Draft is tonight. I want either Kolby Allard LHP or Garret Whitley a HS outfielder. I would also be happy taking a chance on Brady Aiken. Most people think we are going with a low ceiling college pitcher like Funkhouser from Louisville who sucks. Expect me to go nuts tonight when we fuck up another draft.
They went pretty high ceiling last year consistently so it will be interesting to see if that continues or if they flip the script to balance that out. (which I hope they dont) It will be interesting if they pull any draft budget shenanigans like last year too. Since some people even predict that Aiken could slip out of the first round could he be had at a discount? I doubt it but haven't heard anything of a consensus of where his floor is in the draft.
I wouldn't mind if they went with a bat first round. If everyone reaches for mediocre pitching ahead of them take the best bat.
Whitley appears to be the best HS bat that will be available when we pick. Allard would be a top 5 pick if he didn't have some back issues. I hope we go with him and take a chance because he has top of the rotation upside. In the last few days I have seen Funkhouser and Jon Harris from Missouri St who have both been rumored to us. I was thoroughly unimpressed with both of them. Somehow I keep reading that since we went with high upside last draft that we will go the safe route with one of these college stiff pitchers. When the hell is this organization going to learn to stop picking starting pitchers with 4/5 upsides. We need to continue what we did last year and pick players with all star potential.
By the way Jungmann and his 6 plus era is starting tomorrow. Truly exciting times for this franchise.
They just need to trade Jungman and Bradley out of the franchise, I dont even care what they get back if anything. For as long as they are around they are nothing more than the players we have instead of Fernandez and Gray.
Melvin will never release either of them. I read some quotes from him the other day talking about how great it is that 3/5 of our rotation is home grown with Peralta, Nelson, and Fiers. Melvin really believes that he has done a good job finding this team pitching. The sooner this delusional clown retires the better. If it were up to me I would fire the entire scouting department and completely start over. The more I hear about Montgomery the less happy I get at the idea of him becoming the next GM with Melvin as team president. Montgomery was a Brewers scout from 2002-2010 so he was part of a scouting staff unable to identify pitching. He seems to have a sterling reputation but I haven't figured out why. I really hope to be proven wrong but I expect the usual conservative Brewers draft tonight.
Law had (thanks to the Cubs thread) the Brewers taking Ian Happ a 2b from Cinci PLAYER CARD 15Ian HappSCHOOL: CincinnatiHT: 6-0WT: 205POS: 2B Analysis: I think the Brewers take the best player who falls, but they're definitely interested in Happ, one of the top performers in college baseball this spring, and I get the sense they'd prefer a bat to an arm if all else is equal (not that it ever is, so I don't even know why I wrote that). Here is a scouting report that claims he hasn't played on the infield since freshman year and is really an outfielder: Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55 An unheralded recruit from a Pittsburgh-area high school, Happ almost certainly will become the highest-drafted player in Cincinnati history. The Bearcats never have had a player taken in the top two rounds, not even when big leaguers Kevin Youkilis, Josh Harrison and Tony Campana came through the program in the 2000s. Happ ranked as the top position prospect in the prestigious Cape Cod League in each of his two summers in college. A switch-hitter who's better from the left side of the plate, he has good balance and controls the strike zone well. Add in some deceptive strength, and he should hit for average and power. Happ played mostly second base in 2013 and does have solid speed and arm strength, so a pro team could try him in the infield. But he lacks smooth infield actions, hasn't played regularly on the dirt since his freshman year and fits best on an outfield corner.
I would stay away from Happ. From what I have read he cant hack it defensively at second and he doesn't have enough power for a corner outfielder. With this organization not valuing defense whatsoever he could be in play.
That was my first reaction as well. That scouting report sounds like a utility bench player which is insane to draft in the first round.
Here is a scouting report for Whitley: Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55 Niskayuna (N.Y.) High has produced an NFL wide receiver (Andre Davis) but never a baseball Draft pick, but that will change in 2015. Whitley emerged as a potential first-rounder with a succession of strong performances late in the summer on the showcase circuit. He lived up to that billing by continuing to swing a good bat as spring came to the Northeast. Whitley has an advanced approach at the plate for a high schooler from a cold-weather state, and his strength and bat speed could produce above-average right-handed power. His pure speed is his best tool, grading as a legitimate plus. Whitley's wheels also give him plenty of range in center field, and he has a better arm than most players at that position. He has committed to Wake Forest. I like that.
I remember last year the Brewers bragging about never having pitchers get Tommy John surgery. Well that's just swell you have a symposium about pitching injuries, how about you study how to identify pitchers that get people out.
I think that was the article where he was bragging about having 3 home grown stating pitchers. I mean who really cares that other than Peralta and I am not even sure how good he is that his homegrown starters (Nelson and Fiers) aren't particularly good. Melvin was also interviewed a year or two ago and was adamant that our farm system was really underrated and pointed to Khris Davis and Scooter Gennett as proof that we have good talent.
By the way we really need to start rooting for Jack Z and the Mariners. I have this nightmare scenario in my head where he somehow is the next Brewers GM. I think I would hate him more than Melvin.
Yep ...and a lot of teams have a winning % better than a third. The participant of this thread could start for the Brewers and rank the same in the major leagues.
I would be shocked if the Brewers pick Cameron. I really want Allard and would be ok with Whitley or Aiken if they believe he will come back. This Ashe Russell guy looks a lot like Syndergaard from the highlights and I would be happy with him as well. Every mock seems to have us going with the low ceiling college arms (Funkhouser or Harris). As long as we don't pick either of them I probably wont go too crazy.
Really, who needs pitching when we can draft another HS kid with "upside"? I hope this is Melvin's last draft.
I think the Brewers picked a guy with 4th outfielder upside. He is a leftfielder without big power. I hate hearing speed as the best tool for a player; he isn't a great defender, lacks power, and isn't a particularly good hitter.
Melvin can take Montgomery and the entire scouting department with him. I never mentioned how much I hated Trenton Clark because he was never mentioned with the Brewers and he was supposed to be off the board.
Clark has an unusual left-handed swing with a golf-style grip, but he makes repeated hard contact with his short stroke and above-average bat speed. Factor in his considerable strength and he should have at least average power. Sounds very promising
Its not like I have ever seen Clark play but his highlights don't look good at all. If I am picking a corner outfielder in round one he better be a sure thing with the bat and have big power.