colbyjack

You don't want a guy's name to show up on this thread less than a month after the signing deadline, but according to BA's Conor Glassey LHP Carlos Rodon's (now at NC State) first two pitches today in a scrimmage with the Team USA 18u National Team were 94 and 96. Given his polish, I think it's safe to say we'll likely be talking a lot more about him as one of the more notable players that got away (and not in a negative fashion, as it wasn't just the Brewers that saw him as far as he did). Lex Rutledge and Kyle Hansen remain two of the more intriguing college arms for next year's draft.

Jim, here is my yearly thank you for everything you do with the link report. Thanks as well to everyone else involved and I apologize for not naming each one of you by name (Eric to name one of the regulars), as I know that doing this day in and day out throughout the course of the baseball season is no easy task. You've made following the minor leaguers particularly easy for me this year, even if I haven't been following as closely as I'd like to, or as active. Go Brewers.

I'm not really sure where this opinion comes from. Why would it be good to let the muscles deteriorate for a few months and then build them back up again? Injuries happen most often when guys take long breaks and then have to work back into shape. Not to mention the benefit of a Major League medical staff and pitching coaches. I'd be a lot happier to see them sign early, start working on adjustments early, and start monitoring tendinitis type overwork issues early. The opinion comes from me http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. Muscles don't deteriorate. I'm sure Jungmann and Bradley were keeping in shape all summer even if they didn't pitch for any organized baseball. Rest is important for pitchers, with plenty of research that suggests a pitcher should not pitch more than X amount of innings per year, and should not exceed X + Y (Y usually being around 25-30 innings) in each year moving forward. Has it been proven that injuries occur when guys take long breaks and have to work back into shape? The Brewers haven't been particularly good at developing pitchers, so I'm not sure the MLB medical staff/coaching argument applies until they get better doing so. If we were talking about Jorge Lopez, who I think would have been better off signing right after the draft, I would share a completely different outlook since experience is a lot more crucial to his development, and he didn't have the same amount of wear-and-tear leading up tot he draft. Bringing up Ryan Braun and how quickly he signed is an apples to oranges comparison since hitters don't face the same fatigue issues that pitchers do at a young age.

You guys figured right, 3rd-5th round grade on McFarland without the Rice commitment. Nice addition for the money/round, and continued proof that while the Brewers don't break the bank on any one player, they do find a way to add a player like McFarland each and every year as they did with Gennett and Howell as noted above.

i agree, there has to be a better system, then having a deadling that everyone waits to sign right at. jungmann and bradley completely wasted their 2011 season by signing so late. glad they are in the fold though. I agree the system is flawed, but both Jungmann and Bradley already threw a full season's worth during the spring for Texas and Georgia Tech respectively. There was never any rush to get either one in the fold. And don't be surprised if the draft doesn't change as much as some think next year. And for the record, while the 2012 draft class won't be as strong as the 2011 class, the high school class should be fairly loaded, and if you follow the draft you know that the strength of the college class usually dictates the perceived strength.

Are they playing summer ball anywhere that people know of? Oddly enough, Andrew Cain, at least according to UNC Wilmington's summer league reports, isn't playing anywhere this summer. That's odd for a player in his position. While not part of your list, both Amaral and McFarland were at our WWBA 18U National Championship in Marietta early last month. Amaral went 4-for-9 with 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. He showed his usual, large, strong frame with good bat speed and extension. He also has a strong arm, although the need for improved throwing mechanics. He does show good quickness behind the plate, particularly for his size. His travel team coach has deep connections to FSU, so I'm guessing Amaral is college bound (if that wasn't already apparent). McFarland, also likely to be college bound (Rice) was 7-for-15 with 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI and 6 runs scored. He took showed his usual strong, projectable and athletic frame, plus bat speed, quick feet and strong, accurate arm. Carlos Rodon was supposed to play with Amaral on the Next Level Baseball travel team, but did not.

The scouting report is simply copied and pasted from our new GameChanger feature at Perfect Game. We now have a member of our staff scout every game from our events using an iPad. That includes the play-by-play, box score and scouting reports, which are a premium features. So, those aren't my notes, but the notes of the person that watched the game. When they add a scouting report item, that is just how it appears, with notes added, good and bad, line-by-line. It's a really cool feature, something that friends and family members have been taking advantage of to follow their kids/friends results from afar. In-house, we now use those notes to add to the individual player profiles in our database. Now we need an iPad with a radar gun attached to it, or better yet, a radar gun app. As for Lopez' ceiling, he definitely has the physical projection to throw more consistently in the low-90s, with the ability to reach the mid-90s as he has already done. I think the comparison to Gallardo is fairly solid, since neither guy is really a flamethrower, at least not consistently, but they have the ability to do so.

I thought this story might interest some people here. Jorge Lopez is playing at the 18U BCS tournament in Fort Myers, Fla. this week: http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=6054 Lopez struck out 6 in a 3 inning appearance last Sunday. Here's his scouting report (sorry if the chart at the bottom doesn't format/tab properly, but he was up to 91 in this game): Gen Top Prospect Physical Description: Large frame, Projectable frame, Room to fill P Control (Positive): Good command, Shows control on both sides of plate, Throws strikes Arm Action (Positive): Good extension out front, Throws easy, Good follow through, Arm works well Pitch Approach: Has mound presence, Works fast, Attacks hitters FB Movement: Armside run on FB, Life on FB Misc: Projectable stuff Slider (Positive): Tight rotation, Average SL Curveball (Positive): Plus CB Slider (Negative): Leaves up in zone Delivery (Positive): Balanced delivery Fastball: Keeps FB down, Plus FB Arm Angle: High 3/4 arm angle Type Number 80% Low 80% Avg 80% High 100% Low 100% Avg 100% High FB 21 87 88 91 87 88 91 CB 4 77 77 78 77 77 78 SL 4 77 77 79 77 77 79 CH 1 81 81 81 81 81 81

This year's draft, regardless of who they sign, should have little to no bearing on who they take next year. Keep in mind Javier Baez likely would have been the pick at #12 had he been there, so it's not like they were zeroing in on college pitching the whole time. Next year's draft won't be deep as this year's. The college ranks in particular look as though they'll be rather thin, while the prep class could be quite strong.

I had the chance to see Brady Rodgers pitch for Team USA in Omaha on Friday. He was mostly in the upper-80s, showing good command of his fastball with a pretty good, big, slow curveball. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/colbyjack/bradyrodgers370-2.jpg And for the record, Tyler Thornburg looked really good today http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. I love it when someone who knows nothing about a prospect, because he's not a mainstream guy, and the only thing said person can come up to say about him, more than once, is, "it looks like he's been working on his delivery quite a bit."

Sure, Lopez has the potential to be a top of the rotation guy. He has the size and good command relative to his age and experience, and his stuff could improve given all of that. I still like Bradley the best of the Brewers picks, and yes, his slider flashes plus. Very good fastball/slider combo.

I was at the PG National a few days ago and got a first-hand look at the top prep talent that is going to be available for next year. McCullers hit 97 with his first 2 pitches, and 98 with his third. His fourth pitch was a true 87 mph curveball, which is just plain nasty. The only thing I could see with McCullers between now and next June is people questioning whether or not he is a starter or a closer, similar to how Gerrit Cole was questioned coming out of high school since everything he threw was so hard. That's a silly argument to me, as McCullers' arm truly is special (he threw 98 easily across the infield as part of the IF drills). However, my #1 high school player is Trey Williams. He's the son of former MLB player Eddie Williams, and is built like an NFL running back. He is smooth on the field and has advanced hitting tools. As I wrote in my work for PG, he drove a high, outside pitch over the RCF wall as a RH hitter in game situations that left the park in a hurry, a hit that look liked something Albert Pujols would smash. Incredible bat speed and natural raw power. Neither player should be anywhere near the Brewers pick. EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention LSU's Kevin Gausman as a candidate for the top 3-5 picks, possibly #1 overall for next year. Mark Appel of Stanford is frequently tossed around as the top college pitcher eligible for next year's draft, but I like Gausman in that same conversation. He'll be eligible as a sophomore.

I don't think anyone should expect Jungmann or Bradley to sign anytime soon. Jungmann threw what, 140+ innings this year? That is about the max you would let a 'normal' college pitcher throw between his spring and summer outings. The Brewers should be in no rush to get him out on the field, as I would be fine, and probably would prefer, if he were shut down until instrux. And Bradley was just shy of 100 IP. It would be nice to see him get another 30-40, but again, there's no rush to get him in the fold. It's not surprising that only 4 first-rounders have signed, and 3 of those were among the final 5 picks of the round. All 4 were perceived to be relative signability picks, and considering this could be the last year that there isn't a cap of some sort on what these players could sign for, you're likely going to see quite a few of these 1st rounders wait until the August 15 deadline to sign. It would be nice to get Lopez signed within the next 1-2 weeks. He could use the experience stateside.

I'm not sure I would label Jungmann's curve a 'hanger', but it also isn't a 'hammer.' He drops it in nicely for strikes, and as another poster pointed out already, he wasn't throwing 95 as shown on the ESPN gun. He's more of a 90-93 guy, and has been amazingly consistent in that range, along with his curve, all season. Brady Rodgers of ASU who opposed Jungmann on Friday was a Brewers draft pick a couple of years ago, and could be a first rounder next year.

No, it's not too early to ask about the 2012 draft. However, over the next couple of months, thanks to both the summer collegiate baseball schedule and the high school showcase season, those players will become more evident. I'll be in Fort Myers, Florida later this week at the PG National Showcase, which pretty much kicks of the 2012 draft season, one week removed from the 2011 draft.

He was moved to the OF relatively late during his minor league career. It should be pointed out that he made his MLB debut prior to Fielder (2004 vs. 2005), and was frequently compared to Richie Sexson (with more speed) early during his pro career. Lyle Overbay was in that picture as well, and Brad Nelson was also a factor at the time. Hart was named MVP of the Southern League in 2003 where he was teammates with J.J. Hardy and Dave Krynzel. He really wasn't over-shadowed by Prince, Rickie, etc. until 2005 when the three were teammates at AAA.

There were some pretty interesting picks in this range for the Brewers. Just a few quick thoughts: Ben McMahan was a pretty promising recruit for the Gators when he first arrived on campus. Other talented catching recruits such as Austin Maddox and Mike Zunino (SEC POY) have pushed him in a reserve role. Michael Palazzone was an Aflac All-American in high school, and IIRC started for the East squad back in 2007. He was a premium recruit with a big bender with TJ surgery in his past. Here's his report from PG's Georgia preview: Chad Thompson is a super-sized RHP with a power arm. Check out his PG profile for reports, more links and a video: http://www.perfectgame.or...erprofile.aspx?ID=180642 BreShon Kimbell is another interesting prospect given his experience and upside. I'm not so sure he sticks behind the plate, but he's a physical player. Here's a report from 5 Tool Talk from his participation with Team USA last summer (keep in mind the George Springer reference has more to do with his physical stature than his projected future ability): And his PG profile, again, with scouting reports, links to other stories, and video: http://www.perfectgame.or...erprofile.aspx?ID=241694 David Lucroy is of course Jonathan's brother. You see these kinds of picks all the time. Here's a link to his Perfect Game profile with the usual reports, links and video: http://www.perfectgame.or...erprofile.aspx?ID=127859 There were a trio of Brewers fans, myself included, in the PG War Room today, so we all made sure to add a Prince Fielder-related comment when Trent Boras was announced. Honestly, I really don't know why else that pick was made. He plays for a high-profile team, and is a good player, but he's not a pro prospect.

Toby has been adding a ton of great stuff to the round-by-round, pick-by-pick thread, but here is some additional info on the players taken in the rounds 6-20: Chris McFarland isn't a SS long-term. I like his versatility, and his overall tool-set, but he probably settles in at 2B/3B, or possibly even as a utility player. Here are some of my comments after watching him take part of the UA game practice from last August: Dustin Houle from PG's Canada Preview, one of the team's more exciting picks IMO: http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5822 I covered Mike Strong in the Northwoods League last summer where he sat 88-91 and touched a few ticks higher. Many scouts and coaches rated his curveball as the best breaking ball in the league. From 5 Tool Talk: Tommy Toledo has missed time at Florida due to injury, but has a live arm with a good repertoire -- from 5 Tool Talk: David Goforth from Perfect Game's Mississippi draft preview: Carlos Rodon from Perfect Game's North Carolina preview (along with Houle, one of the more exciting picks IMO): Some good video on Mario Amaral located on his PG page: http://www.perfectgame.or...erprofile.aspx?ID=244001

Perfect Game is in the process of converting video from our sister-site, BaseballWebTV, making all of those videos available for free. If you click on Jorge Lopez' player profile, scroll down a little to check out some video of him from last January's World Showcase. I hope you're not hungry for Papa John's... http://www.perfectgame.or...erprofile.aspx?ID=244685 Here's a recent profile I did on Taylor Jungmann: http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5785 Notes on Jungmann from 5 Tool Talk: http://5tooltalk.com/2011-notes-3-27-11.html http://5tooltalk.com/2011-notes-2-26-11.html http://5tooltalk.com/2011-notes-6-15-10.html http://www.5tooltalk.com/collegenotes4-10-10.html http://www.5tooltalk.com/collegenotes5-20-09.html Notes on Bradley from 5 Tool Talk: http://5tooltalk.com/2011-notes-3-27-11.html

Here's Perfect Game's comments on Lopez from the Puerto Rico state preview: http://www.perfectgame.or...s/View.aspx?article=5614 One-line report from story as linked: Not overly surprising, as the Brewers have been targeting both Canadian and Puerto Rican players earlier in the draft the past few years. Really high upside, and a nice blend of polish given his relative inexperience. And of course the Brewers continue to show interest in the taller, bigger-bodied pitchers. Time for some bats...

I'm pretty excited about Jed Bradley, and kudos to the Brewers for taking him at #15. He looked as though he could go among the top 3-5 overall picks at one point in time. I love the way he pitches, a true power pitcher who attacks hitters with his fastball and also has a really good slider. He pitches off his fastball, which I like, and he commands it well. He's the better of the two picks as prospects IMO. Jungmann is good too. Some people swear by him, and he has been incredibly consistent. Both guys could move fast, although we may not see much of them this summer. Plenty of good players heading into day 2. Getting two college arms like Jungmann and Bradley at 12 & 15 and having so much impact talent left on the board really is a tribute to the depth of talent this year. And Bradley is from Huntsville.

I wanted to let everyone know that we (PG) have launched our draft-day chat/tracker application early today if you want to follow the draft. http://www.perfectgame.org/draft/drafthq.aspx

Take this with a grain of salt, but I have a friend who works as an advance scout for Vanderbilt. I asked him about Sonny Gray. He said he likes him, but he wouldn't be surprised if he ended up as a reliever because he really only has two pitches. He likes him in the closer's role in the future--said he's really competitive and has that "mentality," whatever that is. What I found more interesting were his comments on another Vanderbilt pitcher, Grayson Garvin. He's a 6'6" lefty, which gets your attention right away. Here's what my buddy had to say: "I think he would fly through the Brewers' system. Coach Corbin says he is better than Mike Minor at this point in their careers." He is projected to go Supplemental/2nd round, but he's hearing the Yankees like him with their first pick. That's pretty much the book on Gray, and that's exactly why I compared him to Ben Sheets. Remember when Sheets was a Brewer and he was constantly questioned as a started because he only used two pitches? That's Gray. Sheets too was often scrutinized in a similar fashion, with people wondering why he didn't throw a changeup more, or why he didn't try to throw a 2-seamer more than he did, with some wondering if he would be best used as a closer. Gray can succeed, like Sheets, with those two pitches. He maintains his velocity well, not only deep into games, but on a game-by-game basis. Garvin was the focus on our (Perfect Game) 50 in 50 scouting profile today. He's the exact opposite of Gray in that he has a more projectable frame, throws more, different pitches for strikes but doesn't overpower batters with anything he has in his repertoire. I personally take Gray 10 times out of 10 if I had the chance, not to take anything away from Garvin, but that's why one is considered for the first half of the first round and the other is a sandwich to second round pick.

Yeah, you had me thinking we wouldn't see you on here for weeks at a time. It's like you never got your awesome new job. Thanks guys. I said in my announcement of my new gig that I was a Brewers fan first and foremost, and that will never change. Brewerfan.net is a fist full of awesome, and while I won't contribute on a regular basis to the site's features, I never intended to go away entirely. That said, I need to find a way (and some time) to follow the Brewers better than I have that last month+. Maybe my move away from Milwaukee had a reverse affect on the teams winning (losing) ways. I'm coming back for next Friday's game, so if they lose, my bad http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif. Since last night I'm hearing the top 6 is pretty well set (but not concrete, of course). The D-Backs at #7 could really set off a chain of reaction, particularly for the Brewers who covet Javier Baez. 1. Cole 2. Rendon 3. Hultzen 4. Bundy 5. Bauer 6. Starling

Hard not to go with Norris, who as I noted above has top of the rotation stuff, but I'm a big Anderson believer. He's the type of guy that has good, not great stuff, but that stuff can play bigger the way he pitches. And that could happen at the big-league level a lot sooner than it likely will for Norris. Also, I noted above that Norris isn't expected to be a signability risk. It circulated today that he's looking for $3.9 million, or what Tyler Matzek got a few years ago. So, there is a signability risk, as that's top 3-5 overall type of cash. I still don't think he ends up at college.