colbyjack

after a half year of pro ball and previous knowledge on the players who would you guess right now will have the best major league career. Kind of a funny situation, because the three best players from last year's draft based on talent, Upton, Gordon and Maybin, all signed too late in the year to have any significant time under their belt (I say significant because Gordon did play in the AFL. Upton is a rare and special talent. With all due respct to Maybin, there are few prospects who stand up next to Upton. And I would take Alex Gordon ahead of Maybin too, and since we're considering time spent in the minors, Ryan Zimmerman would be mighty hard not to take ahead of Maybin as well as he's already pencilled in as the Nationals starting 3B this spring. if looking at pure talent i agree upton gets the nod. but considering defense and power projection in the majors i'd rather have maybin in my system Upton actually has better power potential, and if Upton gets moved to the OF as many think he will, he instantly becomes a better defensive player than Maybin. As a CF, Upton could very well be the next Ken Griffey Jr. Maybin's ceiling is probably in the Erik Davis realm, which is nothing to scoff at. Here's a pic I took of Justin Upton last summer standing next to Cody Johnson (Cody is 6'4", and is one of the top prep players available for this June's draft): http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/justincody.jpg I was very disapointed when the brewers passed on him to fill "a need". I think when you choose in the top 5 you need to take the best available player. If you asked the Brewers, they will still tell you that they took the best player available. Keep in mind that Maybin's asking price heading into draft day was mighty high, even if he signed for close to slot value for the #5 overall pick. While the Brewers aren't cheap when it comes to the draft, they certainly have stuck to the suggested slot value with their first-round picks, and value getting their picks signed quickly.

BA always seems to save the South and the SEC for last. We're going to be hearing a lot about Matt LaPorta this spring: www.baseballamerica.com/t...porta.html Jim Callis has his annual "what if?" All-American team, looking at what the team might look like had all of the high school players from the past 1-3 years attended college: www.baseballamerica.com/t...allis.html Matt LaPorta http://www.baseballamerica.com/images2005/mlaporta450350.jpg

The top 30 rankings are up, they're just hidden, a little bit. On the draft page, if you go to the drop-down menu with the year of the draft, you can access the 2006 draft rankings. Or, access the thread pinned to the top of the draft forum. The first link within that thread takes you to that very page: p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...=846.topic Also, keep your eyes on the home page for a draft-related story to be posted on Monday, or at least at some point early next week. We hope to get the official 2006 draft page up as the default page in the near future, along with the raw draft order, DFE candidates, etc.

I don't think that's a split. The finger wide of the baseball that you see I believe is the finger next to the pinkie (whatever that finger is called). A splitter is thrown between your index & middle finger. That looks more like a changeup grip to me.

I've talked up Ian Kennedy before, so now it's up to someone else: www.baseballamerica.com/t...nnedy.html In this story, it is confirmed that Scott Boras is his advisor. He is my favorite draft eligible prospect throwing that aside, and while he doesn't have the greatest size nor the most overpowering of stuff, I guarantee you will fall in love with the way this guy pitches. There's also a nice story on Oregon State. As much love as the pitchers from UNC get, OSU has quite the trio themselves: www.baseballamerica.com/t...state.html And the top 50 seniors were released. Last year's 16th round pick, Andrewy Bailey, a RHP that returned to Wagner despite having TJ surgery, checks in at #34, while West Bend (I think it is West Bend) native Ryan Rohlinger checks in at #42. Ian Kennedy http://www.baseballamerica.com/images2005/ikennedy450350.jpg

Woodard is a righty that maxes out at 90 mph. I agree that his control & moxie are interesting, but we've talked before about how rare it is to find a successful, soft-tossing RHP. He likely will continue to put up big numbers for UNC, but I'm skeptical of his future success as a pro, and I do typically value pitchability over velocity.

I forgot to add this link before to a story on BA about Clemson's Jason Berken, a native of DePere, WI: www.baseballamerica.com/t...erken.html

Jon Jay-CF-Miami Freshman Year, Miami, 2004: .368/.447/.513 in 234 ABs, 14 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 28:37 BB:K, 19 for 26 SBs, 4 Es Summer of 2004, Valley League: .307 batting average, .370 on-base percentage Sophomore Year, Miami, 2005: .408/.490/.531 in 211 ABs, 17 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 29:26 BB:K, 13 for 20 SBs, 2 Es Summer of 2005, Team USA: .262/.352/.311 in 61 ABs, 1 2B, 1 3B, 8:11 BB:K, 7 for 7 SBs, 0 Es Cumulative Statistics: .372/.454/.496 in 506 ABs, 32 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 65:74 BB:K, 48 for 64 SBs (75%), 6 Es* *Cumulative statistics do not include numbers from the summer of 2004 as they were not available. Jon Jay is a very good pure hitter that also has a very solid tool set. His bat is his best attribute, with a line drive swing and a disciplined eye that should allow him to hit for a high average while making good contact, drawing plenty of walks and not striking out much. While he hasn't hit for much power during his collegiate career, he does have good pop in his bat, with very good power to the opposite field. He was named the #3 prospect in the Valley League according to Baseball America during the summer of 2004, and his play prompted one coach to say that he hit the ball just like he played the game: Hard. On top of his ability to hit, Jay also has very good speed. He shows natural instincts in centerfield, and can cover the gaps with his speed. That speed has also allowed him to swipe quite a few stolen bases during his college career, which makes him an ideal leadoff prototype. While he played LF his first two years at Miami, he is moving over to CF during his junior year and has Gold Glove potential at the position given his speed, range, instincts and above-average throwing arm. Jay sounds like the type of player that is slight of build, but he does have a 6'0", 200 pound frame. He bats and throws left-handed, and was slowed down last year by a nagging hand injury that sapped some of his power. With a healthy spring Jay could do a lot of damage for the Hurricanes, although they did lose two big bats a year ago in Braun & Katin, both of whom are now in the Brewers' organization. Their absence may cause Jay to bat third or fourth like he did a year ago, but as noted, at the pro level he profiles the best at the top of the order. Jay may give Colin Curtis a run for his money as the best pure college hitter this spring, and could be a first-rounder come June.

is there anyplace i can find a schedule of all the ESPN televised college baseball games this year? Check ESPN's site to see if they list their programming. Same goes for CSTV or the Fox regional channels (ESPN actually airs the fewest amount of games compared to those channels). Their schedule may not even be formalized yet. What I normally do is check Yahoo's TV listings to see what is on within the next two weeks. College baseball usually doesn't get much TV until March or April, and it definitely ramps up after college basketball. BA looks at UNC's weekend rotation today. Pogo, I know you expressed interest in seeing these guys before since you're now in the UNC area: www.baseballamerica.com/t...19unc.html Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard http://www.baseballamerica.com/images2005/unctrio450350jc.jpg

BA continues their college coverage with a look at Missouri's ace RHP Max Scherzer: www.baseballamerica.com/t...erzer.html Get used to hearing his name and seeing this face (picture below), as the only thing holding him back from being one of the top 2-3 picks this June is his rumored affiliation with Scott Boras. They also offered their top 50 sophomore list. Tulane RHP Sean Morgan, an '04 25th rounder by the Brewers, was the 17th best soph, and the only former Brewers draftee on the list (there are several former Dodger draftees, including two of the top three). Next year should be a special draft year given some of the college players that will be available. Since the Midwest was covered, I can tell you that UWM is projected by BA to finish second within the Horizon League, with UIC projected to finish first. UIC has Madison native and former Brewers draft pick Ryan Zink (the league's preseason pitcher of the year) as their staff ace, as well as Brookfield Central alum Ryan Schweikert, a transfer. UWM had four players represented in the league's preseason All-Conference team: Sophomore SS Grant Berkovitz Senior OF Joe Nowicki (who nearly led the league in triple crown categories last year) Senior DH Zak Rivera Junior RHP Aaron Sorenson Here's a handy link to UWM's baseball site if you want to check out the roster, schedule, etc. to plan your spring http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif : uwmpanthers.collegesports...-body.html This is probably the first year in a while that Minnesota isn't ranked as one of the top two teams in the Big Ten to open the season. Ohio State is number one, as they usually battle for the Big Ten crown with Minnesota, with Purdue number two. The Gophers do have the league's best prospect in LHP John Gaub. Gaub is expected to move from the bullpen to the weekend rotation, and brings heat from the left-side as he's routinely clocked at 90-94 mph. Look for Katuluu to get excited about this Gopher this spring, as he struck out 102 batters in 63 innings as a sophomore. Max Scherzer http://www.baseballamerica.com/images2005/mscherzer450350ra.jpg

The talent for next year's draft definitely favors the pitchers, and talent often fluctuates one way or the other. For instance, last year, the top 5 picks were hitters, as well as 11 of the top 15. Things evened out in the first round after that, with 17 hitters being taken overall in round one, which is nearly a wash. 2004 was the opposite, with 8 of the top 10 picks being pitchers, with 19 pitchers being selected in total in the first round. This year likely will mirror 2004. I am currently working on a story that should be posted on the homepage next Monday in which I look at the success of the players taken in the first round in the drafts of the 90s which kind of is a follow up of my player procurement story from a year ago. Along with the story I posted from a Mets fan on both the minor league and trade rumors forum, there is a fair amount of evidence pointing to taking hitters over pitchers when so much money is involved.

I honestly can't tell you who the best groundball pitcher is, but I can tell you who profiles as a pretty good groundball pitcher. I'm assuming you asked after reading the profiles of Buck and Hughes, whose stuff should allow them both to induce a lot of groundballs at the next level. Buck would probably be the best right now. Derrick Lutz from George Washington may profile as a closer at the pro level, but his fastball offers a fair amount of movement in the low-90s. From the HS side I think Jason Stoffel and Shawn Tolleson will induce a lot of grounders. Both master the strike zone pretty well and know it's better to work down than up. Lefty Brett Anderson also has shown that he knows how to pitch and work well down in the zone.

BA continues their coverage with breakdowns of the North Region conference breakdowns (the Big Ten and Horizon League-UWM-will be covered in the Midwest breakdowns on Wednesday). The conference previews and top 50 freshman list are for subscribers only, but I can tell you that Jemile Weeks check in as the 25th best freshman, the only former Brewer draftee on that list. www.baseballamerica.com/t...eview.html For everyone to enjoy, there is a breakdown of Pitt's Jim Negrych: www.baseballamerica.com/t...grych.html Brewers '05 draftee Andrew Bailey was named the Northeast Conference's top prospect: With a fastball that has registered in the 92-95 mph range, Wagner RHP Andrew Bailey (3-2, 3.46) might have been the Northeast?s best draft a year ago, but he worked just 42 innings before having Tommy John surgery. He was still drafted in the 16th round by the Brewers and could go higher this year if he responds.

Hey Nate, thanks for stopping by. My '06 draft rankings are actually up, they're just hidden until we officially update the 2006 draft coverage. You will be able to find scouting reports under all four of the players you requested on this page: www.brewerfan.net/ViewDra...?draftId=4 The rankings already need to be updated, as Matt LaPorta is painfully absent from my top 30 at this point in time. As for the Dodgers, be prepared to deal with Boras again if you want anything to do with Kennedy or Scherzer.

Some college baseball on TV this week, kind of. CSTV, channel 118 for Time Warner Cable subscribers, is airing USC's media day, a 2-hour program, starting on Wednesday with multiple re-broadcasts throughout this week and next. I check Yahoo to get my TV listings: tv.yahoo.com/tvpdb?d=tvp&...p;.intl=us USC is a preseason top-25 ranked team according to BA, led by staff ace Ian Kennedy.

BA's online coverage of college baseball officially kicks off, as they break down their top 25 teams, officially post their preseason All-American teams and offer their interesting facts and figures for the '06 season (the top 25 breakdowns are for subscribers only: BA: Top 25 capsules (subscribers) BA: Preseason All-Americans BA: College baseball '06 By the Numbers BA: 2006 College baseball preview schedule Kyle McCulloch & Drew Stubbs http://www.baseballamerica.com/images2005/texastwo450350sm.jpg For Katuluu and others in the Twin Cities, the DQ Classic, the annual 3-day, 4-team tourney the Gophers host at the Metrodome every year, is scheduled for March 3-5 (Friday-Sunday). Arizona, Nebraska and Notre Dame will be the three teams traveling to Minneapolis to be a part of the tournament. Due to baby timing, I won't be able to attend this year, but I wish could, as all three teams have intriguing draft-eligible players.

I came up with my own college preseason All-American team. The players represented all attended Perfect Game showcases duriing their prep careers: www.perfectgame.org/2005/...ollege.cfm

BrewCrewWS2008 commented on Wes Munson's little brother earlier in this thread: His little brother Sam a 3rd Baseman is also a player to watch down the road last year as a fresman he hit .350 and has great power.

Actually, I'm not too convinced that we'd need links to more than one newspaper for each team, they will all say the same thing generally. I disagree. Since we typically try to push everything we do here, I would much rather have a list be as complete as possible. Don't try to tell someone which paper they should view, let the viewer decide. The list should be as thorough as possible. If they require registration you could designate it with a star or something, but leave it up to the viewer if they want to take the time to fill out the necessary form. This way I would recommend listing the team first, then have the names of the names of the local papers listed underneath. If we here at Brewerfan.net handled such a project, I would imagine that is how it would be presented. Not trying to cut down your work Jamie, just trying to offer some helpful suggestions. And I work for Perfect Game: www.perfectgameusa.com www.perfectgame.org

Jamie, Brian is mighty busy these day, so while such a page is a good idea, it probably isn't going to happen. Why not take this project on yourself, and create a thread similar to the MLB fan-site one, or other threads that are used as valuable resources to all posters? Taking a quick look at your page, I can guarantee you that there is more than one newspaper in most to all Major-League cities. If you create such a thread and it's pin-worthy, I'll gladly reward your hard work by pinning it to the top of this thread.

I'm very happy to see Saenz back. Thanks for continually scouring those roster reports Mass Haas. House is an interesting possibility. IIRC, he seemed to threaten returning to WVU to resume his QB career almost every year he was in the Pirates' system. Now that he seems to have that part of his career behind him, I wonder if he may re-dedicate himself to baseball, mentally and physically. I don't think there is any question that the guy can hit, despite his year lay-off, so I think I would spend more time figuring what's going on upstairs with him than anything else.

I just wanted to point out that the Brewers' second-round pick will either be the 59th or 60th overall selection now that Mike Pelfrey has reportedly signed with the Mets. Jeff Weaver is the only unsigned player remaining that will effect the draft order.

Upton's bonus confirmed, $6.1 million, a new record (updated BA story linked): www.baseballamerica.com/t...upton.html Also, the Mets have reportedly come to terms with RHP Mike Pelfrey, the #9 overall pick: www.baseballamerica.com/t...lfrey.html A bonus of $3.5M and MLB deal worth at least $5.3M overall payable over 4 years.

I would argue that the D-Backs 2005 draft was already a great, as I truly believe Justin Upton will live up to his expectations and then some. I give them credit for resisting the temptation to pass on a once in a lifetime type of player to address a seemingly more immediate need. However, while I like some of the arms they took, their strength without a doubt is hitting, and it's not even close.

Some linkage: arizona.diamondbacks.mlb....p;c_id=ari www.baseballamerica.com/t...upton.html Great news for Diamondback fans. Their lineup is going to be absolutely loaded in 2-3 years with Upton, Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin. If Chad Tracy sticks around, and they get added production out of a few of their other young hitters (Luis Terrero, Alex Cintron, Koyie HIll), they are going to hit their way to a lot of victories. Now they need to address their pitching. I think you can pencil in a pitcher with their first-round pick this year.