Spencer Michaelis

Either I’m losing my mind, or the Shuckers have not updated the probables in a while. Didn’t Letson go on the IL with an oblique like… 4 days ago?

FWIW, I had a very good source tell me that the Brewers were only going to need to negotiate with 4 players after the draft. That the rest had all agreed to deals before being picked or immediately after. Considering the 13-16 round picks are still unsigned and Knaak is as well, that math isn’t mathing unless someone backed out of (or is considering backing out of) an agreed upon deal. Would seem to be a pretty risky move for a lot of reasons for Knaak, if that’s the case.

Havard's mom followed me on Twitter, so perhaps that's a good sign lol

Martinez is definitely one I should have included. I came away super impressed with his stuff in the game I watched, and the results were legit too. Definitely hoping he can avoid surgery.

Ah yeah, Handelfry is the one I missed, I knew I was missing someone. He'd be in that 3rd round-ish grade for me too. There's legit power and solid bat-to-ball and swing decisions. Likely a corner OF with a fine, but not great arm and not overly fast. Bat is pretty legit though.

If I'm reading this right, you're basically asking "where would these recent DSL guys likely get drafted if they were eligible?" I'll answer it that way either way lol Alexander Frias: 1st round grade (Potential for plus hit and plus power, with a cannon in RF and good athleticism for his height, only turned 18 in March) Ricki Moneys: 2nd round grade (Potential for plus power, EVs up to 111 MPH with wood already, really good athlete, contact concerns keep him off of a 1st round grade) Diego Frontado: 2-3 round grade (Reminds me a bit of Trey Ebel honestly, just very solid in a lot of respects, but will need to add a standout tool at some point as he develops, EVs are better than average for his age, but nothing crazy special) Brailyn Antunez: 2-3 round grade (huge raw power from a simple swing, very athletic, playing solid defense, a lot of whiff, but players of his talent are still day 1 grades as HS players) Leanders Matos: 3rd round grade (The data is solid but unspectacular, will need to add pop still, but it's further along than Luis Pena was in the DSL, very good contact skills, solid athlete, decent defense) Moises Salazar: 3-4 round grade (defense at catcher is really strong, it's hard to catch DSL pitching but he looks the part and could have a legit plus-plus arm, still 16 and a switch-hitter with a 119 wRC+, think he's the most underrated DSL guy this year) José Rodríguez: 3-4 round grade (defense at short is supposed to be quite good, none of the offensive data stands out in a major way, but he has hit much better than I expected, solid athlete but nothing crazy, probably depends how good the defense actually is, which is hard for me to say based on what I have and haven't seen) Kenny Fenelon: 4-5 round grade (pretty big power himself, I'd say a half grade worse across the board compared to Antunez, other than maybe defensively) Juan Martinez: Mid-Day 2 grade (lack of power hurts him, and though he's a good defensive 2B, I think that's probably the one spot he can handle with his arm strength) Other draftable grades: Osiris Ramirez (big power, more swing-and-miss than the others in his game, and doesn't have the speed the others have) Alexander Mercedes (lefty who has touched 95 MPH already and has a nice-looking curve to go with it. Mostly a 2-pitch guy with command concerns, which would hurt his draft grade.) Angeni Fernandez (really undersized, likely would be a "let's see how he looks after college" type player in a real class, but the talent is real and he packs more punch than you'd guess)

He's absolutely still a name to know. He's touched 98 a bunch of times this year, and is sitting mid-90s, with two good-looking breaking balls and a new cutter, as well as a useable changeup. The command hasn't returned to pre-TJS form, but the stuff is actually better IMO. Might end up a relief prospect, but it's a very talented arm.

I am not sure in this scenario, but my guess would be he did at some point.

Got about 4 hours left to get your questions in!

Not a huge surprise, given he's a prep NDFA, but I hear Hagedorn will be receiving the full $150k to sign.

As much info as I can find for now.

If you've got questions for this week's episode, drop them below! (The minor league sandbox will be back for the first time since pre-draft as well)

I was told not to talk about Ruby's bonus until it became official, but I think this is a steal to not have to use any slot money to sign him.

We've got our first number in!

Late notice again, sorry about that! We will be discussing the sweep at the hands of the Pirates, the trade this week and the Brewers' draft class. If you've got questions, we'd love to take them!

Yoho's changeup is a much bigger shape than Knaak's is. Knaak's shape is definitely more in line with Logan Henderson's than the "airbender" types, so it should tunnel much easier, which is a big part of why they seem to have hesitations with Yoho.

Awesome write-up on Frank Cairone from Jason Pennini on his new Complex League site (great follow on Twitter/X as well, highly recommend). Pennini was an OG prospect guy on socials and with Prospects Live, got a job as a scout and now is back in this world. He's also helping Baseball America with some stuff. Seems like a great guy too. https://www.complex-baseball.com/notes/ef1ad098-09dd-43c0-8f03-87604d85c35d

Definitely is yeah, nice find! Can certainly see the athleticism and he reportedly hit 98 MPH in his one inning on the mound this season.

Well we know one player who is signing. 18th rounder Brady Smith is coming for Miz lol

The Brewers continued to go with prep players for round 16-18, then they took a Division II player, and then they finished the draft off with the son of a Brewers legend. All in all, a pretty exciting final five rounds. Round 16, Pick 491: RHP Bradyn Havard -- George County HS (MS) -- Pearl River CC Commit This is an interesting selection, as the Brewers take a player committed to a community college for next season. Havard had a very strong season in Mississippi this year, striking out 134 batters in 75 1/3 innings and posting a 1.30 ERA. He sits in the 88-90 MPH range and gets up to 93 at times, with armside run. He also mixes in a curveball, a slider, and a changeup. The slider is the pitch he seems to have the best feel for at this moment, and seems to be his go-to secondary when he's looking to put someone away. A community college commitment is not a common one for a high school pick, but it certainly would seem like he'd be someone willing to sign into pro ball if the offer is right. Round 17, Pick 521: INF Chance Ruby -- Wilmot HS (WI) -- Illinois-Chicago Commit This marks the third Ginger Poulson pick in rounds 11-20. Ruby was an under-the-radar name in the state of Wisconsin. He's got extremely quick hands at the plate, with some Joey Wiemer mannerisms (at times) to the hand movement during his load, though never quite as exaggerated. He runs a sub-6.6 60-yard dash and has numerous 100+ MPH batted balls in games already. He's also shown the ability to catch up to upper-90s fastballs in live AB settings. There are some right-handed Josh Adamczewski parallels to this profile. The glove might wind up moving him off of shortstop eventually, but the arm is strong enough to handle it if he can improve upon some of the infield actions. He is very instinctual and has a lot of baseball IQ as well. Ruby is a UIC commit, like Adamczewski was a Ball State commit, which gives the impression he could be a signable player, even at this point in the draft. Round 18, Pick 551: RHP Brady Smith --East Carter HS (MO) -- Wichita St Commit Smith is another lanky pitcher with room to fill out and add some more velocity. He seems to sit in the low-90s with decent regularity and has touched 94 MPH in a showcase setting. The fastball shape seems to blend into a sinker type of shape, so he may wind up embracing that as his primary fastball, if he hasn't already. The slider is a solid secondary offering with average spin rates in the 2300 RPM range, and a pretty stock slider shape. The changeup seems to be the secondary with the most potential, as he will get up to 22 inches of run on it at times, with close to 0 inches of induced vertical break as well. It has the potential to be a plus offering down the line. His Wichita State commitment is another tough one to gauge. The odds are the Brewers won't be able to sign all of these prep players in this range, but Smith is another who feels attainable. Round 19, Pick 581: LHP Sam George -- Minnesota State Mankato (D2) -- Iowa Transfer Commit George is another Poulson area pick, and another interesting one. This is a left-handed arm that has seen a lot of success at the Division II level for Mankato. This most recent season, he posted a 3.80 ERA in 64 innings, and that was coming off a sophomore season in which he posted a 2.97 ERA in 60 2/3 innings. George starts in a very closed stance and falls off to the third base side a bit on his finish. He threw a ton of strikes at Mankato, only walking 48 in 165 innings. He mixes both a four-seam and a sinker in the low-90s, touching 94 MPH. His best secondary is his slider, which he spins well and can command to both sides of the plate. He will also mix a changeup in, which he lacks the same feel for, but shows some interesting signs at times. He is committed to transferring to Iowa, but feels like another name that could very well wind up signing. Round 20, Pick 611: 1B Carsten Sabathia III -- Houston Yes, this is CC's son. No, he is not a pitcher. Yes, this is a very cool pick. The Brewers will now have the sons of CC Sabathia and Prince Fielder in their organization. Carsten is a first baseman who started his career at Georgia Tech and finished it at Houston. He possesses quite a bit of raw power, with the hit tool lagging behind. He was not a regular for Houston this season, but in 107 plate appearances, he posted a slash line of .283/.374/.511 for an .885 OPS, and also hit six home runs. He also participated in the MLB Draft League, where he didn't perform great in 43 plate appearances, but he did pop close to a 111 MPH exit velocity in a game this year. Whether it works out or not, the Sabathia family will be back in the organization for the first time since that magical 2008, and that is very cool for Brewers fans. That concludes the 2026 MLB Draft. Thanks for following along all day or catching up later on. Non-drafted Free Agents are next over the next few weeks, because the fun never really stops! View full article

The Brewers brought in two college arms, who will almost certainly sign, and then also drafted three prep players who are less of a certainty to sign, but all bring some interesting traits to the table. Round 11, Pick 341: RHP Gavin Perry -- Western Kentucky Perry is a different type of pick than we usually see from the Brewers in round 11. A fifth-year senior, Perry is a similar type of pitcher to Braylon Owens from the 2025 draft. Like Owens, Perry seems to have a reputation for pitching with a lot of fire and as a competitor. He's a big guy, listed at 6'5, 265 pounds, and throws in the 92-94 MPH range on his fastball for the most part. Unlike Owens, his fastball appears to be more of the sinker variety. It's a four-pitch mix, including a curveball, a slider, and a splitter. He appears to be the type of arm that could potentially add a cutter to the mix in the pro ball as well. Perry had a very strong season in 2026, posting a 3.89 ERA in 15 starts. He struck out 83 batters in 85 2/3 innings and only walked 19. This isn't the highest upside pick, but Owens has shown that there can be quite a bit of value in this type of pitcher, already making it to Double-A, not even a year after he was drafted. Round 12, Pick 371: RHP Marcus Kruzan -- Minnesota Kruzan began his career at St Thomas in Minnesota before transferring to Minnesota for this most recent season. He's a native of Ashland, WI, as well. He pitched well in his first season with the Gophers. Kruzan started 12 of his 14 appearances and finished with 52 2/3 innings total. He struck out 54 and only walked 16, which was a big improvement from where he had been the couple of seasons he spent at St Thomas. It's a very athletic delivery for Kruzan. His pitch mix is built around his four-seam fastball. He gets around 7 feet of extension and sits in the low to mid-90s on it with solid carry. He will also mix in a curveball, slider, and splitter. There are some similarities to the John Holobetz and Tyson Hardin picks from 2024 here. If the secondaries can be cleaned up a bit, he could be a starter option. Brewers fans who follow the draft know that Ginger Poulson has a tendency to cook in rounds 11-20, and this is the first pick from her territory, though it isn't her last. Round 13, Pick 401: OF Carson Hart -- Mankato East HS (MN) -- Creighton Commit Hart is also from Poulson's territory. He's a premium athlete in the outfield and was recently clocked at a ridiculous 6.28-second 60-yard dash at a Prep Baseball event. It's plus-plus speed, with the potential for really good outfield defense as well. The offensive side of the ball is very intriguing, too. He has a short swing, but his exit velocities have been creeping up of late, and at 17, there is some untapped power still coming down the line. On top of that, there's potential for an above-average hit tool already, with good bat-to-ball skills and a line drive approach, though he didn't tear up his competition to the extent you might expect this spring. Hart is a Creighton commit and will likely be the first of the 11-20 picks to command a bonus over $150,000. If they can bring him in, he will bring an exciting brand of baseball to pro ball. Round 14, Pick 431: LHP Daunte Bell II -- Millikan HS (CA) -- Houston Commit Bell is a very projectable left-handed pitcher out of California, committed to Houston for college. He sits in the mid-to-upper 80s right now and has touched 91 MPH in games. The fastball has late life, however, and he mixes in a five-pitch mix from a funky arm angle. He'll throw a cutter, a bigger slider, and a curveball, and he shows pretty good feel for a changeup as well. Standing 6'3 and only weighing 175 pounds, Bell has a ton of room left to put on weight. There is a lot of low-hanging, untapped velocity potential that could be uncovered just from a professional lifting routine and eating well. It's hard to say how signable Bell will be, but the potential is undeniable. Round 15, Pick 461: RHP Keaton Maiorana -- Mountain Vista HS (CO) -- Minnesota Commit Maiorana is an under-the-radar high school arm out of Colorado. He was ranked as the number 43 player in the state by Prep Baseball, but he was up to 95.5 MPH in February of 2025, which means there might already be more in there. He tinkered with his curveball and turned it into more of a sweeper in the upper-70s. He spins it extremely well, breaking 3000 RPMs at times. He showed a little bit of feel for a changeup, though it blended with the fastball shape a bit. The fastball shape itself is somewhat dead-zone, so the Brewers would likely tinker with the shape if they are able to sign him. He flipped his commitment from UNLV to Minnesota about a month ago, and it's unclear if he is signable or not. He's an up-arrow prospect this spring who could benefit from going to school, but the Brewers certainly will be hoping to bring him in before he blows up. Rounds 16-20, coming up soon! View full article