Austin Tatious

If Ward knows something about Hall, that's not bad. Here's a pretty good scouting report if anyone is interested. Upside as a number 2 starter, southpaw with a good heater and impressive curveball. Not filled out but he's 18. https://www.google.com/amp/www.crawfishboxes.com/platform/amp/2017/5/22/15666138/2017-mlb-draft-profile-d-l-hall-lhp-valdosta-hs-ga-florida-state-ncaa-astros-marlins

I give you credit for watching Carolina play, and for keeping us informed of your findings. We all appreciate it.

Interesting take. Have you ever seen exit velocities for the two guys? From everything I've heard, Diaz has that elite pop, where the ball just screams off the bat in a special way. I have not heard that about Clark.

I will take your point about Clark's age. And, frankly, it is only the quarter mark. Maybe he will end up with .280 15 and 80. That would be a guy coming along, where a .350 OBP would be more meaningful to project from. I am not a guy who starts cherry picking more advanced stats to pump up a guy. Clark, having been the 15th overall pick, should not be a 25% hitter. That's not what we want, regardless of his walks. I will be more concerned if he is a .240 or .250 hitter at the end of the season, which I sure would not expect. A couple of other things. Age is a factor but there are guys who are young and never rise up. Luis Sardinas was once well regarded because he was only 20 and advancing. Well, he never put it together and is getting passed along to different organizations. As for whether Clark gets to where Brinson, Phillips, Cordell and Broxton get, they have proven more and all have shown upside. Broxton may be the most under-rated asset in the Brewer organization. Brinson is a big time talent. Cordell is an athlete with decent well rounded hitting potential. Phillips can defend at the very least, and has had a good bat save for 2016. Clark needs to prove a lot. Like you said, he's young. The light switch flipped for Gatewood this year. Maybe it will for Clark. I sure hope so. But, I wouldn't count on anything until we see it. Just because he is at a more advanced level at his age, as compared to where the other guys were at that same age, does not promise anything. Those other guys have proven themselves higher up the food chain. That may or may not happen for Clark. I am looking for a collection of guys you can win a championship with, not guys who are happy to be in the big leagues. As for Ray, I wouldn't panic yet. He jumped from .229 to .258 after getting eight hits in 5 games and I believe went deep once finally. He's recovering from the knee injury. He may be a .300 hitter in a month, and on his way. Recent advanced college bats taken in the top 10 like Schwarber, Benintendi, Swanson, and Happ have roared through the minors. Those are Ray's peers. Whether he was the right pick or not, you'd still expect some level of advancement from Ray.

I actually like what I've seen from Nottingham so far. He has absolutely made strides defensively. His footwork behind the plate is markedly improved, which has lead to better blocking and better mechanics on his throws to second. Still far from a finished product, but I have been impressed on the work he's put in. He's also improved his walk rate and cut his K rate by 1/3 from last year, from 30% to 20%. He's hitting more fly balls than ever, and has had a silly number of flyballs not fall in. At one point he was like 0-15 on fly balls, which is completely nutso bad luck. His BABIP is still deflated. Important to remember as well that Nottingham is just 22. He's 8 months younger than Max McDowell. Still has plenty of time. That's good to hear about his defense. Maybe he will put it all together at some point. I am definitely very pumped about Feliciano as a catching prospect. He's only 18 and doing very well at Class A. You never know, he could be like Arcia and be in Milwaukee at age 21 or 22. Legit catchers are so hard to find.

Interesting treatment of Mackenzie Gore versus Hunter Greene. If Gore somehow fell, which is highly unlikely, that would be amazing for the Brewers. Just what the doctor ordered. http://eastvillagetimes.com/2017/05/making-a-case-for-mackenzie-gore-over-hunter-greene-in-upcoming-draft/

Garrett Cooper is another guy who just hits. He reminds me of Khris Davis from the standpoint that he wasn't super highly regarded in the rankings but he just produces at the plate. Overall, lot of positive development this year, especially compared with last year.

More realistically, Clark is hitting .250 with 4 HR and 18 RBI with 40 strikeouts. Can't sugar coat it. As you guys know very well, walks in class A ball where pitchers don't have the same control, are a different animal than the majors. Pitchers in the minor league are frequently wild and are actually working on control. All you have to do is to look at the Brewers own system. It sounds like he takes a ton of pitches. It's a good sign that he has discipline. But so did the rule 5 kid we took from the Athletics who refused to swing and it hurt his ability to hit. There's a balance between taking pitches and stifling your ability to hit because you lack aggression. He's going to have to hit the baseball at some point.

Yeah. There are like 6 of them in the world. It would be nice to have one. Nah. Not really.

Agree on Burnes. He may be in double A before long. He's fast tracking it. Another guy who has been pretty solid is Luis Ortiz. He very well may be solid as a 3-5 starter in good time. Woodruff, Ortiz and Burnes as starters may be pretty nice with Hader, Taylor Williams, Wang, and Bickford being good relievers coming. If Hader gets control, he could be a very good starter but we will need to see proof on that. Ponce is in there too. Nate Kirby is someone I've been excited about but it will take patience and time. There are some guys giving us pitching hope, but what I'd like to invest in are the elite arms with power, control, and secondary pitches. They are hard to come by but we need to try.

If you got the right pitcher with some controllable years, I have no problem dealing Corey Ray and Trent Clark. They are still big names and could fetch something good. In the meantime, you still have Phillips, Cordell, and Brinson coming up. All three of them are top athletes.

Arcia is hitting in the .230's now, but his OPS is anemic. I think he will be an adequate hitter when he fills out. He's young, and I think will get stronger as he gets to be 24-25. As it is, his bat is fairly quick. He just needs some more muscle. In the meantime, as long as he doesn't collapse, he needs playing time to develop and get the necessary experience so he can improve. You've got to walk before you run. That's the big picture I'd follow.

No. They are underperforming. Badly. They both have an OPS around . 750 in a pitcher favored league and Clark gets on base at a .368 clip. Neither is setting the world on fire but badly underperforming is overstating it. They may have brought their numbers up recently. But in three years in the system, Clark has underperformed relative to where he was drafted. He does not project to be as good as Santana, Broxton, Brinson, Phillips or Cordell. With Clark, the opportunity cost to draft a pitcher instead of a middling outfielder is what just kills you. Walker Buehler was a major talent coming off an arm injury where he'd have been a steal at 15. A smart organization like the Dodgers, scooped him up. Look at him now. Instead of daydreaming of trading for a guy like that, we need to draft our own. I hope Clark and Ray turn into championship players. Let's hope for the best. I pull-up their stats regularly, hoping to see something. It happened with Gatewood, maybe it will with them too.

Good post. I meant to include Burnes too. Good peripheral stats as you pointed out. He could darn well be the next Woodruff. He was a steal for where we got him.

No. They are underperforming. Badly.

It's sort of the 1/4 mark of the season and not a bad time to take initial stock in our system during the 2017 season. No one is pretending that the sample size is large yet, but it's fun to see how guys are doing. I thought 2016 was a big year for many guys, and overall I hoped for more. But, I'm hoping some guys really start to surge. Here are my thoughts, but I would like to hear more: Surging 1. Jake Gatewood. He's going to soar back up the rankings. He's been a doubles machine, has improved his walks, and has a high average. He's turning himself into a huge story. 2. Lewis Brinson. He has been the real deal and can be a star. 3. Brandon Woodruff. Got roughed up a bit recently but has been off to a stellar start, which is even more remarkable because he's been at CS. Great strikeouts and control. He looks like a solid MLB starter. 4. Mario Feliciano. He's an excellent athlete for a backstop and knows how to hit. He's young for class A and hitting. He's been a huge plus. Will soar in our rankings. 5. Trey Supak. His peripherals are outstanding. He's a young pitcher who is really coming on. He's got my attention. The trade with Pittsburgh may turn out to be one of the best in team history. 6. Brett Phillips. This is a tough, competitive kid. He's been hitting in all phases and you know he can defend. 7. Ryan Cordell. This is a very athletic kid who has a good hitting toolbox. He can be a good major leaguer. 8. Isan Diaz. This kid can flat out hit and is a top five prospect in the organization for very good reason. 9. Taylor Williams. A few too many walks but he's been lights out. Need to do more 1. Josh Hader. His numbers are comparable to Woodruff except for his walks. But that will kill you. We need to pump the breaks on his upside until he proves he can harness his command. I read somewhere that the organization wants him to work on some things that could affect his stats. He can be big time, but control needs to improve. 2. Josh Nottingham. The rose is coming off the bloom. The Brewers gave up a ton to get him. His defense was awful last year and I'd like to see whether he's improved. But the bat has been mediocre. 3. Lucas Erceg, a fan favorite, he got off to a rocky start. We want to see consistency. 4. Clint Coulter. He is what he is by now. A change in scenery may do him wonders. It's uncanny how many number one picks bomb for this franchise. 5. Trent Clark. He's in his third year in pro ball and has been average. I'd like to see the light switch turn on for this kid, who we drafted over the likes of Walker Buehler. Neutral 1. Corey Ray. I'm not going to jump on the guy because he's adjusting from the knee surgery and is working back. The second half of the season will tell us more. 2. Cody Ponce. Decent control but hasn't been lights out. 3. Monte Harrison. Trying to shake the injury bug, he was hot initially and is essentially plagued with inconsistency. 4. Kodi Medeiros. His control looks to be improving but he just hasn't figured out how to pitch yet, in his fourth pro season.

I think Cordell may be the most underrated prospects in the system. I liked what I saw of him in spring training. Very good athlete and can hit. He reminds of Corey Hart. Whether he ends up that good remains to be seen. I think, though, he very well may be an every day type of bat.

Interesting. Does anyone have a sense why EMJ is signing so late in the cycle? I wonder what the circumstance is that caused him not to sign in the summer of 2016 but at the eleventh hour? At least we have our answer as to what the Brewers were looking for when they traded for that cash slot for 16-17. As for 2017-18, Ernesto sure looks talented when you see him swing. But then again Lara looks good in the team photo. But whether anything translates to actual performance remains to be seen. But Ernesto sure looks like he's worth investing in. With Ernesto being a high upside potential outfielder, I'd hope the Brewers go elsewhere at 1-9, particularly pitcher or Pavin Smith rather than take Abell, Kendall, or Beck as everyone and their monkey has mocked.

Peralta is who he is at this point. We've seen enough. He's not consistent. He can get on a roll from time to time, but he's not a reliable starter on a first division team. Nelson may be headed to that too but I'd give him more time. What's positive with Nelson is that he is solid the first time through. I think he can be a nice 6th-7th inning reliever. I'd get Woody up here now. Let Peralta into the pen. If Peralta is more of the same in the pen, then you move on from him in 2018. It happens. Garza, Anderson, Woody, Davies, Nelson. When Guerra is ready, something will have to give. Too early to worry about that now. Hader needs to improve his control. I wonder where that's headed.

Some of these mocks are brutal. All the top guys I have hope for look to be gone by 9. Kyle Wright, Gore, Bukauskus. Even Pavin Smith, who I sort of had as my fall back position, is mocked ahead of us. It doesn't look like a great draft to me. Lots of question marks. I think if the board fell along the lines of these mocks, I'd give a long look to Shane Baz. He's got a good arm at 90-95 with multiple secondary offerings that look good. His issue is command. If he can develop it, he could be a solid 2. Baz looks projectable to me, although there is obviously risk that he never harnesses the control. Rogers hasn't developed enough secondary stuff. So, you have a draft with a lot of question marks, and the Brewers may just be out of reach of the guys with less question marks.

I think Terrence Ferguson is interesting because he's got good length at 6'7 and can shoot. Decent athlete with potential to defend too. I'd really like to get a couple of big time shooters. The drive and kick based offense would be so much more effective with better shooting. Harry Giles has had his knees torn up, but he could be a high reward pick at 17. He may be rising above the Bucks pick, though. Huge upside which may fit the Bucks' philosophy. Diallo is a big time athlete, and like Giles, may be hard to pass up. The issue is he's not known as a shooter, which I feel we really could use with the components we have already. I think TJ Leaf could be a Michael Dunleavy Jr type of guy. Limited but crafty and can shoot. Donovan Mitchell and Luke Kennard could be solid second unit guys too. OG Anunoby is interesting because he's got a motor and can flat out defend. A core of Giannis, Parker, Maker, Middleton, and Brogdon makes me very happy, though. I think Ferguson may be my first choice if we could get him. I don't think a big time point guard gets to 17, which is what I'd really like. After that I might rank them: Giles, Diallo, Mitchell, Anunoby, Leaf, Kennard. I'd be inclined in the second round to snag a winner like a Frank Mason, Josh Hart, or the kid from So Carolina. I think his name is Thornwell.

I was very young at the time, but loved Billy Travers. I just got accustomed to him being hurt all the time, though, sadly. Slaton and Travers were my favorites. From Travers to Higuera to Sheets, Rogers, Neugebauer, Mike Jones and others, we know a thing or two about "what might have been" when it comes to injured pitchers. Our late 2000s team was building the nice arsenal of position players and the hope was Ben Sheets was our guy with that crew. It didn't come together the way we envisioned. Imagine a healthy Sheets rolling with Sabathia in 2008 and with Grienke in 2011.

Agreed with Reilly. It's interesting, and a distinction I think I've taken for granted. You could have control and throw strikes, but you could get battered. The hitter may lock in. But a guy with command could throw strikes but really manipulate the hitter even within the strike zone. If you can hit certain desired spots such as corners in the strike zone you could really keep the hitter off balance. I'd say Greg Maddux would be the poster child for command in our lifetimes. In a sense, you could also have command outside the strike zone if the hitter has poor discipline and you could have him chasing. There you'd have command but since you're operating outside the strike zone I'm not sure the stat nuts would see control.

One of my friends has a teenager playing baseball. The son asked what's the difference between command and control? My friend pointed out that people frequently use the terms inter-changeably. Here are a couple of articles that explain the difference between control and command. I'd appreciate any additional insights folks here have regarding the differences. Beyond that, I thought the members here may find this topic interesting so I started the discussion. http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/news/story?id=6455271 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/230151-control-vs-command-whats-the-difference

Here's a good article on Faedo. His knee surgeries were arthroscopic and considered reasonably minor, he has a plus slider, misses bats at a nice clip, and has a ceiling as a number two starter. http://www.crawfishboxes.com/2017/5/5/15519150/2017-mlb-draft-profile-alex-faedo-rhp-florida-gators-astros-sec-baseball