Running 2026 MLB Draft Thread

[Playing Catch]

I've never understood referring to Burke as a power-over-hit profile. He hit to all fields and made good swing decisions in college, and much of that quality has been maintained in the minors. He always felt like a less-heralded Prince Fielder profile to me. Fielder was a really good hitter, not just "power-over-hit". Both of them more athletic than their physiques suggest. Write-ups seem to explain-away Burke's matching minor-league HR/SB totals, and always seem surprised when they say his glove is better than they expected. All of the same stuff scouts say about Burke is what they said about Prince as a prospect, except that Prince had a very famous baseball slugger for a father. Had he been an unknown, Fielder's path very well could have mimicked Burke's through the SEC.

Prince was a borderline HOF talent, so I'm NOT suggesting Burke is Fielder 2.0, and I'm sure there are plenty of other variances in their games. I just think Burke gets unfairly typecast a lot due to his barrel-chested look. I think it's perfectly fair for scouts, with their jobs on the line, to stand on body-type precedents/long-term outlooks when projecting, but I think most of the time, it's just easier for them to predict meager outcomes, because that is ALWAYS the safest prediction for ALL prospects, and certainly the safer prediction for that body type. But based on his production, I just think scouts would like him a lot more, if it came from a guy that looked like Spencer Jones.

[jay87shot]

I was reading and took a look at 2 young HS prospects who just reclassified and will be extremely young 17 year olds.

Jared Grindlinger P/OF    His scouting report looks like he will be an easy choice to be a P, ranked #49 by mlb.com but 12 by espn. A 6"3" lefty up to 95 sitting 90-93 turned 17 in April with solid projectable secondary pitches. 

Rocco Maniscalco SS    He seems like a Brewers type of prospect if I have ever read a scouting report. He just turned 17 on May 1st. His dad played in the minor and coached his travel ball. At 6'2" there is a frame to add power but for now he grades very high with his arm and fielding. The Brice Turang vibes are undeniable and I am pretty sure he will be the youngest (or close to it) player in the draft.     #72 mlb and #56 espn

[BrewerFan]

On 5/19/2026 at 2:37 PM, jay87shot said:

I was reading and took a look at 2 young HS prospects who just reclassified and will be extremely young 17 year olds.

Jared Grindlinger P/OF    His scouting report looks like he will be an easy choice to be a P, ranked #49 by mlb.com but 12 by espn. A 6"3" lefty up to 95 sitting 90-93 turned 17 in April with solid projectable secondary pitches. 

Rocco Maniscalco SS    He seems like a Brewers type of prospect if I have ever read a scouting report. He just turned 17 on May 1st. His dad played in the minor and coached his travel ball. At 6'2" there is a frame to add power but for now he grades very high with his arm and fielding. The Brice Turang vibes are undeniable and I am pretty sure he will be the youngest (or close to it) player in the draft.     #72 mlb and #56 espn

I'm REALLY hoping the Brewers go with high upside arms. 

It's not what they normally do(at least early) but this is more of a straightforward draft(you'd think) with fewer picks and bonus pool. 

-Borthwick... a 6'6 255LB HS kid with an upper 90s FB, the big spin rates that the Brewers love. What isnt' there to love about this kid other than a full 3.8M to sign him in Rd1 most likely.
-Bumila the 6'9 255 Lefty who can also throw in the upper 90s and maybe an easier sign with the TJ already, but it's like reading a Misiorowski scouting report, but better spin rates and that same BIG extension. 

Doubt you'd be below slot on either, but I'm swinging for the fences in this class on arms with ALL the position players they've got locked up(and their LA class). 

I love the idea of Grindlinger if you were to go below slot. I'm skeptical you'd save much, but... give me a HS kid with a big fastball. Or... a kid who can catch and will take 75% of slot. I'm really not to picky. 

 

[jay87shot]

HS arms worry me but a guy like Bumila would be really hard to pass up. He does sound like Misi but bigger with a previous arm injury.

[snoogans8056]

Stick with the plan.

First round will be a 17 year old high school “reach” or the best college bat, either way they will take 3/4 of the slot value. I like Zion Rose and Rocco Maniscalco. Rose is a Chicago kid (southside, thankfully).

All college arms and bats for the rest of 2-10 saving as much as possible. We don’t have the pool money to go over slot by much if at all.

Rounds 11-20: Go nuts.

 

[BallFour]

On 5/19/2026 at 2:37 PM, jay87shot said:

Jared Grindlinger P/OF    His scouting report looks like he will be an easy choice to be a P, ranked #49 by mlb.com but 12 by espn. A 6"3" lefty up to 95 sitting 90-93 turned 17 in April with solid projectable secondary pitches. 

Grindlinger was also on the Brewers area code team. And Grindlinger is also ranked 17 on BA.

Another high school kid who reclassified and was on the Brewers area code team who won't turn 18 till a week after the draft is LHP-Logan Schmidt. Who is ranked 34 on pipeline and 27 on BA.

[snoogans8056]

16 minutes ago, BallFour said:

Grindlinger was also on the Brewers area code team. And Grindlinger is also ranked 17 on BA.

Another high school kid who reclassified and was on the Brewers area code team who won't turn 18 till a week after the draft is LHP-Logan Schmidt. Who is ranked 34 on pipeline and 27 on BA.

Taj Marchand was brought up in today’s Future Projection pod as a guy for the Brewers in the first. He’s around 80-something on BA’s board.