinnati in the third round in 2013. "It's a lot more than he puts up good numbers. There are guys every single year who have high averages and hit home runs, but professional athletes look and do the things that LG does. That makes him standout in a crowd."

 

After Castillo received the head's up from one of his advisors that the Brewers were about to select him, he made sure he didn't miss the moment his name was announced during the draft telecast on satellite radio.

 

"It's been pure blessings one after the other," Castillo said. "I'm thankful for my mom (Ana), dad (Jose), step dad (Jose Miguel) and my coaches (baseball, football, basketball). The whole Lancaster community has been behind me and I'm happy I can return the favor with something like this."

 

The other area high school standouts drafted the past five years are Canisius' Dan Dallas (San Diego, 2016), Lockport’s Nick Hamilton (2015, Boston), Orchard Park’s Dave “Bubba” Hollins (2014, Detroit), Clarence’s Armstrong and Amherst’s Jonah Heim (2013, Baltimore).

 

While Bernie Mac's character of Stan Ross was fictional one, the Brewers undoubtedly hope Castillo develops into someone who could someday become a real-life Mr. 3000 – just like Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.

 

There is a possibility he could turn pro depending on the signing bonus Milwaukee is able to offer him based on what the club has left in its allotment pool. While players selected in rounds one through 10 have approximate bonus values assigned that count toward a team's bonus allotment, those selected in rounds 11-40 only count toward the bonus pool should the prospect sign for more than $125,000. The Brewers have the sixth-most bonus money allotment this season, per MLB.com.

 

The sides have until the end of the month to strike a deal.

 

For now, Castillo's living the dream.

 

"This is the happiest day of my life!" he tweeted.

[Mass Haas]

From the latter part of this article --

 

South Carolina signee Kyle Jacobsen, an outfielder from Acworth, Ga., ranked the No. 153 draft prospect by Baseball America, reaffirmed his commitment to USC on Wednesday after not being selected in the first two days of the draft. He was eventually taken Wednesday in the 33rd round by the Brewers.

 

“Following His plan,” Jacobsen wrote on Twitter. “I'm coming to school! Can't wait to be a Gamecock!”

 

University of South Carolina signee Noah Campbell, a shortstop from Raleigh rated Baseball America’s No. 111 prospect, was taken by the Brewers in the 19th round with the 564th pick. It was immediately unclear whether the much lower-than-anticipated draft position would impact Campbell’s commitment to South Carolina.

[Mass Haas]

University of South Carolina signee Noah Campbell, a shortstop from Raleigh rated Baseball America’s No. 111 prospect, was taken by the Brewers in the 19th round with the 564th pick. It was immediately unclear whether the much lower-than-anticipated draft position would impact Campbell’s commitment to South Carolina.

 

UPDATE:

 

Another Gamecocks baseball signee confirms he’s turning down pro ball

By Matt Connolly, thestate.com

 

South Carolina continues to get good news in regards to the MLB draft as infielder Noah Campbell was drafted in the 19th round by the Brewers on Wednesday but told The State he will be “attending school 100%.”

 

Campbell was listed as the No. 111 overall prospect for the draft by Baseball America and should be able to come in and contribute immediately.

 

Campbell is a middle infielder from Raleigh, N.C. and attends Cardinal Gibbons High School.

 

He joins outfielder Kyle Jacobsen in being a top 200 prospect according to Baseball America who will turn down pro money and instead come to USC.

[trwi7]

Not going to lie, $125k, free college coming out of high school, and ability to play ball for a career.....I'd be signed quick. I know everyone thinks they will go to college and vault up the rounds and land a huge deal but really never know. One of my friends was drafted by Brewers in high school, had full ride to Mizzou to play SS, passed up on Brewers and 2 or 3 shoulder surgeries that ended his college career.

 

After taxes and everything else that money goes away pretty quick and then you're stuck making less than minimum wage for half the year and probably not much more than minimum wage with whatever job you can get in the winter.

[battlekow]

Christopher Crawford‏Verified account @Crawford_MILB 26s26 seconds ago

Brewers 12th rounder Je'Von Ward is one of the younger players in the class, and he shows plus speed and raw power from the left side.

Hudson Belinsky‏Verified account @hudsonbelinsky 25s26 seconds ago

#Brewers 14th rder Gage Workman reclassified late to become eligible for 2017; won't turn 18 until October. Arizona State commit. #mlbdraft

Ward is one day younger than Workman and is the youngest Brewer draftee this year. In total the Brewers drafted eight 17-year-olds (and two othes who turned 18 earlier in June); that seems really high to me. Not only did they go for youth, they went for young youth.

[JDBrewCrew]

Ward has "Milwaukee Brewers Organization" on his twitter account. Looks like he has signed.

[MrTPlush]

I'd have to imagine we'll be seeing a stream of senior signs pretty soon.

 

Just for future reference your bonus pool is only the first 10 rounds if I remember correctly. So there is no advantage to drafting a college senior after the 10th round.

[And That]

Thanks as always to Patrick and the entire Perfect Game staff for allowing us to repost their subscriber-only content!

 

Here is their report on Je'von Carrier-Ward (aka Je'von Ward):

 

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224. Je'Von Carrier-Ward, rhp, Richard Gahr HS

L-R, 6-5/190, Long Beach, Calif.

College Commitment: Southern California

 

A 2016 Perfect Game All-American, Carrier-Ward's future as a prospect lies heavily in his offensive projection, especially with how he develops his outstanding power potential. He has a long limbed 6-foot-5 build with a young body and won't turn 18 years old until late October. Carrier-Ward has always had advanced barrel to ball skills for a taller young player and has made significant gains with his strength and raw bat speed over the last year.

 

Athletically, Carrier-Ward fits a left field/first base profile on defense, with sub-7.0 speed in the sixty but a below average throwing arm on the big league scouts scale. If he fulfills his power projection, his defense will be a secondary concern.

[And That]

Perfect Game 2016 showcase report on 13th rounder Abdiel Layer:

 

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Abdiel Layer is a 2017 SS/2B with a 6-2 165 lb. frame from San Juan, PR who attends Colegio Angel David HS. Tall and slender athletic build, looks like he's gained some strength and has plenty of room to add more. 6.80 runner, has good balance and body control in the infield, shows athleticism, good hands to both sides, can come and get the ball and get ride of it quickly, smooth defender, arm strength solid and projectable. Switch hitter, better bat speed and strength right handed, has a fluid swing that is just waiting for the strength to kick in, more rotational and mechanical left handed. Should keep improving as he gets stronger in all areas.

[And That]

Perfect Game report on 14th rounder Gage Workman:

 

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323. Gage Workman, ss, Basha HS

S-R, 6-3/180, Queen Creek, Ariz.

College Commitment: Arizona State

 

Workman was originally part of the 2018 class until reclassifying as a 2017 last year and is exceptionally young for a 2017 prospect, with an October, 1999 birthdate. Workman's father, Widd, was a third round pick out of Arizona State in 1996 as a right handed pitcher, marking the fourth time he'd been draft since graduating high school in 1992, in part because he was draft eligible during his two-year LDS mission.

 

Workman is a loose and graceful athlete with tons of physical projection due to his build and age. His most projectable tool is his swing and power potential, power potential that probably won't be realized for years but is definitely there with Workman's swing type waiting for future strength to kick in. Workman has played shortstop in the past but profiles best at third base moving forward and could be potentially above average there with time.

[CheezWizHed]

I'd have to imagine we'll be seeing a stream of senior signs pretty soon.

 

Just for future reference your bonus pool is only the first 10 rounds if I remember correctly. So there is no advantage to drafting a college senior after the 10th round.

 

Correct.

 

I'm guessing the normal run on college players was avoided by our depth in the system. No need to dump a bunch of low ceiling college players into the system just to fill out the rosters anymore.

 

So it's very interesting that they are going for these very young players instead. So while they are probably going to be a higher rate of flaming out before hitting A-ball, I'd guess they will find a higher rater of finding MLBers, which is what we all want anyway.

[And That]

Perfect Game report on 15th rounder Christian Santana:

 

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132. Christian Santana, rhp, American Heritage HS

R-R, 6-3/210, Hialeah, Fla.

College Commitment: Florida International

 

Santana is a young right hander who won't turn 18 years old until after the draft but who has a strong but still very projectable build that is ideal for a pitching prospect. He has a full, loose arm action and a high 3/4's arm slot and has learned to repeat his mechanics much better this spring than he has previously demonstrated. Santana's fastball has been up to 94 mph this spring and he's maintained his velocity well while showing an improved ability to throw strikes to different spots. Santana's curveball has also become more consistent in both spin and release and become a legitimate second weapon for him.

[And That]

Perfect Game report on 16th rounder Justin Bullock:

 

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353. Justin Bullock, rhp, South Granville HS

R-R, 6-2/200, Creedmoor, N.C.

College Commitment: North Carolina State

 

Bullock just concluded one of the more impressive four-year varsity careers in the 2017 class as a two-way player, going 11-1, 0.55 on the mound with 124 strikeouts in 63 innings and hitting .476-11-46 with 16 doubles in 30 games. His career totals are 37-9, 1.49 on the mound and .436-30-131 at the plate.

 

Bullock will be a primary pitcher at the next level, although the possibility of his playing two-ways at North Carolina State certainly exists. He throws from a complex, multi-part arm action and delivery that has plenty of energy in it but his athleticism enables him to hold those mechanics together well. Bullock's fastball generally works in the 89-91 mph range and will top out at 93, while he does a good job throwing strikes with a big breaking mid-70's curveball and fairly advanced changeup.

[CheezWizHed]

Workman's father, Widd, was a third round pick out of Arizona State in 1996 as a right handed pitcher, marking the fourth time he'd been draft since graduating high school in 1992, in part because he was draft eligible during his two-year LDS mission.

 

Ugh... I graduated HS and College in 1992/1996. So this could've been my kid that was just drafted... I feel old.

[And That]

Perfect Game report on 17th rounder LG Castillo:

 

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402. Leugim Castillo, of, Lancaster HS

R/R, 6-3/215, Lancaster, N.Y.

College Commitment: Oklahoma

 

Castillo is a superb athlete who is listed at 225 pounds for football, where he was an All-State selection at wide receiver and also punted and returned kicks, but also runs a 6.5 sixty. He has huge strength in his right handed swing in baseball and can hit the ball as hard as any player in the class.

 

Despite this, Castillo falls firmly into the category of players who need much more seasoning before they try their hand at professional baseball. He has a very arm oriented swing at the plate that incorporates very little lower half for either bat speed or timing and has young left field tools and fundamentals on defense.

[And That]

He's not going to sign, but nonetheless Perfect Game's report on 19th rounder Noah Campbell:

 

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311. Noah Campbell, ss, Cardinal Gibbons HS

S-R, 6-1/190, Durham, N.C.

College Commitment: South Carolina

 

Campbell is a switch-hitter who is currently much better from the left side of the plate and by the end of last summer, where he was a regular at major events, was hitting left handed even against left handed pitchers. His left handed swing is strong with very good bat speed and plenty of gap power and Campbell's 55/60 grade running speed enables him to beat out hits from the left side and take extra bases. Campbell had a strong spring offensively, hitting .478-3-21 in 23 games with 15 stolen bases.

 

Defensively, Campbell seems to be best suited for second base at the next level or perhaps third base. His father, Darin, was drafted three times during the 1980's, including in the fifth round out of high school in 1985 and eventually signed as a 22nd rounder out of UNC in 1988 with the Indians. The elder Campbell played third base during his short professional career.