The 2018 MLB Draft Thread

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO via the Bill Michaels Show with guest host Steve "Sparky" Fifer: Patrick Ebert Managing Editor of "Perfect Game" talks about the MLB Amateur draft, particularly as it relates to the state of Wisconsin

 

NOTE: Many of you know Patrick as Brewerfan original staff member "colbyjack"!

[JosephC]

I have a strong feeling I'm going to be a digital subscriber to Baseball America before we get to the weekend. Not being able to look at their draft ranking is driving me nuts.

[reillymcshane]

The Brew Crew Review's Minor League Analyst has the Brewers selecting at #21 overall RHP Kumar Rocker from North Oconee High School in Watkinsville, GA 6-5. 250lbs

 

I've read that Rocker's contract demands were pretty high - thus he was falling. I saw a chat comment on Fangraphs with Kiley McDaniel - and he gave Rocker a 55% of going to school and 45% that he goes pro.

 

Kumar Rocker. Great name.

[reillymcshane]

They're different kind of athletes, as Schnell is more tall and slender with what I would call more 'graceful' actions, while Trout was and always has been built like a Mack truck, defined more by his high motor and energy than the ease of his actions. As far as them just scraping the surface, yes, that is what Schnell is all about, and his game has come together pretty rapidly. Even if the Brewers don't take him with their 1st rounder don't be surprised if someone else does take him right around that pick.

Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs said that he has heard that Schnell was falling down boards due to perceived risk (whatever that means).

 

Eric A Longenhagen: In fact, we’ve heard the opposite, that Schnell is falling down other boards due to perceived risk

 

Eric A Longenhagen: As far as Schnell is concerned from a talent perspective, there are lots of traits similar to Taylor Trammell a few drafts ago. Has that Trammell/Austin Meadows look at the plate, pull power, runs well, mostly gap-oriented swing. Like the player, just not at 4 given all the risk

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/eric-longenhagen-prospects-chat-may-fin/

 

Most of the mocks have him around the end of the 1st, early 2nd. Looks like he won't fall to us in the 2nd.

 

Taylor Trammell - I liked that guy. He's put up some nice numbers for Cincy. I'd take a guy like that.

[3and2Fastball]

Jacob Campbell - Catcher - Janesville Craig

 

Anybody know anything about Campbell? I was talking with a colleague today who attends some of the high school games in the Janesville area when he gets a chance (all sports). He said that MLB scouts were frequently at Janesville Craig games this year as they apparently have multiple players with Division 1 offers. A couple different scouts said that Campbell "will be drafted higher than most people think." All I know about Campbell is that he's supposed to have good upside as a defensive catcher and is an Illinois commit. Anyone have any commentary about him and approximate round he is expected to go?

 

Yes, I've seen him play a lot. He's really, really good. I would guess he'll be a 2nd Round pick tops (similar to Ben Rortvedt who is from the same conference) but there are other high school catchers rated higher (Banfield for instance)

[3and2Fastball]

Hankins, & Rocker are Vanderbilt recruits and Vandy works hard at keeping their players. Considering the success of Vandy pitchers in MLB (Sonny Gray, David Price, Walker Buehler etc) there is some risk in drafting a pitcher committed to that school, that they won't sign. I believe Banfield is a Vandy commit too

 

Off topic but if all 3 of them refuse to sign and show up on campus, the Commodores might be a true powerhouse for a few years (as they are already very very good)

[JDBrewCrew]

Another new BB America Mock at the Link below.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/mlb-mock-draft/

[Eye Black]

Another new BB America Mock at the Link below.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/mlb-mock-draft/

I believe it is subscriber content so I won't copy and paste verbatim, but it has the Brewers selecting South Alabama CF Travis Swaggerty who it seems would have to fall significantly to make it to the Brewers selection at #21. They also note the Brewers were well represented at a recent Jordyn Adams workout (they have Adams going a few picks earlier to KC).

[Eye Black]

Fangraphs has been putting out some quality draft content. The latest mock (3.0) includes the first 78 draft selections.

 

It has the Brewers drafting Oregon State OF Trevor Larnach with their first pick, but mentions they are also on high schoolers Jordyn Adams, Triston Casas, and Connor Scott. Other players they have the Brewers selecting include RHP Cole Sands from Florida State at #60 and 2B Richie Palacios from Towson at #73.

 

Here are some helpful Fangraphs draft links...

 

2018 MLB Mock Draft v 3.0

 

Introducing the 2018 MLB Draft Board

 

2018 MLB Draft version of THE BOARD

[reillymcshane]

I've seen Jordyn Adams linked to the Brewers in more and more mocks of late. That's assuming he gets to us.

[Eye Black]

Posting this mock link (247 Sports Scouting Baseball’s Mock 3.0 written by Taylor Blake Ward) because it is the first one I’ve seen that has former Brewers pitcher David Weather’s son Ryan (LHP from Loretto HS in Tennessee) dropping down to the Brewers pick at #21.

 

Now that would be a fun pick!

[SRB]

The Athletic Mock Draft is probably the worst case scenario I’ve seen in terms of the first tier of players all going before the Brewers selection. With some exceptions, it looked like it was mostly a straightforward “best player available” approach (they had a pool of 24 baseball beat writers make the selections). Still some good talent beyond 20, but there are definitely a couple of players I hope will slide down a few spots in order to be available at the Brewers selection.

 

The 20 players off the board before the Brewers selection were:

 

Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn

Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech

Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State

Nick Madrigal, SS, Oregon State

Brady Singer, RHP, Florida

Jonathan India, 3B, Florida

Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge HS (Ariz.)

Carter Stewart, RHP, Eau Gallie HS (Fla.)

Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida

Cole Winn, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.)

Ryan Weathers, LHP, Lorretto HS (Tenn.)

Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Ga.)

Nolan Gorman, 3B, Sandra Day O’Connor HS (Ariz.)

Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State

Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (Calif.)

Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama

Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida

Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West HS (Wis.)

Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson

Connor Scott, OF, Plant HS (Fla.)

 

The Brewers selection in the mock draft was Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope HS (N.C.).

 

Selections just following the Brewers were:

 

Cole Wilcox, RHP, Heritage HS (Ga.)

Triston Casas, 1B, American Heritage School (Fla.)

Steele Walker, OF, Oklahoma

Ethan Hankins, RHP, Forsyth Central HS (Ga.)

Matt McLain, IF, Beckham HS (Calif.)

Noah Naylor, C/SS, St. Joan of Arc HS (Ontario, Canada)

Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island HS (Fla.)

Ryan Rolison, LHP, Mississippi

Xavier Edwards, SS, North Broward Prep (Fla.)

 

On the other hand, that mock has Kelenic almost falling to us, which would be fun though seemingly very unlikely.

[CheezWizHed]

Its really too bad the MLB doesn't allow draft day trades. I actually doubt too many would happen, but it could add some interesting twists.

[3and2Fastball]

If Kelenic fell all the way to the Brewers it'd be amazing. That kid already plays with a lot of fire, add a big chip on his shoulder and he could be unstoppable. I've seen reports that say that his swing will produce a high batting average but not enough HR's. Those people saying that are clueless

[Eye Black]

If Kelenic fell all the way to the Brewers it'd be amazing. That kid already plays with a lot of fire, add a big chip on his shoulder and he could be unstoppable. I've seen reports that say that his swing will produce a high batting average but not enough HR's. Those people saying that are clueless

Jim Callis said he had one scout drop a "more athletic version of Mark Kotsay" comp on Kelenic. I thought that was interesting.

[reillymcshane]

I talked to a baseball writer who said that he had not heard much regarding the buzz around who Milwaukee is interested in. Drafting this late, they really are all about value, and they'll wait and see who falls to them at #21.

 

The Brewers are usually pretty tight-lipped about things, but my source has had some interesting info in the past. So we will see if anything else pops up.

[3and2Fastball]

If Kelenic fell all the way to the Brewers it'd be amazing. That kid already plays with a lot of fire, add a big chip on his shoulder and he could be unstoppable. I've seen reports that say that his swing will produce a high batting average but not enough HR's. Those people saying that are clueless

Jim Callis said he had one scout drop a "more athletic version of Mark Kotsay" comp on Kelenic. I thought that was interesting.

 

I'm biased because he's a local kid, but I see Kelenic as more of a "slightly slower version of Justin Upton." He is a true 5 Tool player.

[Eye Black]

There hasn't been a ton of buzz surrounding the Brewers being tied to various players this year, but here is one connection...

 

The Brewers hosted their pre-draft workout at Miller Park last Thursday. One top draft prospect in attendance was Pennsylvania HS outfielder Mike Siani.

 

Penn Charter's Mike Siani calmly awaits Major League Baseball draft

 

Siani has primarily been ranked in the #35-55 range among various outlets providing draft coverage.

[Eye Black]

File this as something I did not know, MLB draft prospect and Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray’s father Kevin was sued by the Brewers back in 1982.

 

From this MLB.com article, QB or not QB: OU's Murray a top MLB Draft talent...

 

Murray's father, Kevin, faced a similar quandary back in 1982. Drafted out of high school in the 18th round by the Brewers, Murray signed with Milwaukee for $35,000. He hit .161 over 41 games in the Appalachian League before deciding to quit baseball and attend Texas A&M to play quarterback. The Brewers sued Murray, accusing him of reneging on his baseball contract in what became an ugly lawsuit.

 

"There's some history in this both ways," the scouting director said. "It doesn't make it warm and fuzzy for a lot of people."

[JosephC]

I think Murray's heart truly lies with football. The quote from Oklahoma baseball coach Skip Johnson says a lot IMO, "I think he knows he's going to be a baseball player vs. a football player long-term. He talks about it. He knows where his game is and what he wants to do to get better in the game. He understands that; he's not 6-foot-5." Murray knows his NFL potential is very limited but is still going to give football "equal time" when he'll likely have a multi-million dollar commitment from a baseball team in his hand. Could be a few years before he'd be fully committed to baseball. He has two more seasons of football eligibility left and certainly is athletic enough were NFL teams might be interested in trying him out as a receiver.

[Never Outhustled]

The Athletic Mock Draft is probably the worst case scenario I’ve seen in terms of the first tier of players all going before the Brewers selection. With some exceptions, it looked like it was mostly a straightforward “best player available” approach (they had a pool of 24 baseball beat writers make the selections). Still some good talent beyond 20, but there are definitely a couple of players I hope will slide down a few spots in order to be available at the Brewers selection.

 

The 20 players off the board before the Brewers selection were:

 

Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn

Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech

Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State

Nick Madrigal, SS, Oregon State

Brady Singer, RHP, Florida

Jonathan India, 3B, Florida

Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge HS (Ariz.)

Carter Stewart, RHP, Eau Gallie HS (Fla.)

Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida

Cole Winn, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.)

Ryan Weathers, LHP, Lorretto HS (Tenn.)

Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Ga.)

Nolan Gorman, 3B, Sandra Day O’Connor HS (Ariz.)

Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State

Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (Calif.)

Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama

Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida

Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West HS (Wis.)

Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson

Connor Scott, OF, Plant HS (Fla.)

 

The Brewers selection in the mock draft was Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope HS (N.C.).

 

Selections just following the Brewers were:

 

Cole Wilcox, RHP, Heritage HS (Ga.)

Triston Casas, 1B, American Heritage School (Fla.)

Steele Walker, OF, Oklahoma

Ethan Hankins, RHP, Forsyth Central HS (Ga.)

Matt McLain, IF, Beckham HS (Calif.)

Noah Naylor, C/SS, St. Joan of Arc HS (Ontario, Canada)

Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island HS (Fla.)

Ryan Rolison, LHP, Mississippi

Xavier Edwards, SS, North Broward Prep (Fla.)

 

On the other hand, that mock has Kelenic almost falling to us, which would be fun though seemingly very unlikely.

 

Pre- draft demands could make another crazy draft day.

[Austin Tatious]

It will be interesting to see if the Brewers are willing to spend if somebody slips to 21. In the past, the Brewers have been thrifty in an attempt to spend down the line.

 

Shane McLanahan or Ethan Hankins look interesting if they fall. I’d like to see us get great value at 21 even if we pay to do it (leaving less to entice players later).

 

Jordyn Adams is reminiscent of Monte Harrison, maybe not as strong though. Some of these high schoolers down here are like throwing darts at a dart board. Noah Naylor, for example, looks like he could go either way.

 

The draft is more interesting up in the top ten and with high supplemental picks as we have had the last few years, obviously. This year, the game plan is to be smarter, let the draft come to you, and out-draft your position. The Dodgers (Corey Seager, Walker Buehler), Yankees and Cardinals have done a great job drafting down here, and frankly outsmarting a lot of the teams with higher picks.

[Austin Tatious]

We could get an urban legend going that Jared Kelenic will only sign with the Brewers a la Jose Fernandez.

 

It might be the one time that scenario works in our favor.

[SRB]

We could get an urban legend going that Jared Kelenic will only sign with the Brewers a la Jose Fernandez.

 

It might be the one time that scenario works in our favor.

 

Joint letter signed by Kelenic (R1) and Seth Beer (R2): "There is only one team for us."

[JosephC]

My mock draft. Don't claim to be an expert. Pretty much ignored all the speculation of "this team is looking at so-and-so player" because that stuff didn't seem to be very accurate last year. Pretty much ignored needs at the MLB level but did consider minor league depth/needs when projecting picks.

 

I still came up with Larnach to the Brewers at #21. He's not a personal favorite of mine or anything like that. I just think he's the type of player that Stearns would like because the bat seems really solid.

 

Please forgive any typos, I did this pretty quick and did no proof-reading.

 

Round One

1. Detroit Tigers = RHP-Casey Mize

2. San Francisco Giants = LHP-Matthew Liberatore

3. Philadelphia Phillies = C-Joey Bart

4. Chicago White Sox = 2B/SS-Nick Madrigal

5. Cincinnati Reds = RHP-Brady Singer

6. New York Mets = OF-Travis Swaggerty

7. San Diego Padres = OF-Jarred Kelenic

8. Atlanta Braves = SS/2B-Brice Turang

9. Oakland Athletics = 3B/1B-Alec Bohm

10. Pittsburgh Pirates = RHP-Carter Stewart

11. Baltimore Orioles = IF-Jonathan India

12. Toronto Blue Jays = RHP-Cole Winn

13. Miami Marlins = 3B-Nolan Gorman

14. Seattle Mariners = LHP-Ryan Weathers

15. Texas Rangers = LHP-Shane McClanahan

16. Tampa Bay Rays = RHP-Logan Gilbert

17. Los Angeles Angels = RHP-Jackson Kowar

18. Kansas City Royals = RHP-Mason Denaburg

19. St. Louis Cardinals = C/3B-Noah Naylor

20. Minnesota Twins = OF-Connor Scott

21. Milwaukee Brewers = OF-Trevor Larnach

22. Colorado Rockies = RHP-Kumar Rocker

23. New York Yankees = 1B-Triston Casas

24. Chicago Cubs = SS-Xavier Edwards

25. Arizona Diamondbacks = LHP-Ryan Rolison

26. Boston Red Sox = OF-Jordyn Adams

27. Washington Nationals = RHP-Cole Wilcox

28. Houston Astros = SS-Jeremy Eierman

29. Cleveland Indians = RHP-Ethan Hankins

30. Los Angeles Dodgers = RHP-Grayson Rodriguez

 

Compensation picks

31. Tampa Bay Rays = RHP-J.T. Ginn

32. Tampa Bay Rays = RHP-Adam Kloffenstein

33. Kansas City Royals = SS/2B-Nico Hoerner

34. Kansas City Royals = RHP-Sean Hjelle

35. Cleveland Indians = LHP-Kris Bubic

 

Competitive Balance Round A

36. Pittsburgh Pirates = C-Anthony Seigler

37. Baltimore Orioles = SS-Jeremiah Jackson

38. San Diego Padres = OF-Nick Schnell

39. Arizona Diamondbacks = OF-Greyson Jenista

40. Kansas City Royals = RHP-Tristan Beck

41. Cleveland Indians = OF-Steele Walker

42. Colorado Rockies = OF-Jake McCarthy

43. St. Louis Cardinals = RHP-Lineras Torres Jr.

 

Round Two

44. Detroit Tigers = OF-Mike Siani

45. San Francisco Giants = 3B-Jordan Groshans

46. Chicago White Sox = RHP-Blaine Knight

47. Cincinnati Reds = LHP-Konnor Pilkington

48. New York Mets = RHP-Owen White

49. Atlanta Braves = OF-Alek Thomas

50. Oakland Athletics = RHP-Griffin Roberts

51. Pittsburgh Pirates = LHP-Tim Cate

52. Toronto Blue Jays = OF-Jameson Hannah

53. Miami Marlins = C-Will Banfield

54. Seattle Mariners = SS-Matt McLain

55. Texas Rangers = RHP-Gunnar Hoglund

56. Tampa Bay Rays = LHP-Daniel Lynch

57. Los Angeles Angels = OF-Kyler Murray

58. Kansas City Royals = OF-Parker Meadows

59. Minnesota Twins = RHP-Tanner Dodson

60. Milwaukee Brewers = SS-Nander De Sedas

61. New York Yankees = OF-Griffin Conine

62. Chicago Cubs = OF-Joe Gray Jr.

63. Arizona Diamondbacks = SS-Cadyn Grenier

64. Boston Red Sox = SS-Tyler Frank

65. Washington Nationals = RHP-Braxton Ashcraft

66. Houston Astros = OF-Tristan Pompey

67. Cleveland Indians = 1B-Seth Beer

68. Los Angeles Dodgers = SS-Jonathan Ornelas

 

Competitive Balance Round B

69. Miami Marlins = RHP-Trey Riley

70. Oakland Athletics = RHP-Slade Cecconi

71. Tampa Bay Rays = OF-Zach Watson

72. Cincinnati Reds = OF-Kyle Isbel

73. Milwaukee Brewers = RHP-Lyon Richardson

74. San Diego Padres = RHP-Cole Sands

 

Compensation Picks

75. St. Louis Cardinals = SS-Osiris Johnson

76. Colorado Rockies = RHP-Zack Hess

77. Chicago Cubs = 1B-Luken Baker

78. Chicago Cubs = RHP-Aaron Hernandez