James Zumstein
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Everything posted by James Zumstein
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Good call, but the fact remains that he turns 23 years old in the first week in October. Waiting another year just puts him further behind, and most teams want to get players when they're younger. The older a player is, the less leverage they have to negotiate a deal that benefits them, regardless of eligibility remaining.
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While these wouldn't be the two players I would necessarily take in that situation, I'd be more than happy to have them both join the organization. I definitely like going bats with the first 2-3 picks as we traditionally don't draft pitchers in the first round very often. We are probably the best org out there at getting great pitching value in later rounds, so don't fix what ain't broken.
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I counted eight catchers in the list. It'll be interesting to see if we address those numbers in the draft in a couple of weeks by picking up two or three to help offset any potential loses.
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I think Kohn is definitely in the mix at 68. He's one of four senior pitchers that will have little leverage but also the talent to consider taking that high. I'd also consider Houston's Antoine Jean, UNC-Wilmington's Zane Taylor, or the risky choice of Jared Spencer from Texas (coming off shoulder surgery). Kohn and Taylor both were at the combine so would be guaranteed 75% of slot, Jean and Spencer were not, reducing their leverage even more.
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I absolutely loved the Cobra his whole career, not just in his time with the Brewers. I will never forget seeing him on-deck swinging a sledgehammer to loosen up instead of using weighted doughnuts on his bat like most batters. In his heyday, nobody had a better throwing arm from right field, maybe ever. He exuded confidence and brashness, but never to the point that he disrespected the game. I'm glad he was still alive to know he finally made it to the Hall of Fame, but it's sad he didn't make it to induction day. RIP, Cobra.
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Another guy I think could be in the mix is HS SS Ryan Mitchell. Super-athletic up-the-middle player with a 60-grade bat and decent power potential. Sounds like a Brewer profile to me. The latest BF Consensus Board has him at #56, but I could see us grabbing him at #32 and signing him under-slot.
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Yes, Conrad did injure his shoulder in the outfield, but it's not supposed to be anything serious, from what I've read. I would also be excited to get Dickerson. He has a very well-rounded skill set that fits the Brewers mold nicely. But choosing between the two, I'd still lean Conrad, although Dickerson could still provide great talent and value at #32.
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As of now, I also would lean towards Ethan Conrad from Wake Forest as my pick at #20. Over the next few picks, I would love to get RHP Angel Cervantes or LHP Johnny Slawinski from the HS ranks, and any of RHP Anthony Eyanson, RHP Patrick Forbes, or LHP Zach Root as college arms. Although trying to guess what the Brewers will actually do is something I have proven to be horrible at in the past, and expect more of the same this year 🙂.
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If LaViolette is still there at 20, I think we would have to take him, much like we took Garrett Mitchell when he slid in 2020. Considering he was expected to be a top-3 or so pick to start the year, falling to #20 could give him a massive chip on his even more massive shoulders. I love Zach Root and his repertoire. He may "only" be a mid-rotation guy, but he'll be an outstanding one at that. I've been following him closely all year and he has yet to show me anything that says he wouldn't be a great pro. He would be a very safe pick if we decided to take LaViolette. Russell, along with his Vol teammate Marcus Phillips, could be a top of the rotation guy, or could be a high-leverage reliever. Some similarities to Misiorowski in that regard. Of course, there's his health history to consider as well. He'd be a lock to go in the first round if he had pitched all year, but having only thrown 23 innings this season, teams will have to weigh that risk versus the reward.
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Spencer was expected to be a top-100 pick until he blew out his throwing shoulder halfway through the season. I wanted him last year out of ISU for the same reason you mentioned; he's a Hader clone. It'll be interesting to see how far he falls due to the injury.
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I graduated from high school with Gavin Kilen's dad Chris, and I've known their whole family for years. He's a truly outstanding person as well as ballplayer. There's a Brewer connection too; Chris was a standout ballplayer who was in the same pitching rotation at Northeast Louisiana with Ben Sheets in 1997.
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Another great write-up, Joseph. So excited for all the young pitching studs we're accumulating. Dorchies and Dubanewicz are looking like steals, but don't forget about Tyler Renz and Wenderlyn King (IFA, not draft pick) as well. All 19 or younger, all having ERA's under 3, all with WHIP's under 1.25. Ridiculous, in a good way. I am so hoping we draft a bunch of players with similar upsides next month in the draft!
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- alexander cornielle
- eric bitonti
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I'm all in on Cairone. We should be able to sign him away from his Coastal Carolina commitment. Another name that fits your "type" that isn't mentioned but could be a fast riser is Morton, IL RHP Ryan Schaffnit. 6' 6", 215, started this HS season 6-0, ERA under 1.00, and a 70:4 K:BB ratio. Yes, you read that correctly, 70 K, 4 BB! Committed to Bradley, another school that we should be able to sign away from fairly easily. He'll be 18.6 on draft day, but that's not too old for the Brewers.
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Glad to see Luis Lara heating up. After a "meh" offensive season at Wisconsin last year (the defense will always be there), I wasn't sure if he was ready for the move to Biloxi. The frigid start did nothing to allay my fears, so I hope this hot streak is a sign of better days ahead.
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- daz cameron
- luis lara
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Two high school position players that I’m really intrigued by are Taitn Gray and Sebastian Norman. Prep Baseball held their annual Super 60 event in Chicago in early February, and these two were all over the leaderboards. Both players were well down most draft boards at the start of the year, but after dominating a premier event with the best talent available in the draft, they could each easily climb into first day territory with strong springs. Each would be interesting players to consider early, like we did with Payne last year, but especially Gray. Switch-hitting catchers with massive power from both sides of the plate, a strong throwing arm, and above average speed don’t come along every day. He may have to move to the outfield eventually, but as an extra bonus, he doesn’t turn 18 until a month after the draft.
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I'm hoping they're considering Mississippi State LHP Pico Kohn. 6' 5", 205, solid three-pitch mix with great control. Most experts feel he's the highest rated senior available, with some feeling he's a top 100 pick.
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One of the more interesting potential side plots of the Brewers draft this year is whether or not that make it three years in a row drafting a player from Lake Central High School in Indiana. After selecting IF Josh Adamczewski in 2023 and taking RHP Griffin Tobias last year, there's another top prospect from the same school in University of Kentucky recruit Joshua Flores. He hit 96.8 last month with a fastball at over 2400 rpm, throws two breaking balls with over 2600 rpm each, and a decent changeup. If we do draft him, it wouldn't just be for the novelty factor. This kid has talent, and he turns 18 just weeks before the draft. Would love to get him in the system as well.
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When I first started looking at 2025 draft prospects, this was the first player that I thought would be a great pick for the Brewers. I still think he would be, but somewhere along the line (can't find it now) I read that he is very committed to going to Virginia and that he might be a difficult sign. After getting burned by drafting a different ACC commit last year that didn't sign in Levonas, not sure we would risk that again. But then again...102 from a high school southpaw might be worth the risk!
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Thank you for the wonderful reminder of what we all have in Ueck. I wouldn't trade all the years we've been blessed to have him calling games for anything.
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Parra should have been the guy right after Ben Sheets at the top of our rotation. Instead he went from co-ace to head case.
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Great write-up, Matt! I remember watching this game, if only because of the earthquake. This game was a microcosm of watching the Brewers that year: a real roller coaster. It also goes to show that any one of the 162 games a season can provide drama that is still palpable all these years later. Baseball players get old. Baseball fans get old. The game itself, however, never does.
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- bj surhoff
- john henry johnson
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I like some of your ideas, especially Devin to the Tigers, but I'm not sure how trading a 29 year old Civale to "save money" adds up when you then sign a 36 year old with similar numbers for $3M more for next season.
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- ty madden
- max anderson
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While I agree with you that Made may end up being the biggest star of all players currently in our minor league system, choosing who is currently the best prospects should be taken on both potential and proximity to the big leagues. All players need to prove they can continue to perform as they climb the ladder. If Made does what he did this year at Carolina, then he will likely be #1 next year.
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I think at this point EBJ's best shot at being a major leaguer will be as a utility player, not as a starter. With this in mind, I'd like to see him getting some opportunities in the outfield next season at Biloxi. He has more than enough speed to handle CF, and he and O'Rae could tandem up at covering CF, along with their respective MIF positions alongside Arienamo. This leaves Pratt down at A+ until he's absolutely ready for AA.
