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James Zumstein

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Everything posted by James Zumstein

  1. James Zumstein
    Another outfielder, Kyle Jones from Florida. Another up-the-middle bat.
  2. James Zumstein
    Bonds to the Giants. Very fitting.
  3. James Zumstein
    Sawyer Strosnider
  4. James Zumstein
    Wow, I knew we had an interest in him but that's a long way from where he was predicted to get picked.
  5. James Zumstein
    Back-to-back years with a Rock County native going in the 1st round. Giants took Milton's Gavin Kilen at #14 last year and Red Sox take Janesville's Jake Schaffner at #20 this year. Local kids doing WI proud.
  6. James Zumstein
    I was thinking the same thing. He's 17 now, so playing in the bigs by his 18th birthday?
  7. James Zumstein
    Every year there is someone who gets taken way higher than anyone predicted. This year it's Zion Rose's turn.
  8. James Zumstein
    Let me first start out by saying I have very little confidence in my predictions. I have studied this draft class and previous Brewers drafts thoroughly and I still have no idea which way they will end up going. In short, expect the unexpected. After much deliberation, here are my Day One predictions: #25 – Taj Marchand, SS - James Island, SC (Mississippi recruit) Alternate: Tegan Kuhns, RHP – Tennessee #66 – Ruger Riojas, RHP – Texas Alternate: Trey Ebel, SS – Corona, CA (Texas A & M recruit) #102 – Eric Nachtscheim, RHP - McNeese Alternate: Tyson LeBlanc, SS – Kansas #130 – Garrett Wright, C/OF – Tennessee Alternate: Maxx Yehl, LHP – West Virginia Day Two High School Targets Besides the two high schoolers already mentioned, I could see these players as targets in later rounds: Henry Abt, OF – Brandon, MS (Southern Miss recruit) Nathan Bryant, RHP – Akron, OH (Ohio State recruit) Bryce Cuero, RHP – Springville, NY (South Florida Recruit) Asher Delue, LHP – Princeton, NJ (Boston College recruit) Dylan Kassab, C – Hinsdale, IL (Indiana recruit) Andrew Mahoney, LHP - Novi, MI (Cincinnati recruit) Kaeden Schatsiek, 3B/OF – Brimfield, IL (Illinois State recruit) All are young (18.1 or younger on draft day), all are going to quality college programs though none should be considered “unsignable,” and all are from areas of the country the Brewers scout heavily.
  9. James Zumstein
    I've considered Peyton Bonds as he has some qualities the Brewers tend to go for. For a college player, he's still quite young actually (turns 21 on 7/19). Really good bat-to-ball skills, terrific CF defense, and though he hasn't shown in-game power much to this point, he showed in the Combine that it's there. From what I'm seeing he's expected to go around the 3-4 rounds, but wouldn't be surprised if someone grabbed him earlier.
  10. James Zumstein
    That's what I wished we had done with Ben Sheets back in the day. But I digress. I'm not sure if that would help or not, but it may be our best shot of getting anything out of him for the remainder of the season.
  11. James Zumstein
    I believe someone may have mentioned it earlier but Casey Schmitt is a pretty good 3B who is playing out of position in LF because of Chapman, and he's having another really solid season for the Giants. 16 HR and OPS right around .800. He'd be under club control for another three years and is versatile, if not great, defensively.
  12. James Zumstein
    Comeau reminds me a lot of Brady Ebel that we took last year: similar builds, current hit over power but potential for both down the road, strong arms but lack of foot speed limits their defensive ceilings, both left-handed hitters that are still 17 on draft day. I think Bitonti's power was more of a known-quantity when he was drafted than either Ebel or Comeau, but I can see the comparison. Regardless, Comeau would defintiely be an asset to the org if we were to add him.
  13. James Zumstein
    I'm predicting that with our first two picks we take one of the three young-for-the-class HS shortstops (Maniscalco, Marchand, or Ebel) and one college pitcher. Not ready to settle on who exactly for either pick, just feeling that's the way we'll go. Who exactly we take and in what order will depend on how things shake out and who's available at #25.
  14. James Zumstein
    After around a dozen games played, the OPS leader in the MLB Draft League is Carlos Sanchez, a catcher from Maracaibo, Venezuela, Jackson Chourio's hometown. I looked up some info on him and he was conference player of the year this past season at LSU-Shreveport, where he hit .388 with an 1.167 OPS and also was successful on 37 of 41 SB attempts. Listed as a utility player in college, he could be an interesting target.
  15. James Zumstein
    Going down late in the year with arm fatigue has definitely caused him to lose a little shine and brought him down into our range. He was almost guaranteed to be gone by #25 if he had stayed healthy, but now he could likely be available, if we were so inclined.
  16. James Zumstein
    We took Ethan Small at #28 in 2019. I think we'd all like to forget that happened. 😉
  17. James Zumstein
    I had forgotten that. Thanks for catching it!
  18. James Zumstein
    While Brick has a lot of qualities the Brewers look for, right-handed hitting HS catchers have probably the lowest success rate of any position in the draft historically. Add in the fact that he would demand slot or higher, I think the risk is greater than the reward. I completely agree with you about needing some fresh blood behind the dish, but guys like Brick and Sean Dunlap, who I was high on earlier, are just too risky IMHO. There are still several HS catchers I feel the Brewers could be looking at, like Dylan Kassab, Kendall Hagedorn, or Maddux Lessard, that fit our profile and would be cheaper and therefore less of a risk. Lots of good college catchers that are possibilities too. Garrett Wright, Robbie Lavey, and Cashel Dugger will all be 21.0 or younger on draft day and are really solid prospects. Even Brady Neal, Alabama's catcher, will only be 21.9 as a SR, so could be a great bargain.
  19. James Zumstein
    I've mentioned him before as being a possibility, but that was just a "he fits the profile and we have a connection," not having any inside info. If we did, it wouldn't shock me. He's worked out with Turang in the past and played for the Brewers Scout team, for what that's worth. Also remember that his brother signed last year for under slot so that could be something to watch for. Exciting possibility.
  20. James Zumstein
    I'm really liking the idea of Marchand at #25. I was calling for college arms early, but as things have fluctuated recently, it looks like the guys I would have targeted are either climbing the boards and will likely be gone or, like Reddemann and Carlon, have had some injuries recently and might not be worth the risk at this time. Marchand's game just seems like it fits the Brewers very well. Plus, fun fact, he goes to the same high school that Gorman Thomas went to.
  21. James Zumstein
    I was checking out some of the Midwest-based HS seniors that I felt could be targets in July and found that Brimfield, IL 3B/OF Kaeden Schatsiek has an 1.843 OPS with 14 HR through his first 83 ABs this season. At 6'4, 215 lbs. and committed to Illinois State, he has well above average bat speed and arm strength, also pitching for his team and hitting 94 with his fastball. He also doesn't turn 18 until next month, another trait the Brewers love. Could be a real hidden gem in the later rounds that would likely be very signable.
  22. James Zumstein
    I couldn't agree more. I've been waiting for them to use a first-rounder on a corner OF, preferably a RF with a strong arm, for a while, but it never materializes. And looking at the likely top players when we pick at #25, I wouldn't anticipate it this year either. Those of us who really analyze the Brewers drafts and their "type" of player will see there aren't a lot of advanced college hitters that fit that profile this year, especially at the picks we will be selecting. That's why I'm becoming more and more convinced that we break our streak of hitters and go college arms early, including the first round. Which means that is unlikely to happen and we still take a college bat.
  23. James Zumstein
    I've been scouring scouting reports, etc. for months now of both high school and college players, and I am wholly convinced that the player that most perfectly fits the Brewers profile is Notre Dame RHP Jack Radel. A cold-weather arm (originally from Sioux Falls, SD) at 6' 5", 250 lbs., and he averages almost seven feet of extension, something the Brewers look for in starting pitchers. They also don't mind pitchers who are a little older and Radel will turn 22 two months after the draft. Going into the season, he was expected to go somewhere around the third round, but after throwing a complete game shutout over #19 Clemson on Friday, he's now 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA with a 44/6 K/BB ratio. He would be a solid choice for us at #66, if still available.
  24. James Zumstein
    There are three players from the Brewers 2026 MLB Scout Team that I think could all be possible targets. SS Trey Ebel, brother of 2025 pick Brady Ebel, will be a few months shy of his 18th birthday come July and is a premiere defensive infielder with good speed and a solid all-around offensive profile. Would likely require an early pick and large bonus to sign him away from his Texas A & M commitment. Florida RHP Ryan Walls will be turning 18 in July, and while not a hard thrower (FB max around 90), he's 6'3 and spins it well, and is known as a guy who knows how to get outs. Could be a target in 11-20 to try to sign away from his Ole Miss commitment. OF and Southern Miss commit Henry Abt could be another possible target in the second half of the draft. Like Walls, he turns 18 in July, fitting the Brewers preferred profile. He features above average bat and foot speed, great bat-to-ball skills, and has a strong enough arm to play all three OF spots. Another well-rounded player that would fit in with the organization quite well.
  25. James Zumstein
    Luckily we have a ton of depth throughout the system, so maybe we go after one or two big-time prospects at the top and have the rest of the picks be "value" picks. You know, like we used to do 30 years ago. 🙄
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