Spencer Michaelis

After an incredible road trip, let's break down the week that was. The guys break down the successful five game road trip to Minnesota and Chicago, discussing Jackson Chourio's huge two game series against the Twins, the Brewers proclivity for bunting against the Cubs, the upcoming bullpen roster crunch and much more! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td\ iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ View full article

As far as I know, he hasn't completely shut off discussions but he's asking for "I don't want to sign money" meaning it's just an insane number he's throwing out.

I do think it's important to point out that the 2023 draft was abnormally loaded, due to the 5 round 2020 draft causing a lot of prep guys to go to school, and all becoming eligible at once in 2023. Along with a strong prep class to go with it. Worked out extremely well for the Brewers that year, but it was always gonna be tough to back up this year haha. That said, it will definitely feel like a bit of a let down. Nunnallee would be a good consolation prize, and I do like a lot of the day 3 arms, hoping they bring Broughton in especially (I think they will).

I think there were sign-ability concerns for him anywhere. Seems to me (purely my own guess here) that the Brewers were hoping they could change his mind, while not risking missing out on some of their other favorites. 67 seemed like the best spot to get the best combo of not missing out on some of your top targets, while not losing the pick completely if he doesn't sign (since it still defers to next year) and still having the money to take a shot at him at that point.

Now that the Pipeline podcast has talked about it and it's out there more, I feel comfortable saying that I was told Levonas was unlikely to sign about a week ago. Sounds like the Brewers called him on draft night and asked if he would sign for *well* over-slot and he said no. They decided to pick him anyway. My guess is that they liked him so much, they figured that if they can convince him, that would be great. If not, they would get an extra pick in 2025, in what is expected to be a better class. (In this scenario, the Brewers could end up with #68, their Comp Balance A pick, and a pick for Willy Adames signing elsewhere in next years draft) Not sure I fully agree with that strategy, but I would get the thought process. Levonas would've been my favorite pick in the draft, so I definitely see the appeal in hoping they could change his mind (and they still have time, you never know). Nunnallee was likely picked as insurance for Levonas once they realized just how difficult he could be to sign. FWIW, I've also heard Meccage is going to be around $1 million over-slot.

Appreciate it! Definitely think being healthier has helped as well. That's always going to be part of the equation for him. It seems like whenever he gets going, he gets hurt shortly after. I agree on CFR and EBJ both being guys who I can't quite drop too far down the list, despite concerns. Doesn't hurt him that EBJ was the guy I wanted the Brewers to take with their pick that year. I like the Hamilton comp. Hamilton is probably a better base stealer but I agree that the glove is better for EBJ.

Eric Brown Jr has gotten off to a tumultuous start at Double-A Biloxi. His prospect status has tanked. Could a recent change to his stance help him get back on track? Image courtesy of Lauren Witte - Clarion Ledger I took notice of a change in the positioning of Eric Brown Jr's hands on Jun. 7, when he hit his first home run of the season. That led me to look back at prior game footage to try to figure out when, exactly, the change had happened. I came to the conclusion that Jun. 5 was the day he first debuted the new hand position, at least to its full extent. At the time of the change, Brown Jr was slashing .155/.231/.202, for a wRC+ of 33. He was only walking at a 7% clip, though he did limit his strikeout rate to 16.8%. To put it bluntly, he was off to a horrific start at the plate. While Brown was doing a pretty good job of keeping his defense up to par, and he was 9-for-12 on stolen base attempts, defense and baserunning can only take you so far. The bat has to be providing much better than 70% below league average for any player to be making a positive impact on the game. Having that batting line for any meaningful length of time in the minors means you're near the cliff; your professional future in the game is in jeopardy. These early season struggles are likely what convinced Brown to make the change in June, but what led him to this point? His hands were always in a somewhat weird spot (starting in front of his face), but he hadn’t struggled to anywhere near this extent at any point in his career. Below is a comparison of his load and swing from 2022 in the Complex League to 2023 with the Timber Rattlers (on top) and then earlier this year vs his new setup in 2024 (on bottom). Obviously, his first swing had a ton of moving parts in it. It looks somewhat Keston Hiura-esque on the lower half, and the upper half has a lot of hand movement to get into the launch position. However, this was his swing. It was athletic, and it was something he was comfortable with. While it could have caused timing issues, it had yet to do so. In the second clip, you see that he had really toned down the lower half heading into 2023, and while his hands were still out in front of him, they had less movement as well. In the third clip (which is from earlier this season), he seems to have lost athleticism in the swing, likely through the process of trying to simplify things even further. However, with his hands out in front still, and less power generated in the lower half, his bat speed was much slower than earlier in his career. In the fourth clip, we see some things clicking into place. The hands are starting behind his head, and there’s a bit more rhythm to the operation, helping him get back to a more natural-looking load and swing and get some of his bat speed back. If Brown was going to change his swing, there were likely to be some bumps in the road. He hit a big bump early in the season, but this new swing looks a lot cleaner and he looks a lot more comfortable with it. Which is great, of course, but what about the results? Giving him a few days to adjust to the change, let’s take a look at his stats from Jun. 11 through Jul. 22. In that time, Brown is slashing .275/.364/.418, which is good for a 129 wRC+ in the very pitcher-friendly Southern League. He has hit three home runs in that time, and is walking at an 11.2% clip, while keeping his strikeout rate down at 15%. Without access to batted-ball metrics at the Double-A level, we can’t say for certain that Brown Jr has been hitting the ball with more authority since Jun. 11, though he certainly appears to be. What we can do, though, is compare some of the more important offensive stats that we have access to through FanGraphs and TruMedia. The overall stats have improved, but you may be surprised by some of the batted-ball data. There hasn’t been a drastic change in his ground ball, fly ball, or line drive rates. In fact, he’s actually hitting a slightly lower percentage of line drives since the swing change. One important change is that he has lowered his popup rate from an awful 16% to a below-average 11.7%. Pop-ups are essentially a free out, just as much as a strikeout is, and he has cut that down, while increasing his actual fly-ball rate. Fly balls can turn into home runs and extra-base hits, as long as there is a little juice behind them. The surface-level numbers suggest to us that there is. Another stat that may surprise people is the difference in his rate of hitting the ball up the middle (Center%). His 41.5% rate before the change was in the 97th percentile in Double-A. For most of baseball’s existence, hitters have been told to “hit the ball up the middle,” and the implication is that they will find a lot of success doing so. The issue is that, unless you’re getting a lot of pitches over the heart of the plate, a propensity for hitting the ball up the middle at such a high rate actually often implies some timing issues. It says that you’re out in front of outside pitches a lot, and that you’re late and getting jammed on inside pitches. That’s not even touching on the fact that defensive positioning often takes away the middle of the field, in this day and age. Seeing Brown pulling the ball and going the opposite way more often since the change is a good sign. It implies that he’s both seeing the ball better, as well as being able to start his swing a bit later in the process. That gives him time to read the pitch and react accordingly. On the surface, this was seemingly a simple adjustment for Brown to make, but when you take into account where he started in 2022, this was the culmination of a lot of adjustments and a lot of tinkering. Hopefully, he’s found a comfortable setup and swing now, and it will only be smaller adjustments moving forward. Perhaps this sort of progression to go from the 2022 swing to the current one was always part of the plan. Perhaps it wasn’t. Regardless, it seems like he may have found the best combination of athleticism and simplicity for himself. If the results over the last six weeks are any indication, Brown could be making his way back up the prospect lists that he had fallen to the bottom of--or off of, completely. Had you given up on Brown? if so, does this give you some hope? Let us know what you think about the former first rounder! View full article

He's almost 20 years old already, will be next month I believe. Committed to North Florida. Swing looks solid and he was posting triple digit exit velo's off BP in 2023, but appears he struggled against good competition in the travel circuit. Would be a fun flier to take, for sure though.

The Brewers have been excellent through their first 100-ish games. But what is in store for them in the second half? The guys discuss a sluggish finish into the All-Star break, what the second half could have in store, how the Brewers could manage a potential bullpen crunch, and more. Spencer also recaps how the Brewers did in this year's MLB Draft. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td\ iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ View full article

When the baseball industry zigs, the Brewers often zag. In a draft that was considered to be slanted toward college bats, the Brewers only used one of their four Day One selections on a player fitting that description. Instead taking a high school bat in Round 1 and grabbing two prep pitchers with picks 57 and 67. Image courtesy of © Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK What are the strengths and opportunities for improvement for these four players, as they begin their journey in pro baseball? Let’s explore. For each pick, you'll find their position, age, school, height, weight, handedness, and position on Jamie Cameron’s consensus board listed under their name. Braylon Payne, 17th Overall Pick OF, 17, Fort Bend Elkins HS (TX), 6’1, 180, L/L (56) The Brewers' selection of Payne was a surprise, to be sure. Ranked 56th on the consensus board, most saw his ceiling as being a potential late-20s or early-30s selection. The Brewers, once again, zagged in this scenario, taking the speedy outfielder at 17, and likely saved some money in the process. Payne’s profile is buoyed by his plus-plus speed. He posted an elite 6.28 time in the 60-yard dash as a Junior. His speed helps him play a really strong center field, though he relies too heavily on that sheer athleticism to be a plus defender at the moment. Still, he generally gets good jumps and takes solid routes. At the plate, Payne made some significant improvements over the course of the last two years. At one point, he was strictly a slap hitter, with a bat path tailored to hitting ground balls. While he certainly still has elements of that approach, he has flattened out the path a bit, and his hit tool is one of the better ones in the high school class. With his quick hands, he also began to show some ability to impact the ball this year (hitting three home runs his senior year), but his power is still likely to max out as fringe-average or average barring a much bigger change to his swing and approach. Bat-to-ball skills are already there for Payne, as well as a sound approach in terms of swing decisions. The Brewers will definitely need to see continued improvement in his ability to lift the ball and in his swing over the next three or four years, but the mold of a star is there for them to work with. While Payne’s defense and speed give him a relatively high floor for a prep player, his bat is still going to be the main factor driving his potential to have a successful major-league career, and there are still many questions about it. Blake Burke, 34th Overall Pick 1B, 21, Tennessee, 6’3, 240, L/L (49) Burke turned 21 about a month before the draft. Standing 6’3" and weighing 240 pounds, his frame and lack of speed confines him to a first-base only profile. Burke will not have any positional versatility, which means he is going to have to hit at a very high level. The good news? He is capable of hitting at that level. Burke has the appearance of your typical power-first “masher”, and that is certainly a big part of his profile, boasting arguably the most power in the entire class. Burke had 51 extra-base hits in 2024, including 20 home runs, one triple, and a Division I-best 30 doubles. He also showed exit velocities of up to 117 MPH on balls that left the yard. The impressive part of Burke’s offensive game is that he’s more than just a power threat. His hit tool grades out as around average, and could be a bit better. Burke limited strikeouts to a 14.9% clip in 2024 and has pretty good bat-to-ball skills in general. Breaking balls can give him trouble from time to time, and those will only be tougher in pro ball, but this isn’t a player who should have huge strikeout concerns. He is known to expand the zone more often than you would want to see, but that can be blamed on an inability to differentiate balls and strikes in the shadow zones. He’s not often flailing at pitches that are nowhere near the zone. Burke’s defense grades as well below average by most publications, but I see someone with pretty good hands. He’s mainly hurt by his general lack of athleticism limiting his range. Something of a Rowdy Tellez type, he shouldn’t make many errors, and should do well with picking bad throws, but won’t be able to get to too many balls that are outside of his wingspan. It’s an offense-first profile, but it’s the type of profile that could be a middle-of-the-order bat. He will be a fun bat to follow in the system, and could move pretty quickly at first. Bryce Meccage, 57th Overall Pick RHP, 18, Pennington HS (NJ), 6’4, 210, S/R (63) Meccage (pronounced like “message”) is a pick that feels very similar to the Josh Knoth selection in 2023. Both Northeast prep players (Knoth being from New York), Knoth could really spin the ball, and Meccage is known for a similar ability to generate spin. Both saw a jump in velocity heading into their senior seasons, too. Meccage has worked with Tread Athletics, a well-known organization that operates similarly to Driveline, since shortly after COVID in 2021. In a short feature on Tread’s YouTube page, Meccage said when he arrived at Tread he was sitting 84-86 on his fastball and had touched 89. He now sits 94-96 and has touched 98 MPH. His fastball is a solid offering, not only due to the velocity but thanks to his high spin rate on the pitch. He has struggled to find a consistent shape with it so far, which is something he will work to improve in pro ball. Meccage throws a slider in the low 80s with some sweep and some depth to it, with high spin rates as well. He also throws a curveball with more depth to it than the slider. The curve comes in a few ticks slower, sitting in the upper 70s. Meccage also throws a changeup in the mid-80s that he has improved significantly over the last couple of years, thanks in large part to Tread teaching him what they call a “kick change” to replace his old changeup. Meccage has solid command, but there's definitely room to grow in that regard. Finding consistency with his changeup and curveball, as well as improving his command will be paramount to his success, especially if he hopes to stick as a starting pitcher. Chris Levonas, 67th Overall Pick RHP, 18, Christian Brothers Academy (NJ), 6’2, 175, L/R (79) Levonas is yet another Northeast prep arm from New Jersey, though his profile is a bit different than those of Knoth and Meccage. Committed to Wake Forest, Levonas will likely receive a signing bonus well over slot value to sign. A five-pitch pitcher who throws a regular four-seam fastball as well as a cutter, Levonas has good qualities in both of them. The four-seam spins up to 2,600 RPM and has around 17” of induced vertical break, with another 10” of horizontal break--all while reaching up to 97 MPH, though it sits in the 92-93 range. It’s a good shape that plays up even more, due to the spin. His upper-80s cutter has had up to 5” of glove-side movement, which is really strong for a cutter. His breaking balls are both high-spin offerings, too. The low-80s slider, with around 13” of sweep, spins at nearly 2,900 RPM, and the mid-70s curveball (with -11 IVB and around the same amount of sweep as the slider) can spin up to 3,000 RPM. Levonas also started flashing a changeup more often this past year, and it has good life to it as well, though the velocity is only around 5 MPH lower than his average fastball. Levonas only weighs around 175 pounds right now, so he will add some mass over time, which could help him bump up that fastball velocity. His delivery is a really athletic one, with his stride looking similar to the way Freddy Peralta jumps down the mound, giving him a ton of extension for a 6’2" frame. The amount of movement in the delivery has caused some command issues as well, so that will be something he will be working to improve. If he can, he certainly has the repertoire to be a starter in the long term. What did you make of the Brewers Day One picks? Who are you excited to see debut in pro ball? Join in the discussion with a comment below. View full article

Yeah, I'd bet some of those Day Two college players only get 5 figures. I genuinely think you could see close to another $1 million or so saved on rounds 3-8. Though the 9th and 10th rounders I could see getting a bit more than $250,000 per.

The Brewers stuck to a similar Day Three plan to the one they had in 2023: a lot of pitching, and a lot of high school players. Image courtesy of © Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK By now, it's our own fault if it surprises us. Perennially one of the most aggressive teams in the league on the final day of the MLB Draft, the Brewers executed the same gameplan Tuesday. Round 11, Pick # 335: Caedmon Parker, RHP -- TCU Ranked the 220th-best player in the 2021 draft coming out of high school, Parker made his way to TCU, where he was used as both a starter and a reliever. After missing 2023 with Tommy John surgery, Parker mainly pitched out of the pen in 2024. His fastball sits in the 93-95 range, reaching back for a bit more, with a lot of life and some cut. He also throws an upper-80s cutter that can look like a slider at times. Parker completes the repertoire with a 12-6 curve that can reach 2,800 RPMs, and a changeup that lags behind the other offerings. His command (or lack thereof) will likely land him in the bullpen long-term, but he does have the ability to be stretched out. Round 12, Pick # 365: Tyson Hardin, RHP -- Mississippi State Hardin began his career at Daytona State College, playing two years there before transferring to Mississippi State. As a Bulldog, he pitched exclusively in relief and picked up three saves over his two seasons. A two-pitch pitcher, Hardin’s calling card is a mid-90s fastball with a ton of horizontal run, which he can run up to 97 MPH. Coming from his low arm slot, the fastball has a really interesting shape to it. His other pitch is a mid-80s slider that could use some improvement in its consistency. The fastball will carry the profile. Round 13, Pick # 395: Joey Broughton, LHP -- Northville HS (MI) Though Broughton is committed to Pitt, the Brewers will be hoping to sign him away. A late riser in the class, Broughton has a feel for spin that very few high schoolers have. His fastball has been up to 95 MPH, and it has a chance to be special. Generating up to 24.4” of Induced Vertical Break from a low release height, and spinning at 2,700 RPMs, the pitch is a unicorn. His upper-70s curveball isn’t quite the outlier that his fastball is, but it’s no slouch either, registering close to 3,000 RPMs with -11” of IVB and 17-18” of sweep. His changeup also shows good arm-side fade, sitting in the low-80s, though he has not used it much in games yet. If Broughton signs, his command will likely cause him some issues early on, but this is a very projectable arm with a ceiling as high as almost anybody in the class. Round 14, Pick # 425: James Nunnallee, C/OF -- Lightridge HS (VA) This Virginia commit was ranked on most national boards heading into the draft, coming in as high as No. 52 on ESPN’s list. The Brewers drafted him as a catcher, and whether he signs or heads to college, there’s a good chance he will start the next stage of his career behind the dish. Nunnallee is a very good athlete who will need some work on his receiving. His arm is below average for the position, as well. His athleticism should allow him to move to the outfield if needed, and he has spent some time in center field during his high school career. Nunnallee’s profile is largely carried by the fact that he’s just a solid overall hitter. He's flashed plus power, posting exit velocities of 105 at the MLB Combine, as well as having a strong hit tool with a good feel for the barrel. Round 15, Pick # 455: Travis Smith, RHP -- Kentucky Ranked 261st on Baseball America’s board for this year's draft, Smith is ranked 85th on their early 2025 draft board. Having spent the past few seasons at Kentucky, Smith is committed to transfer to Mississippi State next season, which could cause him to be a tough sign. The NIL era makes cases like this one a whole different animal than they used to be. Even a decade ago, buying a player out of a plan to transfer schools between seasons would be much easier. Smith's mid-90s sinker has helped him generate a lot of ground balls at Kentucky, and his mid-80s, high-spin breaking ball has induced some swing-and-miss, especially against right-handed hitters. Against lefties, Smith will bring out his mid-80s changeup, which is firm but has some late fading action. Round 16, Pick # 485: Jayden Dubanewicz, RHP -- Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) Committed to Florida, Dubanewicz’s Twitter seems to show that he is already living on campus, so he may be a tough sign for the Brewers. If he does have interest in signing, though, his appeal will be in the projectability. Standing 6’3" and weighing only 160 pounds, Dubanewicz is sitting in the low 90s, but has the type of frame to make a pretty big leap in the velocity department. His sweeping slider is his main secondary offering. Despite being very lanky, he’s got good control of his body, and commands his pitches pretty well. Round 17, Pick # 515: Cooper Malamazian, SS -- Nazareth Academy (IL) An Indiana commit, Malamazian is another in a long line of recent Day Three picks out of Midwest high schools. Area Scout Ginger Poulson clearly has a lot of trust within the organization, and with a recent track record of players like Luke Adams and Bishop Letson, well she should. Malamazian is a strong athlete, posting above-average running numbers in a showcase setting. His bat speed averaged over 76 MPH in batting practice, which shows that his max exit velocity of 99.4 is only scratching the surface of what he can become with some added strength and facing actual pitching, rather than in a batting practice setting. He shows good hands and a fluid approach to the ball in the field, and has the arm to stick at shortstop. Round 18, Pick # 545: Tyler Renz, RHP -- Fox Lane HS (NY) Renz is committed to St John’s, and has a lot of fans in the Northeast scouting community. He won’t turn 18 until late November. His 6’4" frame leaves a lot of projection to dream on, for a fastball that has already reached 92 with high spin and a good vertical approach angle. He mixes a slider and a curveball, though he classifies them as a cutter and slider. Renz will also mix in a changeup, but it lags far behind the other pitches. He is a project, but if he were to sign, it would be nice clay for the Brewers to attempt to mold. Round 19, Pick # 575: Noah Wech, RHP -- Manitowoc Lincoln HS (WI) Another Midwest prep player! Wech is the first Wisconsin high schooler to be drafted by the Brewers since 2010, when they selected Connor Fisk out of Grafton High School. This is more than a local flier. Wech is committed to Oklahoma State, which is a very good program. Equipped with a fastball that has been up to 96 MPH and averages around 19-20" of induced vertical break, and up to 7 feet of extension, Wech also throws a couple of good-looking secondaries. His sweeping slider is in the 82-84 MPH range, with spin rates around 2,700 RPM. He also mixes in a developing high-spin curveball with more depth to it than the slider, and a changeup that needs a lot of work. There is reliever risk in the profile, but also a ton of interesting traits. Round 20, Pick # 605: Henry Brummel, RHP -- Pontiac Township HS (IL) Poulson is doing her best DJ Khaled impression at this point, with the Brewers drafting *another one* from the Midwest prep ranks (point of clarification: I have been informed that Brummel is actually located in Area Scout Riley Bandelow's territory, not Poulson's, which really puts a damper on my DJ Khaled joke). Brummel is another Indiana commit, the third member of that potential class they have drafted over the past couple of days. Brummel has a lightning-fast arm, with a lot of effort in the delivery. His fastball has been up to 94 MPH this year, sitting more in the 91-92 range over the course of a start. His curveball sits in the 77-79 range, with more depth than his low-80s slider. Both have high spin rates and sharp movement. His low-80s changeup is a solid offering as well, showing some late fade and killing spin pretty well. It will be very interesting to see how many of these players the Brewers can sign. The first two days were a solid start to the class, but adding some of these players would go a long way toward solidifying another superb draft on paper. What did you think about the Brewers' Day Three? Any favorites from the group that you are really hoping will sign? Let us know! View full article

In terms of growth, it's really hard to speculate. I'd think the 16-17 year olds in particular have a decent chance of adding an inch or two in height, but not really sure. I don't think velocity is all that related to height though honestly. It's about ability to move and rotate more than anything else. I think a guy like Rodriguez will add a couple ticks by way of getting stronger, but probably never a big velo guy. I think there's more context needed for some of these things. How old are they relative to their league? Are they dealing with injury? Generally I'd usually prefer the player who is performing well more recently.

I'd guess that it will fall in the 10-15 range if national groups rank it soon, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it jump back into the Top 10 by this time next year. A lot of super interesting talent in the lower levels.

I have little to no concern with Wilken. EBJ in the last month has a 115 wRC+, so that's been very good to see, hoping to see him impact the ball more still and also to show that this is more than a hot month at the plate. I have concerns with him for sure. I think I'll be writing about a change he made a little over a month ago that may have helped spark the hot stretch. Something that has me cautiously optimistic.

Patrick is probably the one here. His stuff is good enough to make MLB starts, and the results have been so solid too. Holub has the type of stuff I could see getting picked, but I doubt they'd feel compelled to protect him unless he starts performing much better in Nashville. I like Cornielle quite a bit, but I think he probably makes it through without being picked this offseason as a starter who hasn't seen AA yet and doesn't have super big velo or anything like that. I could see him as someone they need to protect the following winter.

Jack and Spencer are joined by MLB Draft expert Jamie Cameron in this week's episode! In the first half of this episode, the guys are joined by Jamie Cameron to discuss the upcoming MLB Draft from a Brewers perspective. During the second half, they go through the series losses to the Dodgers and Pirates, discuss another strong Tobias Myers outing, William Contreras’ defense, and more! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td\ iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ View full article

I think it will depend. I think a couple more good starts and I'd bump him to AAA. I think there's a good chance we see him in the Milwaukee bullpen before years end though. Me personally, I think if you want him to start long term, moving him to the pen could make that more difficult. But I don't think he's going to be reliable enough to make starts this year, so if we see him I'd imagine it'll be a pen role.

I'd say all five of those guys are potential Day 1 guys this year (partially because it's a bit of a down year in terms of talent). Made, Pena and Bitonti are probably the most likely to go round 1. Anderson and Di Turi are probably a tier below, if I had to guess, could see them falling a bit lower than top 2 rounds.