2021 Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 1-10

[brewcrewdue80]

Only thing to worry about with Black is that labrum injury. Seems he had 3b playing time in past but moving to 2b as the arm strength weakened. Aka Keston Hiura comp. Will he be able to stick as. 2b or does he become a 1B/DH only player? Not that this organization needs a 1b prospect badly or anything.

 

Forgot to add, does the team save any money with the Tyler Black pick? Seemed in the 50s pre-draft rank, college player and has that injury history for argument sake against full slot allotment.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Are these guys considered high floor types?

 

I would think so, both seem likely to move through the system reasonably quickly and profile as at least major league bench players with some offensive and defensive value. Unlike, say, Corey Ray who was acknowledged to be a guy with big tools but a bit more of a project than one might expect of a college hitter taken so high.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Given that the Brewers have shown they are willing to take raw upside pitchers in Round 2, I wonder if they end up being the landing spot for Brody Brecht in Round 2 or 3 (assuming he is signable).

[narwhalattack]

Given that the Brewers have shown they are willing to take raw upside pitchers in Round 2, I wonder if they end up being the landing spot for Brody Brecht in Round 2 or 3 (assuming he is signable).

 

Bubba Chandler and Anthony Solometo are still on the board. Perhaps they could be targets if the Brewers feel like ponying up for them

[brewcrewdue80]

Given that the Brewers have shown they are willing to take raw upside pitchers in Round 2, I wonder if they end up being the landing spot for Brody Brecht in Round 2 or 3 (assuming he is signable).

 

Sorta a thought Im having after 2 safer college bat picks, with #33 maybe a below slot deal to grab a kid. I mentioned earlier my guess to #33. Ben Kudrna. Reasonable to think someone like him being there 2rd pick.

[trwi7]

Are these guys considered high floor types?

 

Ironically enough, high floors are ceilings.

[Eye Black]

Reminder that we are posting information and scouting reports for each player the Brewers draft in the Draft Pick Selection/Signing Thread

[Eye Black]

A couple of observations…

 

1) Going back to last year the Brewers have now used 7 straight draft picks on college position players.

 

2) Frelick and Black are going to put the ball in play. High contact oriented approaches are something the big league team has lacked in the past few years, so it’s good to see players with that profile being added to the system.

[DHonks]

Why is it always defense and up the middle athletes over hitting and power ability. Just how many up the middle athletes does this organization need while we go through a bunch of first and third basemen every year.

 

If you can play SS, you can most likely play 3rd (or OF). And if you can play CF, you can play LF or RF

 

Sadly Weeks was a 2b/CF that couldn’t play any position well, except DH. But besides him, this philosophy holds

[brewcrewdue80]

Reminder that we are posting information and scouting reports for each player the Brewers draft in the Draft Pick Selection/Signing Thread

 

Id find a better youtube vid of Frelick hitting because the one on the page is not looking promising to my eye. I can only hope at 5-9 with that swing pitchers are throwing downhill to him and he catches some loft just because of that.

[CheeseheadInQC]

I know a lot will be dictated by who is on the board, but I'd be perfectly content to go with one corner infielder and eight pitchers tomorrow. I know getting some of the guys back from injury will help, but the pitching depth, especially at the lower levels, isn't great right now.

[SRB]

Why are some Brewers fans so negative about everything? We got a consensus top 10 talent at #15. It's not like they reached for some guy way down the board.

[DHonks]

I know a lot will be dictated by who is on the board, but I'd be perfectly content to go with one corner infielder and eight pitchers tomorrow. I know getting some of the guys back from injury will help, but the pitching depth, especially at the lower levels, isn't great right now.

 

I’d like a 3b, 1b, corner OF, and some more arms. But we had 5 pitching heavy drafts before 2020, so we have a ton of pitchers and almost no hitters

[sveumrules]

If he hits, we’ve got a guy that will probably piss off everyone in the division.

 

You can’t put a price on that.

 

Yeah, he has Adam Frazier vibes.

 

IGT darling Frazier was my first thought too.

 

Even with below average power (80 ISO+), he has managed an overall above average batting line (106 wRC+) on the strength of a top ten K rate (60 K%+) & propensity for getting hits (111 AVG+).

 

Throw in league average-ish base running (+2.0) / defense (-1.7) & Frazier has posted 9 WAR with a year and a half of team control remaining.

 

If Sal can put together a similar batting line with better base running & defense, the Brewers will have a pretty valuable contributor to hopefully bounce around 2B/CF/LF.

[ebmackenzie]

I don’t know if this guy will ever make it. We never do. But he looks to be a great teammate, a great athlete, and a bunch of great tools that could help him be a Major League Baseball player. I’m not sure why anyone would be truly upset over this? Any I would wonder why anyone questions what our organization is doing.

 

THIS...is one reason that Frelick got drafted. He was a three sport captain. That is insane unless your high school is super small. A long time leader that gets along with all types and comes from ultra-competitive/athletic family...ie great make up.

 

I wish JBJ was 5'9" with those BB/SO "slap hitter" traits right now!

[Oxy]

Why is it always defense and up the middle athletes over hitting and power ability. Just how many up the middle athletes does this organization need while we go through a bunch of first and third basemen every year.

 

If you can play SS, you can most likely play 3rd (or OF). And if you can play CF, you can play LF or RF

 

Sadly Weeks was a 2b/CF that couldn’t play any position well, except DH. But besides him, this philosophy holds

 

Well. The organization kept thinking he could play 2b average or better because of his athleticism/tools, but it never really worked out. If they tried him in the OF perhaps it could have worked out better, perhaps not. If you don't have the speed/skill/instincts/arm for CF you shouldn't play there. I would guess Rickie lacked enough of those things to stay at being a poor second basemen or else the organization would have made him a less poor CFer or LFer...

[CheeseheadInQC]

I know a lot will be dictated by who is on the board, but I'd be perfectly content to go with one corner infielder and eight pitchers tomorrow. I know getting some of the guys back from injury will help, but the pitching depth, especially at the lower levels, isn't great right now.

 

I’d like a 3b, 1b, corner OF, and some more arms. But we had 5 pitching heavy drafts before 2020, so we have a ton of pitchers and almost no hitters

 

While I know that you could make a case Wisconsin is missing its top two starters and Carolina its top three to injury, when I look at the two A-ball teams and the ACL teams, the hitting prospects dwarf the pitching prospects.

 

I know an 8-3 split in rounds 1-10 is unlikely, but given how heavily the organization is tilted toward hitting in its July 1 spending and how the top two picks were hitters, I don't think a 7-4 one would necessarily be out of balance.

[sveumrules]

Agree the hitters are ahead of the pitchers at the lower levels currently, FG also mentioned in their pre-draft farm system rankings that "teams ranked low who I think have players destined for huge growth includes the Cubs, Angels and Brewers because of the young players they have at Low-A and on the complex right now."

 

On the international/complex side there is Hedbert, Quero, Chourio, Garcia, Eduarqui, Mendez, etc for hitters versus not (m)any really highly regarded guys on the pitching side.

 

Between intriguing guys at A/A+ on the hitting side there is Howell, Warren, Gray, Valerio, Hamilton, Cantrelle, Ernesto, Ward, Zamora, Rodriguez, Wiemer, etc vs only Uribe & Olson on the pitching side before you get into guys who are more speculative like Bullock, Luna, Matulovich, Floyd & Bennett where you hope the Brewers development side can unearth some hidden value.

 

Obviously getting some of the injury guys back on the pitching side over the next year plus will help, but have to imagine the scouting department has a handful of college arms they've got some interesting data on that they believe in & will be targeting on day two.

[sveumrules]

Other sub six foot Brewers position player prospects in addition to Frelick...

 

Quero (5' 10"), Hedbert (5' 11"), Hamilton (5' 10"), Rodriguez (5' 10"), Valerio (5' 7"), Cantrelle (5' 11"), Bello (5' 11") & Hummel (5' 10") plus guys like Omar (5' 11"), Urias (5' 9") & Kolten (5' 7") on the MLB side.

 

Lack of height doesn't appear to be that big of a deal to the Brewers front office.

[MrTPlush]

I believe both Frelick and Black are players that had more walks than strikeouts in college.

 

So did Keston Hiura his senior year. I’d take college strikeouts versus walks with a very small grain of salt.

[MrTPlush]

Are these guys considered high floor types?

 

Well they are college bats, so they have a way higher floor than any high school guy. I’m not sure, compared to other college guys, if they are really high floor (less risk).

[Eye Black]

I believe both Frelick and Black are players that had more walks than strikeouts in college.

 

So did Keston Hiura his senior year. I’d take college strikeouts versus walks with a very small grain of salt.

Well sure, always take college stats with a grain of salt. That being said, Sal Frelick and Tyler Black both had identical 10.4% strikeout rates for their college careers. Keston Hiura had a 16% career strikeout rate in college and since appears to have altered his swing to hit for more power.

 

Ironically MrTPlush, Frelick sort of reminds me a little bit of Nyjer Morgan, although it appears Frelick should have more power to drive it to the gaps for doubles.

[wichmae]

Thinking we could also see some savings on the bonus with either guy. Probably not a ton but definitely not over slot.

All) Brewers $10,063,400

15) Brewers: $3,885,800

33) Brewers: $2,202,200

[MrTPlush]

The only thing I dislike about the selection is the 'perceived' ceiling of him. If things start going wrong or he develops a hole in their bat it won't take much for him to be AAAA fodder at best. It isn't much different from someone like Rickie Weeks. Difference is Weeks had power to make up for the loss of his high contact ability. Frelick is a one trick pony. He needs to hit and he needs to get walks...he has no power potential if he isn't above average hitting/getting on base.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love a guy like Frelick IF he can actually be an elite contact hitter at the MLB level and not strike out much. He would be a great guy at the top of the order. He just doesn't have much room for error with the lack of power (and really unlikely he magically finds some at the venture/his size).

[narwhalattack]

The only thing I dislike about the selection is the 'perceived' ceiling of him. If things start going wrong or he develops a hole in their bat it won't take much for him to be AAAA fodder at best. It isn't much different from someone like Rickie Weeks. Difference is Weeks had power to make up for the loss of his high contact ability. Frelick is a one trick pony. He needs to hit and he needs to get walks...he has no power potential if he isn't above average hitting/getting on base.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love a guy like Frelick IF he can actually be an elite contact hitter at the MLB level and not strike out much. He would be a great guy at the top of the order. He just doesn't have much room for error with the lack of power (and really unlikely he magically finds some at the venture/his size).

 

You could honestly say the same about a guy with power but questionable hit tool. Power is worthless if a guy can't hit enough to make much use of it. Just ask Hiura.