CheeseheadInQC

They might choose to sell, but 3.5 games out with the three current Wild Card teams tightly bunched isn’t out of the race unless you think all six of the current AL playoff teams are locks.

I wasn’t shocked by the number of four year college guys after round 10 simply because it was lower last year, when Ryne Moore was the only one taken. I think they looked at what their Carolina lineup was looking like and thought outside of catcher, where the JUCO kid might get a shot, they had enough internal guys who they liked better.

Third tier just sounds bad without context of how fine you’re getting with your tiers, although personally I think there is an argument for Quero at three even if I would have him a couple of spots lower.

Third tier just sounds bad without context of how fine you’re getting with your tiers, although personally I think there is an argument for Quero at three even if I would have him a couple of spots lower.

I would also say that the lower investment in pitching lately has me leery of dealing Rodriguez or Cruz just because I think they have more value to the organization than what they would bring back in a trade.

I would also say that the lower investment in pitching lately has me leery of dealing Rodriguez or Cruz just because I think they have more value to the organization than what they would bring back in a trade.

Part of the blame falls on the over-compartmentalization when it comes to enshrining Hall of Famers. To some degree it makes sense to consider players, coaches and other contributors separately to give more of an apples to apples comparison, but it fails those like O’Neil, who from everything I have read was a coin flip candidate solely as a player but the totality of his baseball life should have made him a no-doubter for enshrinement. And the Negro League Museum is definitely worth a visit. We arrived too late to spend as much time as I would have liked, but what I was able to take in did a really good job telling the Leagues’ stories.

Between the emphasis on contact and the addition of infielders at the lower levels, I kind of wonder if Eduardo Garcia might not be among those dealt. I also agree on Quero being in one of the top tiers.

Between the emphasis on contact and the addition of infielders at the lower levels, I kind of wonder if Eduardo Garcia might not be among those dealt. I also agree on Quero being in one of the top tiers.

I'm very much a BPA guy in round one. If you build up a depth of prospects at one position, well, trades happen. Even if you pick an outfielder first it's not saying you couldn't draft three or four pitchers and a corner infielder and/or catcher with the rest of your picks in the first five rounds. Once you get later then organizational depth chart affects things. Like unless there is still somehow someone on the board they REALLY like, I doubt you see any college infielders or outfielders taken in rounds 11-20 simply because the organizational opportunity won't necessarily be there.

My random predictions, ranges generally gotten from MLB pipeline rankings 1. Gabriel Hughes, pitcher, Gonzaga: Feels like it is going to be a college pitcher or outfielder judging by who is projected to go in this range. Hughes is as good of a guess as any. 2. Jacob Misiorowski, pitcher, Crowder JC: I've seen him ranked all over the board, so who knows if he is here, but the Brewers like JUCO pitching, and he is an Antoine Kelly-type upside play. CB2: Max Wagner, 3B, Clemson: Doesn't fit the Brewers' up the middle tendency, but Milwaukee has been willing to gamble with college guys with smaller than ideal track records (although it is usually because of injury) 3. Dominic Keegan, will be announced as a catcher, Vanderbilt: I had to give the Brewers the annual won't actually stick at catcher guy, and he is the only one I came across in a reasonable range. 4. Kenya Huggins, pitcher, Chipola JC: Another JUCO pitcher, another upside play 5. Quinn Matthews, pitcher, Stanford: Lefty whose best pitch is a changeup. Sounds like a Brewers pick.

I guess it depends on the price tag. Prep pitching in the first round always carries a risk, but you accept it for the right player. Now if he has such a ridiculous bonus demand that it means having to go senior sign with one of your second rounders it gets significantly less appealing.

It all depends on the overall stateside limit, Other than Nashville and maybe Carolina I don’t know that they are at the roster limit anywhere. With the shorter draft, the Brewers signed 15 draft picks and 3 UDFA last season, and five or six didn’t play at all last year. Those who did play seemed to have their debuts pretty well staggered. With the promotions that would occur anyway, finding room for a dozen players shouldn’t be that tough from an individual roster perspective.

Outside of the other guys listed on MLB.com's top 200 (Jacob Misiorowski and Jake Madden) I can't find much about any of the JUCO arms, but given the Brewers have picked a fair number lately I wonder if they go Kenya Huggins in the fourth round or something like that.

With the MLB draft about a month away, I thought I would take a bit of time and examine some of the Brewers tendencies to predict what we can expect when the draft kicks off July 17. Catch a falling star The Brewers have no problem stopping the fall of players many didn’t expect to be there. Garrett Mitchell, of course, was the classic example of this, but Sal Frelick was routinely being mocked above the Brewers’ pick as well. They also have had no problem grabbing guys who were expected to go much higher one year out, be it in the first round (Turang) or later (Hayden Cantrelle) Walking wounded While there are rumors the Brewers aren’t interested in any of the injured pitchers in the first this year, they have shown a willingness to grab guys coming off injuries early. Drew Rasmussen is perhaps the most noteworthy pitcher, but on the hitting side they’ve taken chances on David Hamilton, Gabe Holt and Freddy Zamora in the first 10 rounds. We’re going to call him a catcher This is the one I wish they would stop. At some point, it just begins to reek of hubris. Every year it seems, going back to K.J. Harrison in 2017, the Brewers take a player who isn’t a catcher or, in Harrison’s case, almost everyone agrees shouldn’t be a catcher. They followed with David Fry in 2018, Thomas Dillard in 2019, Zavier Warren in 2020 and Wes Clarke in 2021. Fry was the only one who lasted more than a season behind the plate, and last time I checked, he wasn’t catching in the Cleveland organization. If you think the guy is worth the pick regardless of if he sticks behind the plate, then fine, but paying any sort of premium for the ability to kind of look like a catcher if you squint might not be the best idea based on past precedent. Scouring the JUCOs Between 2017 and 2021, there were 36 JUCO pitchers drafted in the first 10 rounds. The Brewers accounted for five, or almost 1/7 of the picks, an average of one per draft. The Brewers have also had a fair amount of success mining JUCO staffs. Ashby and Bowden Francis give them two of the six who have made their major league debut from over that time period. And then you have Antoine Kelly looking promising in Wisconsin and Carlos Rodriguez developing into the ace of the Carolina staff. Whatever the Brewers have been doing as far as devoting scouting resources to this level, it seems to be working. On the other hand … Too often when discussing drafts, fans lean back on “rules” as to who the team would or, more often than not, wouldn’t draft. There are no rules when it comes to drafts, only tendencies. Even in the far more predictable NFL draft, you can see it. The Packers athletic “requirements” for offensive linemen make them so predictable that if you had told me after the first round of the draft this year that the Packers were going to take two offensive linemen before the end of Round 4, I would have needed three guesses, max, to get both picks. Despite this, however, you will still see the occasional Caleb Schlauderaff or Jamon Meredith who bucks the trend. So while, given past history, all of the things I mentioned earlier are more likely to happen than on average, perhaps the safest bet is that the Brewers will buck their tendencies, either not doing something mentioned here or taking a high schooler early. It’s draft time. Always expect at least some unexpected.

Saying we haven't had any success since Braun is hyperbole. Lucroy was great during his prime and heck, Mitch Haniger has had a pretty successful career, albeit not for the Brewers, along with the occasional solid player like Davis or Gennett. Not saying it has been ideal, and they do need to start developing more position players, but when you use as your benchmark one of the three best hitters in franchise history, you are setting them up for failure. Also, you know who fits the high upside profile you seem to covet? Corey Ray. Just saying.

I guess you could refer to it as clickbait, but in most cases it is the most benign form. Most aren't stirring up controversy for the sake of page views, it is simply a method of immediately analyzing the draft from their point of view in a form that people seem to like to read and spurs discussion. You get a few who are over the top or who seem to believe their views are infallible, but for the most part, these are people paid to analyze and write about the NFL analyzing and writing about the NFL, albeit in a contrived package, but no moreso than the predraft mocks that everyone does. Of course they shouldn't be treated as gospel, and how a team did in the draft won't be known for years. Outside of those who slap on a grade with an unfunny bit of sarcasm attached and nothing else, however, they provide another perspective that, if it is done well, can at least be an interesting read.

If I am leaning into an alternative explanation for the length of the suspension I might look more toward the Dodgers having no intention of ever bringing him back (and thus perhaps pushing for the longest penalty possible) than Bauer’s past antagonism toward baseball leadership.

I think other people might have said something similar, but this felt a lot like a Ted Thompson draft from when he was at his best. Pass rusher (interior in this case) in the first round? Check. Second round receiver? Check. A couple of college tackles who are athletic but might have to kick inside in the NFL? Check. A day 3 flyer or two at receiver? Check. This whole draft feels familiar in the best of possible ways. The first rounders addressed two of the weaker starting positions on the defensive side of the ball. The rest of the draft filled in the two areas where depth was lacking on offense: receiver and offensive line. There are still some question marks (top-end pass catching talent, at least for this season, and depth on the edge and the secondary), but this feels like a draft that should help both now and in the future.

Given the names we've drafted, kind of surprised that Christian Matthew didn't end up a Packer

I was thinking either guys with kick coverage skills or double up on CB/S prospects and hope you hit on one

It was their second, but I'm going to count it.

If they view Tom as having any guard or tackle versatility, the backup center spot isn't exactly locked down right now unless Hanson made a big leap during the season.

I'm probably just reading a couple that are higher on him, but I get vague Cobb vibes off Shakir's scouting report.

I like them getting another versatile lineman. It still wouldn't shock me if they grab another in the fourth or fifth round (Zach Tom is still there, so my prediction is alive). Otherwise another receiver or tight end or maybe a DB in round 4.