2018 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-5 [7/5 -- 1st rounder Turang signs]

[MrTPlush]

Too soon to call him up to play SS?

[Never Outhustled]

I'm totally happy with Turang. Good value here, and SS is an organizational weak spot.

[Austin Tatious]

I really like the pick. I give it an A. If you looked at the prospect lists from last winter, he was all over the top five.

 

And he fits the up the middle mentality.

 

But at the same time, the organization is terrified to take pitching in the first round.

[wallus]

Are there any reports on his signing demands?

[Eye Black]

I mentioned this earlier in the regular draft thread, but Turang reminds me of Gavin Lux a little bit. Went about the same spot in the draft. Lux has taken some really nice developmental steps over the last year and is thickening out.

[sveumrules]

Here's the FanGraphs report on Turang...

 

As an underclassman, Turang looked like he might be the best prospect on a Southern California Area Code team that included Hunter Greene, Nick Allen, Jeremiah Estrada, Hans Crouse and several other excellent prospects. His balletic actions at shortstop and plus arm and athleticism gave Turang a stable floor, while his precocious feel to hit (he struck out just twice as a junior) and chance to grow into power made him a potential star. Turang looked like the best player in the class until last summer when he suddenly looked lethargic and uncomfortable at the plate. He's been better this spring, but not so great that concerns about his developmental direction have been quelled. Teams who value several years of performance are likely to value Turang more highly, and he should be off the board anywhere between the mid-teens and early twenties.

[JDBrewCrew]

Taylor Blake Ward

@TaylorBlakeWard

5m5 minutes ago

Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (CA) - advanced prep player, above-average hitter, fielder and runner, power still yet to come, will stay at SS long term #Brewers

 

Jaypers

@Jaypers413

I expected Turang to get popped by either KC or TB, as Turang reportedly has a high price. Nice get for them. @Brewers #MLBDraft @jordo2323 `

[Jenkins5]

Love the pick! Many thought possibly #1 entering spring. Huge baseball/softball family. Dad mlb, mom think was Olympic softball player. 4 older sisters all excelled & are college athletes. Just needs to fill out body & add strength. Lot of talent there

[JosephC]

Not complaining about taking a hitter there, but I'm pretty convinced at this point that Stearns sees bats being safer investments and so all big acquisitions will be hitters. Just look at the history. All of the first picks have been hitters. All the top international signings are hitters. Biggest trade so far has been for a hitter (Yelich). Biggest free agent acquisition has been for a hitter (Cain). Can't argue with it too much, as history shows that bats are normally a safer investment and this team is in the smallest market.

 

Really wanted McClanahan there but I like Turang too. Not really concerned about him filling out that frame. Power not really a concern for me when talking about a middle infielder. If the guy plays good defense at shortstop and becomes a plus on-base guy, that's more than enough to be a really good major league player.

[JDBrewCrew]

Nathan Rode

@NathanRode

Big time steal for #Brewers. Turang is a big league SS. Plus runner. Bat was inconsistent from last summer through spring, but it's in there. #mlbdraft

 

Christopher Crawford

@Crawford_MILB

I really like the Turang pick for Milwaukee. Four above-average tools, should stick at shortstop. Lack of power doesn't concern me as long as he's at short, and he should be.

 

Also from Crawford...

 

Turang was another player that was projected to higher than this before the season, but inconsistent results -- and other players stepping up -- saw him slide into a mid first-round talent. He has plus speed, and he's a quality defender at shortstop, so you won't have to worry about him moving off the position. There's very little power here, but he should hit for enough average to be a regular someday. A high-floor prep player who offers fantasy value because of his speed.

 

 

@CarlosACollazo

I'm extremely high on Brice Turang. I think he'll prove some people wrong after slipping a bit. Love his feel to hit, love his speed, defensive tools and mentality on the field.

 

ALL the top prospect twitter followers seem to love this pick.

[brewmann04]

I like this pick rated high last year hope he turns into another Yelich and now get pitching boys.

[SRB]

Seems like a smarter bet to take a guy who has great skills and can play SS while hoping he develops power, as opposed to taking an elite athlete while hoping he learns how to play baseball.

[narwhalattack]

I wonder who will be around by the time the Brewers pick next. I wonder if any of the remaining pitchers will fall that far.

[Austin Tatious]

Seems like a smarter bet to take a guy who has great skills and can play SS while hoping he develops power, as opposed to taking an elite athlete while hoping he learns how to play baseball.

 

Very well said.

[Eye Black]

Good news is we don’t even have to try to envision what Turang will look like in a Brewers cap/helmet. Like Christian Yelich he played for the Brewers Area Code Games team...

 

 

[JDBrewCrew]

J.P. Breen

@JP_Breen

Brice Turang isn't the sexiest prospect b/c he's been on the scouting radar for years and doesn't have high power potential, but he's a good defender at a premium position, has shown solid pitch discipline, has good bat-to-ball skills, and has quality makeup. #Brewers

 

 

jeff ellis

@jeffMLBdraft

I got that one right, I called it late that I thought Turang to the Brewers was a perfect fit that makes 8 for me on the night

[splitterpfj]

I’d like to say I, “called this one” earlier today in the draft thread, but the truth is - I guessed it.

 

Turang just seems to fit the Brewers - hitter, athletic, up the middle.

[SRB]

Two more picks for us tonight, is that correct?

[MrTPlush]

The pick is fine in my mind. We are picking in the 20s so I didn’t exactly expect someone world beating. I think he is a limited ceiling high floor guy. I think he is a future starter at SS, but not sure the star potential is really there.

 

Hard to really project a HS SS though.

[Eye Black]

Another SS who saw their draft stock plummet (albeit in college) was Trea Turner. Kind of similar build. I don’t want to be unrealistic, but I think the kid has the ingredients to be a really good baseball player.

[molitor fan]

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/brice-turangs-mlb-draft-slide-might-be-one-teams-regret/

 

 

And as a former scout himself, Blood has strong opinions. His strongest about the 2018 draft class is that Turang appears likely to be picked significantly lower than he should be on the basis of a less-than-expected senior season. Turang was seen as a likely top five pick coming into the year. Now, he's expected to fall into the second half of the first round.

 

“I think part of it Turang’s performance this spring has not been as remarkable as it was the two years before when he was the best amateur hitter in the country,” Blood said. “When scouts went in to see him this year, they were holding him to a 1-1 standard. When they didn’t necessarily see that, they almost double penalized him for it.

 

“It’s similar to what happens when a pop-up player outperforms what is expected of him and gets some extra helium. A lot of it is just human psychology. And at the end of the day, Brice is one of the most polished and pro-ready hitters in this draft, who also happens to be an above-average defensive shortstop.”

 

“I think it’s just basic human psychology more than a it is a trend,” Blood said. “Those who have seen (Turang) succeed over the past couple of years on the big stage against the best competition know what kind of player he is, and will most likely have evaluated him higher than those who haven’t.”

[Fear The Chorizo]

It's tough when the knock on him is that he didn't continuously wow people every time he took the field - that's very tough to do in baseball regardless of how good a player you are and what level of competition you're facing, even with the 'made for MLB draft' showcase leagues for high schoolers nearing draft eligibility.

 

I'm pumped the Brewers picked a guy that by all indications can stick at SS defensively, who has been on the prospect radar for years. I don't think there's such a thing as a "high floor/low ceiling" projection for a toolsy high school draftee with athleticism. Let him grow up a bit over the next few seasons and watch his stock take off.

[SRB]

Yeah, the thing about high school (legit) shortstops with a decent hit tool, is that almost by definition their ceiling is incredibly high.

[Eye Black]

I’d like to say I, “called this one” earlier today in the draft thread, but the truth is - I guessed it.

 

Turang just seems to fit the Brewers - hitter, athletic, up the middle.

Same here. It was just a guess as well, but I mentioned he was my pick in the other thread also. I’m in a Mock Draft contest, and I got that pick right at least (not so much for the rest of it).

[Ennder]

Not complaining about taking a hitter there, but I'm pretty convinced at this point that Stearns sees bats being safer investments and so all big acquisitions will be hitters. Just look at the history. All of the first picks have been hitters. All the top international signings are hitters. Biggest trade so far has been for a hitter (Yelich). Biggest free agent acquisition has been for a hitter (Cain). Can't argue with it too much, as history shows that bats are normally a safer investment and this team is in the smallest market.

 

 

 

Brewers are 5th in the NL in RA/G so it seems to be working. If you look at the best rotations in baseball they have largely been built via trade/FA and not by drafting. Drafting a ton of pitching is how you end up being the Mets.