Michael Trzinski

Rob Deer was a fan favorite in Milwaukee in the mid-to-late 1980s as a player who could hit a 450-foot home run or strike out with equal aplomb. Deer was a forerunner of the modern 'Three True Outcomes' player, much like former Brewer Russell Branyan and Adam Dunn. Image courtesy of © RVR Photos-Imagn Images Robert George Deer was born in September 1960 in the Los Angeles suburb of Orange. He starred in both baseball and football at Canyon High School in Anaheim. Living up to his last name, Deer was a swift wide receiver as a teen but would make his living hitting baseballs instead of catching footballs. Rob Deer was drafted in the fourth round of the 1978 June Amateur Draft by the San Francisco Giants. Fellow Anaheim area pitcher Mike Witt was selected seven picks behind Deer, who was the 85th pick overall in that draft. Although Deer would be known for his majestic home runs, he failed to hit a single long ball in his first pro season at Rookie League Great Falls (Montana) in 137 at-bats. Deer started the 1979 season at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) in the Low-A Midwest League but was sent back to Great Falls after one month with a batting line of .209/.266/.267 across 86 at-bats, with only one home run. The lanky (6-foot-3, 210 pound) Deer showed promise in his second try in the rookie league, batting .317/.422/.560 with 18 doubles, seven triples, and seven homers in 218 at-bats. It would be the only time in Deer’s 19-year professional career that he had a batting average above .300 for the season. Over the next five seasons, Deer moved up from Single-A to Triple-A in the Giants’ organization, finally showing his power as he slugged 139 homers in just over 2,200 at-bats. He finished as league home run king three of those years and finished in the runner-up spot another year. He got called up to San Francisco at the end of the 1984 season and hit three jacks in 24 at-bats. In 1985, Deer played the whole season in the ‘City By The Bay,’ but only appeared in 78 games, slashing .185/.283/.377 across 162 at-bats. In December the Giants traded Deer to Milwaukee for pitching prospects Eric Pilkington and Dean Freeland. The swap favored the Brewers as Deer played five seasons for the Brew Crew while neither Pilkington nor Freeland ever played in the big leagues. Deer quickly became a Milwaukee fan favorite, reminiscent of slugging Brewer hero Gorman Thomas, who had returned to Milwaukee for the 1986 season after bouncing around in Cleveland and Seattle for a few years. Deer led Milwaukee in home runs during each of his five seasons, compiling 137 dingers in that time frame, which currently ranks 14th on the Brewers all-time career list, just behind Christian Yelich’s 145. In his first season in Milwaukee, Deer slashed .232/.336/.494 and hit 33 homers, which was a career-high for the righty slugger. He also led the team with 86 RBIs while whiffing 179 times, which was a crazy-high number in those days. Deer usually played right field with his strong arm, but also played in left field and spent a few dozen games at first base during his Brewer career. The following season, Deer batted .238/.360/.456 with 28 homers. His 186 strikeouts were a career high and led the American League. He also stole a career-high 12 bases. The Brewers started the season with 13 consecutive wins, including the thrilling comeback win on Easter Sunday. Deer hit the game-tying home run in the ninth, a three-run shot, before Dale Sveum smacked a two-out, two-run homer to give the Brewers a 6-4 win in front of a raucous County Stadium crowd of 29,357. Deer was featured on the April 27 edition of Sports Illustrated, his fist raised in jubilation as he circled the bases after his home run. In 1988, Deer hit a career-high .252 and hit 23 homers, and once again led the AL in whiffs with 153. His 85 RBIs were second on the team behind Robin Yount’s 91. Deer’s stats dropped off a bit in 1989, as he slashed only .210/.305/.425. But he did hit 26 homers and was third on the team with 65 RBIs. In his final season in Milwaukee, Deer produced a carbon copy of the previous year, slashing .209/.313/.432 with 27 homers and 67 RBIs. Deer was granted free agency after the season and signed with the Detroit Tigers. He played two-plus seasons with the Tigers and slugged 71 home runs in over 1,150 at-bats. Deer also led the AL in strikeouts two of those seasons. He was demoted to part-time status in 1993 and asked to be traded. In August, he was sent to the Boston Red Sox for the proverbial ‘played to be named later,’ which ended up being an ‘unspecified amount of cash.’ Deer was granted free agency after the season and signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Hanshin Tigers of the Japan Central League. He played only 70 games with a slash line of .151/.279/.297 with eight home runs. His season ended when he tore ligaments in his right thumb trying to make a catch of a foul pop-up while playing first base. In April 1995, the California Angels signed Deer to a minor-league contract. He played at Triple-A Vancouver (British Columbia) and despite batting .288/.398/.525 with four home runs in 80 ABs, the 34-year-old Deer was released to make room for a younger player. A couple weeks later he was signed to a minor-league deal by the San Diego Padres. He had a solid summer in Triple-A Las Vegas, slashing .292/.377/.587 with 14 round-trippers in just 223 ABs. However, he was released after the season. The Padres re-signed Deer before Christmas 1995, but the player asked for his release in late March 1996. Three weeks later after receiving no calls from major league teams, Deer re-signed with the Las Vegas club. He was called up to San Diego in early July when Tony Gwynn went on the disabled list and played in 25 games, slashing just .180/.359/.480 across 50 ABs with four HRs. When Gwynn returned to the team, Deer was designated for assignment. In April 1997, the Madison (Wisconsin) Black Wolf team of the Independent Northern League made a contract offer to both Deer and pitcher Jim Abbott, but nothing came of those offers. Deer finished his career with 230 home runs and a slash line of .220/.324/.442 in 11 big league seasons. After his playing career ended, Deer worked as a hitting instructor and hitting coach in the San Diego organization, as well as being an assistant hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs under manager and former teammate Sveum. When asked how a .220 career hitter could be a hitting instructor, Deer said with a smile, "I’ll be the first to admit I don’t want them to hit like I did." View full article

I should clarify what I meant... A person who watches hundreds or thousands of games is more likely to become expert at 'grading' players than someone like me who just reads about them or sees some videos. Kinda like being a scout!

I voted and had Areinamo around 17-18, can't remember. BUT, in defense of all the writers that took the time to vote, it is IMPOSSIBLE for us who don't see every player in the organization on a regular basis to get this list exactly right. We go by videos we might happen to see, or blurbs from 'experts' in making our choices. It's not easy; do you move Quero down the list because he was hurt all year? Do you put the 17-y-o DSL stud ahead of the 22-y-o star at Double-A who has a few more years of experience in pro ball? The day I can afford to go see everyone play several games each year is the day I become an expert and get them all correct. So watch for me to win Powerball and I will go on an 'all summer voyage' of minor league parks.

I've been a Brewer fan since 1970, so I am right with you. Money was a great defender and a pretty solid bat, too. I think he was in a lot of fans' Top 10 fave player lists.

Don Money was an excellent fielding, hard-hitting infielder who starred for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1973-1983, collecting four All-Star berths. He ranks fifth overall on the Brewers with a Wins Above Replacement number of 28.4 for his career, seventh with 1,168 hits, and eighth with 215 doubles. The man nicknamed "Brooks" never won a Gold Glove, but with competition like Brooks Robinson and Doug Rader (five-time NL Gold Glover at 3rd base), winning isn't always easy. Donald Wayne Money was born in June 1947 in Washington, DC. His family moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey when Money was an infant. He started playing baseball when he was seven years old and played every year for the next 31 years until he retired at age 37. Don Money graduated from La Plata High School (Maryland) in 1965 and was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates two weeks after his 18th birthday. The right-handed infielder began his pro career at Salem (Virginia) in the rookie Appalachian League, where he made the All-Star team despite batting only .241 with six home runs. Money enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves after the season and was on active duty one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer for the next eight years. The following season, Money played for Clinton (Iowa) in the Class-A Midwest League, where he once again struggled with the bat, slashing only .236/.304/.341 in 125 games. In 1967, Money had arguably his finest minor league season with a slash line of .310/.382/.508 across 545 plate appearances for Raleigh (North Carolina) in the Class-A Carolina League. After lighting up the Florida Winter Instruction League in the offseason with a batting line of .336/.414/.544 and a league-leading six homers, Money was traded shortly before Christmas, along with pitchers Harold Clem, Woodie Fryman, and Bill Laxton to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Jim Bunning. Money started the 1968 season with the Phillies, and in his first major league game, he doubled off Dodgers pitcher Claude Osteen in the eighth inning for his first big-league hit. In mid-April, after only four games with the Phillies, Money was optioned to Triple-A San Diego in the Pacific Coast League for the remainder of the season, where he batted .303/.353/.430. Other than two brief flings in the Florida winter leagues the next two seasons, Money would never again toil in the minors. Over the next four seasons, Money was a regular for Philadelphia, playing primarily at third base or shortstop, but he also played left field and second base. In his first full season (1969), he was named the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star shortstop. After hitting .295/.361/.463 in 1970, his batting average fell to .223 in 1971 and .222 in 1972. Money had said that playing numerous positions did not help matters at the plate. With future Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt waiting in the wings, Money was traded on Halloween 1972 with pitcher Bill Champion and infielder John Vukovich to the Milwaukee Brewers for pitchers Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett, Ken Sanders, and Earl Stephenson. In his first season with the Brewers, Money slashed .284/.347/.401 with 11 bombs and 22 steals, a career high. The following season was almost a carbon copy of 1973, as Money had a batting line of .283/.346/.415 with 15 home runs, earning All-Star Game honors. He also set a major league record with 86 consecutive errorless games at third base and committed only five errors during the season. Despite those numbers, Money was denied the Gold Glove in the American League; Brooks Robinson won it for the 15th straight year. Money’s new nickname became “Brooks.” After another solid year in 1975, Money again earned All-Star honors from 1976 to 1978. He hit a career-high 25 home runs and 83 RBIs in 1977 and followed up with a nice season in 1978, which would be his last as a full-time player. Money slashed .293/.361/.440 in 137 games. He also clubbed 14 homers and 30 doubles in a solid season. Injuries plagued the rest of his career, and he never played more than 96 games after 1978. In 1982, he played only 28 games in the field but platooned at designated hitter with southpaw Roy Howell as the Brewers made it to the World Series for the first (and only) time in franchise history. Money went 3-for-13 with a double and an RBI in the seven-game loss to St. Louis in the “Suds Series.” Money played his final big-league season in 1983 but saw sporadic action, hitting only .149/.221/.219 in 43 games. After the season, he turned down a small contract from Milwaukee and took an offer to play in Japan for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. After only 29 games, Money and his family returned home after his Japanese experience was less than memorable. His major league numbers included 1,720 games, 1,623 hits, 302 doubles, 176 home runs, 729 RBIs, and a career slash line of .261/.328/.406. After his retirement, he coached for five years at Sacred Heart High School in New Jersey and then managed the Brewers organization at Beloit (1998-2004), Huntsville (2005-2008), and Nashville (2009-2011). He served as a hitting coach and special instructor from 2012-2015. His grandson Buddy Kennedy has played with Arizona, Detroit, and Philadelphia and is currently in the Phillies organization. Money was elected to the Brewers ‘Walk of Fame’ in 2005 and the Brewers ‘Wall of Honor’ in 2014. View full article

Probably no solace to disappointed fans, but let me ask this question: would you rather win 81 games every year and miss the playoffs?

Jacob MisiorowskiJeferson QueroTyler BlackRobert GasserCarlos F RodriguezCooper PrattMike BoeveBrock WilkenLuis LaraYophery RodriguezJosh KnothLogan HendersonEric Brown JrLuke AdamsEric BitontiBrett WichrowskiJuan BaezDylan O'RaeDaniel GuilarteJadher Areinamo

Nice commentary on a decent season, although it didn't end the way we wanted it to.

I don't know if I could have seen the difference in his glove/hand position unless it was pointed out. Maybe the height of the glove, but not the hand inside the glove 1/2" farther.

If my math is right, the Brewers were 16-of-16 against the Mets in their six games. Turang had seven, Chewy, Yeli, and Mitchell each had two, while Perkins, Ortiz, and Contreras each had one. Sal Frelick had the only blemish, getting picked off first by Megill in the third game of the year. So yeah, they *should* have larceny in their hearts!!

Last year, the Brewer Fanatic Minor League Hitter of the Year awards mentioned 11 players. Of those players, four of them received votes from Brewer Fanatic writers this year. Notables missing from the 2024 awards are Jeferson Quero (injury) and Jackson Chourio (NL Rookie of the Year candidate). Eight players are on this year’s list, plus six that also received votes from the baseball scribes at Brewer Fanatic. Honorable Mentions Cooper Pratt, SS (Carolina/Wisconsin/Biloxi) .277/.362/.406 with 26 extra-base hits and 27 stolen bases. Pratt was called up to Biloxi and went 2-for-8 with his first Double-A home run in the Southern League Division Series in late September. Brewer Hicklen, OF (Nashville) .246/.363/.470 with 22 home runs and 44 stolen bases. Hicklen got a cup of coffee with Milwaukee in September but is still looking for his first big league hit. He also went hitless in four trips with Kansas City in 2022. Tyler Black, 1B-3B-OF (Nashville) .258/.375/.429 with 14 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Black—who was the 2023 award winner for minor league hitter—dropped off in batting average and steals, but still had a decent season in Triple-A. Also Receiving Votes Wes Clarke, Biloxi/Nashville Carlos D. Rodriguez, Biloxi/Nashville Yhoswar Garcia, Carolina Luis Castillo, Carolina Yophery Rodriguez, Carolina Darrien Miller, Wisconsin/Biloxi Top Five 5. Luke Adams, 3B-1B (Wisconsin) .227/.443/.397 Adams was rated the #6 best minor league hitter last year by Brewer Fanatic. He struggles with average but has some pop and a great eye at the plate, drawing 78 free passes. He also has a Craig Biggio-like propensity for ‘taking one for the team,’ by getting plunked 40 times, including six games when he got hit twice! Tack on 28 stolen bases and he is in scoring position quite often. Ranked 14th on Brewer Fanatics Top Prospect list, the big (6’4) right-hander has a good mix of power, patience, and speed. 2025 Projection: Biloxi 4. Jadher Areinamo, 2B-SS-3B (Wisconsin) .301/.349/.442 The compact (5’10, 180) righty can play all the infield spots but first. For a little guy, he showed some pop with 10 home runs and speed with 32 steals. His 30 two-baggers led the Midwest League, and he finished in the top five in hits, RBI, and total bases. Areinamo is a career minor league .297 hitter. He ranks just outside the top 20 on the Top Prospect list and has a bright future. 2025 Projection: Biloxi 2. (tie) Isaac Collins, OF-2B-3B (Nashville) .273/.386/.475 The diminutive (5’8, 185) switch-hitter has a versatility that could make him an asset as the 26th man on the Brewers playoff roster, as posited by Brewer Fanatic’s Matthew Trueblood earlier this month. At age 27, he is a bit ‘long in the tooth’ for a prospect, but had some solid numbers at Triple-A, leading the International League with seven triples and placing in the top five in runs scored, RBI, and bases on balls. He should get a good look next spring as a major league utility man for Milwaukee. 2025 Projection: Milwaukee/Nashville 2. (tie) Ernesto Martinez, 1B-OF-DH (Biloxi) .284/.365/.466 Martinez is in his seventh season with the Brewers and at age 25, has yet to play at Triple-A. The 6’6, 250-pound lefty has pretty good speed for his size, stealing 20 bases this year. He led the Southern League with 30 doubles and placed in the top five in hits and total bases. Martinez hit 13 homers and at this point is likely to have no more than high-teens HR potential in the bigs. Our Jake McKibbin makes a case for Martinez to travel north with the Brewers next year to start the season in the bigs. 2025 Projection: Milwaukee/Nashville Brewers Minor League Hitter of the Year Mike Boeve, 1B-3B-DH (Wisconsin, Biloxi) .338/.415/.471 The lefty-hitting Boeve is a high-average hitter in his minor league career, batting .334 across 395 at-bats in two seasons. Ranked #8 on the Brewer Fanatic Top Prospect list, Boeve ended the 2024 season on the injured list and only had 342 plate appearances. Boeve had a strikeout rate of 15.8% this year, which is significantly lower than the previous year’s 20.8. His walk rate was 11.7%, almost the exact same number as the year before. According to Fan Graphs, both the K rate and BB rate are considered ‘above average.’ Boeve’s pathway to the bigs will be at one of the corner infield spots and although his defense is decent and his arm is about average at third, his bat will be what determines his success. Boeve hit a combined 15 doubles and six home runs at Wisconsin and Biloxi. He should be a 15 HR guy at Miller Park…er, American Family Field. 2025 Projection: Biloxi/Nashville Thanks to the Brewer Fanatic writers that cast their ballots for the Brewers Minor League Hitter of the Year. With all the great names on this list (and others that didn’t quite make it), next spring training will be an exciting time in Arizona. Thanks to all who took a minute to read this. Please leave comments in the comments section. How did we do? View full article

Why not? What is it really gonna cost the Brewers? Oh yeah, $1882.35. Tellez was a fan favorite and what harm does it do? Rowdy...ROW-dy...ROW-DY!!!

In the first four months of the minor-league season, 23 different players have been named among the top hitters in the Brewers minor league system on Brewer Fanatic as Minor League Hitters of the Month. That speaks volumes about the depth of the organization, which started the season at #3 according to mlb.com. Due to promotions, trades, and injuries, the system has dropped to #17, as updated in mid-August, but still has a handful of top prospects. The six-player list for August Hitter of the Month includes four players that are making their debut on this prestigious monthly listing this year, while the other two players have been honored before, including our winner, who earned his second Hitter of the Month award for this season. Honorable Mentions Eric Bitonti (Carolina Mudcats) PA 98, .207/.286/.494, H 18, 2B 4, HR 7, R 14, RBI 21, BB 9, K 29, HBP 1 You may find it hard to believe that a player who batted .207 for the month was among the top MILB hitters in the Milwaukee organization, but Bitonti’s counting stats were among the best in the Brewers system. His numbers included 11 extra base hits, seven home runs, and 21 RBIs, which all ranked first in the organization for the month of August. Bitonti, ranked the 13th best prospect in the chain, is a Cal Ripken-type infielder at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. The lefty swinger, who has played mostly at the corner infield spots this season, could compete for the hot corner position in Milwaukee as early as 2026. Jorge Quintana (DSL 2) PA 60, .327/.450/.490, H 16, 2B 6, 3B 1, R 9, RBI 7, BB 10, K 11, HBP 1, SB 6 Quintana, an international signee by the Brewers in January for $1.7 million, is a lanky (6-foot-2, 183 pound) switch-hitting shortstop with 50 grades across the board. At age 17, he has time to improve, with an ETA in Milwaukee in 2029. Frandy Lafond (DSL 2) PA 51, .317/.451/.537, H 13, 2B 4, 3B 1, HR 1, R 11, RBI 8, BB 5, K 12, HBP 5, SB 5 Outfielder Lafond has played all three garden spots, but mostly center field and right field. The 6-foot-1, 180 pound righty hitter and fielder had a great August for ‘Cerveceros Dos.’ Frandy has three home runs and 15 stolen bases on the year, which both rank third on the team. He is only 17 and hopes to see Brew Town in 2028 or 2029. Watch some video of Lafond here. Moises Polanco (DSL 2) PA 50, .368/.520/.474, H 14, 2B 4, R 11, RBI 6, BB 10, K 6, HBP 2, SB 9 Polanco (5-foot-10, 150-pounds) has split time between 2B and SS this year but has committed 11 errors in 146 chances for a fielding percentage of .925, which needs improvement. The part of the righty-hitting Polanco’s game that does not need improvement is his base stealing ability. So far this season, Polanco has pilfered 23 bases in 28 attempts. Francisco Mejía (Nashville Sounds) PA 68, .365/.412/.619, H 23, 2B 4, HR 4, R 9, RBI 8, BB 5, K 14 Mejia is not a prospect at age 28 but offers the Brewers organizational depth at catcher and would be a top-rate emergency call-up to Milwaukee if needed, as the switch-hitter has over 1,000 major league at-bats with three big league teams. Signed as free agent in January, he does not have a great arm (17% CS this year) but shows some pop with nine homers in 299 at-bats at Nashville. August Player of the Month Mike Boeve (Biloxi Shuckers) PA 53, .400/.491/.667, H 18, 2B 3, HR 3, R 10, RBI 8, BB 7, K 8, HBP 1, SB 1 Boeve (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) is the #11 prospect for the Brewers and is having an outstanding season between Single-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi. The southpaw’s slash line of .338/.415/.471 is one of the best in the Brewers farm system. He is a contact hitter who could hit 15 homers in the bigs. Boeve has played mostly at the infield corners this year. Boeve was placed on the injured list on August 20, so his month was even more impressive since he missed 10 days of action. Let us know how we did on our rankings in the comment section. Thanks for reading! View full article

my bad...good catch.

Probably...my bad.

This article discusses some of the best drafts, 1970-2015 inclusive. How many players in the 2024 draft class might find their names on these lists 20 years from now? Image courtesy of © RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports This weekend, the 2024 MLB Draft will take place July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas, in conjunction with the All-Star Game played at Globe Life Field in neighboring Arlington. This is the final of a three-part series discussing past Brewers drafts. Today, we look at the top drafts in Milwaukee Brewers history. I will discuss and list the top individual players, the top drafts by number of players that made it to ‘The Show,’ and the top drafts by ‘Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Note: Only drafts from 1970-2015 are considered. Numbers in parentheses indicate round drafted. TOP DRAFTS BY PLAYER 1973 Robin Yount (1) was the only player drafted to play in the majors, but his career made this an outstanding draft year. 1977 Paul Molitor (1) played 15 years with Milwaukee and three each with Toronto and Minnesota. Other players drafted were outfielder Kevin Bass (2), who only played 18 games for Milwaukee before he was traded in 1982 to Houston in the Don Sutton deal. Left-handed pitcher Dave LaPoint (10) was involved in the huge trade that brought Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons, and Pete Vuckovich to Milwaukee in 1980. 2005 Ryan Braun (1) had an excellent 14-year career with the Brewers despite a year in which he was found guilty of using PEDs, casting a huge cloud over the Californian’s career, and outfielder Michael Brantley had a solid career after being traded from Milwaukee to Cleveland. 1986 Infielder/outfielder Gary Sheffield (1) spent only four years in Milwaukee but had a remarkable 22-year career with seven other teams, hitting 509 home runs. Outfielder Darryl Hamilton spent seven years in Milwaukee during a 13-year career. 2004 Yovani Gallardo (2) won 89 games for Milwaukee during eight years in Brew City and added another 32 victories for four other teams in a 12-year career. Lorenzo Cain (17) played one year for the Brewers before a trade to the Royals saw him spend seven years in Kansas City. He returned to Milwaukee in 2018 as a free agent and played into 2022 before being released. TOP DRAFTS BY THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS THAT PLAYED IN THE MAJORS 2009 Eight players, including Right-handed pitcher Mike Fiers (22), second baseman Ryan Gennett, aka ‘Scooter,’ outfielder Khris Davis, and left-handed pitcher Caleb Thielbar, who never pitched for Milwaukee but is still working games for Minnesota in 2024. 1993 Eight players, including shortstop Mark Loretta (7), right-handed pitcher Jeff D’Amico (1), and utilityman Brian Banks (2). Left-handed pitcher Kelly Wunsch never played for Milwaukee—he was granted free agency after six minor league seasons—but was fifth in AL ROY voting in 2000 for the White Sox. Outfielder Todd Dunn only played 50 games for Milwaukee. Infielder Danny Klassen was selected in the 1997 expansion draft by Arizona. 2011 Eight players, including right-handed pitchers Jacob Barnes (14), Taylor Jungmann (1), Jorge Lopez (2)—pitching for the Cubs this year, left-handed pitcher Jed Bradley (1), and first baseman Nick Ramirez (4), who switched to the mound and is a pitcher for the Dodgers this year. Five drafts had seven players each reach the big leagues: 1974 Right-handed pitcher Moose Haas (2), second baseman Jimmy Gantner (12), and left-handed pitcher Jerry Augustine (15) highlight that draft year. 1987 Shortstop Bill Spiers (1), right-handed pitchers Jaime Navarro (3), Steve Sparks (5), outfielder Troy O’Leary (13), and Jeromy Burnitz (24) are the top players in this solid draft class. 2005 See previous section. Right-handed pitchers Jake Arrieta (24) and Andrew Bailey (16) were two ‘that got away.' 2001 Shortstop JJ Hardy (2) and right-handed pitcher Tim Dillard (15) were drafted as a catcher, and left-handed pitcher Manny Parra (26) led this class. 2007 Third-round pick catcher Jonathan Lucroy was the only big name, but outfielder Matt LaPorta (1) went to Cleveland in the trade that brought the Brewers CC Sabathia. TOP DRAFTS BY WINS ABOVE REPLACEMENT (WAR) 1973 (77.4) Thank you, Robin Yount, who scored all the WAR. 1977 (58.9) Paul Molitor accumulated 59.9 WAR. 2005 (47.4) Ryan Braun scored 47.1 of the WAR for this draft class. 1974 (42.3) Jim Gantner (22.4) and Moose Haas (15.7) did most of the heavy lifting for this group. 1987 (30.4) Jeromy Burnitz notched 15.7 WAR for this class. Note: the numbers above only include WAR achieved in a Brewer uniform. Thank you for reading this article. It was a good chance for an old guy like me to reminisce and an opportunity for some readers to learn about Brewer's history. PART 1: The Worst Drafts PART 2: The Ones That Got Away View full article

One weekend from now the 2024 MLB Draft will take place July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas in conjunction with the All-Star game being played at Globe Life Field in neighboring Arlington. This is the second of a three-part series discussing past Brewers drafts. Today, we look at 12 top players who ‘got away’ from the Brewers, who were drafted by Milwaukee but did not sign. They became All-Stars, 20-game winners, MVPs, Rookies of the Year, and Cy Young winners. Unfortunately, none of these accolades happened with these players in Brewer jerseys. 1. Jason Giambi, 1B-DH Giambi was a 3B/SS/P at South Hills HS in West Covina, California, and was drafted in the 43rd round by the Brewers in 1989. Instead, he received a partial scholarship to Cal State-Long Beach and was named to Baseball America’s pre-season All-American team as a junior third baseman. Giambi was a three-time All-West Conference selection and was picked in the second round in 1992 by Oakland. His 20-year career was embroiled in controversy with the early 2000s steroid scandal. Giambi’s career numbers included 440 home runs and a slash line of .277/.399/.516. He was a five-time All-Star and was named the AL MVP in 2000. 2. Nomar Garciaparra, SS A slick shortstop who would later play on the 1992 US Olympic team, Garciaparra graduated from St. John Bosco HS in Bellflower, California, and was selected in the fifth round of the 1991 draft by Milwaukee but elected to attend Georgia Tech instead. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-ACC team twice in three years. In 1994, Boston chose the infielder with the 12th pick in the first round. Over 14 years, Garciaparra was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1997, won two batting titles, and was a six-time All-Star. His career slash line was .313/.361/.521. 3. Hunter Pence, OF A third baseman at Arlington (Texas) HS, Pence was a 40th-round Brewers pick. He elected to attend Texarkana College instead. He transferred to the University of Texas-Arlington and was picked by Houston in the second round after his junior year for a reported $575,000. Pence—who switched to the outfield—played 14 years in the bigs for Houston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Texas, earning All-Star team honors four times. He hit 244 home runs and slashed .279/.334/.461 over 1700 games. Pence was a key member of the 2012 and 2014 World Champion San Francisco Giants. 4. Kevin McReynolds, OF The Arkansas native was Milwaukee's 19th-round pick in 1978 out of Sylvan Hills HS (Sherwood, Arkansas) but did not sign with the Brewers, electing to attend the University of Arkansas. As a high school senior, McReynolds batted .638 with 16 home runs in 25 games. He also pitched, winning five games. McReynolds was drafted after his junior year from UA, the sixth overall pick by San Diego for $125,000. McReynolds played for San Diego, the New York Mets, and Kansas City during his 12-year big league career. He slashed .265/.328/.447 and slugged 211 home runs in 1500 games. 5. Alex Fernandez, RHP The Brewers took a lot of heat over their failure to sign their first-round pick in 1988. The Monsignor Edward Pace HS (Miami Gardens, Florida) product chose to attend the University of Miami instead. He threw a no-hitter against Maine in 1989 and then strangely transferred to Miami Dade Junior College the following year. Fernandez was the fourth overall pick of the Chicago White Sox in 1990 for $350,000. Fernandez won 107 games in 10 years for Chicago and Florida, winning a career-high 18 games in 1993 for Chicago. He won 17 games in 1997, leading the Marlins to the World Series, but didn’t pitch due to a torn rotator cuff. Fernandez had an ERA+ of 115 in 261 starts. 6. Jake Arrieta, RHP The Plano (TX) East HS product was drafted three times before he signed. In 2004, the Reds picked him in the 31st round. The next year, now attending Weatherford (TX) College, he turned down the Brewers’ 26th-round bid. Finally, in 2007, he signed after being picked by Baltimore in the fifth round out of TCU for $1.1 million. Arrieta struggled with elbow problems in Baltimore and was traded to the Cubs during his fourth season. With the Cubs, he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in 2015-2016, winning a combined 40 games for Chicago. His 22 wins led all of baseball in 2015, and he won the NL Cy Young. The following year, he was named to the All-Star team for the only time. Arrieta won 115 games over his 12-year career with Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Diego. 7. Matt Morris, RHP The righty pitcher from southern New York was drafted by Milwaukee in the 26th round of the 1992 draft but elected to matriculate to Seton Hall. In 1995, Morris was tabbed as the 12th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round. He made it to the majors in less than two years and had an excellent 11-year career, pitching for the Cards, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh. Morris was a two-time All-Star, leading the NL with 22 victories in 2001. Overall, he won 121 games, fashioned an ERA of 3.98, and had an ERA+ of 107. 8. Don Slaught, C The Brewers drafted Slaught in the 20th round in 1979. Named to the College All-Star team, he did not sign and was picked by the Kansas City Royals in the seventh round in 1980. Slaught ended up being somewhere between a starter and a backup catcher, averaging 83 games and 254 ABs during his 16-year career, playing for Kansas City, Texas, New York (Yankees), Pittsburgh, California, Chicago (White Sox), and San Diego. Slaught's career slash line was .283/.338/.412, including 77 home runs. He hit .300 or better in six seasons and had a minimum of 200 ABs. 9. Carlos Rodon, LHP Named as the Tri-Nine Conference Player of the Year for Holly Springs (NC) HS, Rodon went 23-2 as a three-year starting pitcher. He was chosen by the Brewers in the 16th round of the 2011 draft but elected not to sign because of the low draft slot. Instead, he attended North Carolina State and won 25 games for the Wolfpack in three years. He was picked third overall in the 2014 draft by the Chicago White Sox and was given a signing bonus of $6.5 million. Rodon pitched for Chicago from 2015-2021, signed with San Francisco as a free agent in 2022, signed with the Yankees in 2023, and is still pitching for them in 2024. He was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022 and finished in the top 6 for Cy Young voting. He has 68 wins and an ERA+ of 106 in his ten years. He is only 31 years old and is signed through 2028. 10. Tim Teufel, 2B Teufel was another ‘three-draft’ player. As a student-athlete at St. Petersburg (FL) College, he was tabbed in the 16th round by Milwaukee in 1978, in the third round by the Chicago White Sox the following year out of Clemson, and finally in 1980 by the Minnesota Twins in the second round. He signed with the Twins and was fourth in the AL ROY voting in 1984. He was traded to the New York Mets after three years in Minnesota and spent six years with New York before being traded to San Diego. Teufel played three years in San Diego before retiring. His 11-year career included a slash line of .254/.336/.404 across 3100 ABs. 11. Jonathan India, 2B The Brewers tabbed the shaggy-haired infielder in the 26th round in 2015 out of American Heritage HS (Delray Beach, FL) but did not sign. After playing three years at the University of Florida, he was plucked fifth overall in 2018 by Cincinnati for $5.2 million. India was the NL ROY in 2021, slashing .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs. He is signed with the Reds through 2025. 12. Garrett Crochet, LHP It is with a bit of irony that a player the Brewers are possibly looking for in a trade in 2024 was drafted by that team in 2017 in the 34th round out of Ocean Springs (MS) HS. Crochet elected not to sign and was taken 11th overall three years later by the White Sox. The southpaw is in his fourth season with Chicago and his first year as a starter. As of late June, he leads the AL in strikeouts. The White Sox are terrible this year and might be willing to deal with Crochet, one of their few trade pieces. The cost will be high, but he could be a pitcher who can help the Brewers deep into the post-season. Baseball teams don’t always get their man in the draft; every team has stories like the ones above. It is fun to say ‘what could have happened,’ but there are always star players that just got away. Part 1: The Worst Drafts Part 3: The Best Drafts (July 13) View full article

2019 was a disaster of a draft, although wasn't it bad for all? Either way - the best players are not in the organization (Hamilton and Kelly). D. Miller could become a MLBer maybe. And Jeferson Figueroa, Nick Kahle and Nick Bennet are the only draft picks (4) still in the organization a mere 5 years later. That is very bad as a draft class. Kahle, Bennett, and Miller are still in the organization. What if they become solid players? We just don't know yet.

I only went until 2015 because every draft beyond that has a potential for players to succeed.