Day One: Summary
By: Big Rygg
As you’ve seen, the first three picks were posted in the blog here within a matter of moments after they were selected.
Here now is the entire list of first day selections by the Milwaukee Brewers along with some comments about some of the selections from yours truly and some MLB.com linkage for your perusal.
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Pick #16 — Brett Lawrie, C, 5'11", 200lbs, Bats/Throws: R/R | Brookswood SS
Comments: Catcher is one of the thinnest positions in the Brewers’ Minor League system. This was a pick that the team was very excited to make once Lawrie fell to them. With the reports all saying that this kid should definitely hit, you can rest assured that the Brewers will give him EVERY opportunity to remain as a catcher.
Enhanced Scouting Report
Pick #32 — Jake Odorizzi, RHP, 6'2", 175lbs, Bats/Throws: R/R | Highland HS (IL)
Comments: This high school pitcher has committed to playing college baseball with Louisville already, so it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll want to forgo that committment to begin his professional career. Having said that, the scouting reports say that this kid has four pitches that he can throw for strikes right now. If that’s the case, in my mind he projects (once his body fills out and he spends enough time mastering his controls) as a top-end of the rotation guy at some point. As we all know, there are SO many things that can happen between now and whenever that might be, but here’s hoping he signs with the organization and gets to finding out when and if that will happen for him.
Enhanced Scouting Report
Pick #35: Evan Frederickson, LHP, 6'6", 238lbs, Bats/Throws: L/L | U San Francisco
Comments: A tall left-hander, Frederickson has the frame to really be a dominating presence on the mound. Whether or not he can harness his physical gifts will be up to his coaches, his drive and his determination to achieve success.
Pick #53: Seth Lintz, RHP, 6'1", 170lbs, Bats/Throws: R/R | Marshall County HS (TN)
Comments: Another prep pitcher, which the Brewers have not had any real reservations about taking risks on. Lintz had committed to pitch at Kentucky next year, so we’ll have to see which path he ultimately decides on for his career. He graduated HS as his class Salutatorian after going 12–1 in his senior year while compiling 1.33 ERA. His fastballs registers in the low 90s and he apparently touts a power slider as well. He’ll need to develop at least a third pitch (if he doesn’t already have one) to project as a starter in the big leagues.
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Pick #54: Cutter Dykstra, CF, 5'11", 180lbs B/T: R/R | Westlake HS (CA)
Comments: The “family ties” episode that has spanned the last several years for the Brewers continues with another MLB legacy in the system. He hit .473 in 29 games during this year, and (like his father) had an even better on-base percentage of nearly 60 percent!! His OPS was a stellar 1.320. His defense, like a few other recent Brewer draft picks (see: Braun, Ryan & Gamel, Mat), is not nearly at the same level as his bat, but that’s definitely something he’ll have plenty of time to work on in the minor leagues. Cutter has a scholarship offer waiting for him at UCLA if he decides to go the college route for a few years, but to hear his dad (former Phillie and Met Lenny “Nails” Dykstra) talk, it sounds like he’ll sign with the club and begin what could hopefully be a rapid rise through the system.
Pick #62: Thomas Adams, RHP, 6'2", 180lbs, B/T: R/R | Southern Illinois University (Carbondale)
Pick #94: Logan Schafer, CF, 6'1", 170lbs, B/T: L/L | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Pick #128: Joshua Romanski, LHP, 5'11", 180lbs, B/T: L/L | University of San Diego
Comments: You just don’t see many pitchers of this stature. Tim Lincecum is the anamoly, not the norm. That being said, the scouting report says that Romanski’s future might be in the outfield, but other scouts say that they just don’t think he could play there everyday and that his ceiling might be as a 4th outfielder in the bigs…which is still pretty damn good if you ask me.
Pick #158: Maverick Lasker, RHP, 6'2", 190lbs, B/T: R/R | Sandra Day O’Connor HS (AZ)
Comments: This is my pick in the draft that I will be paying attention to for the duration of his stay with Milwaukee’s system, regardless of how high he ultimately rises. My dream would be to be the team’s new PA announcer and get to rattle off the Opening Day roster and be able to call someone Maverick. Yeah, if he an Cutter Dykstra are on the roster together, that’ll just be a bonus.
Pick #188: Jose Duran, SS, 5'11", 190lbs, B/T: R/R | Texas A&M
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Final Thoughts: As always, you can never have too much pitching and the Jack Zduriencik’s crew appears to have picked several potential contributors for the bump. I especially love the Brett Lawrie pick as the thinnest position in our system is catcher. I read a report that said his bat is big league ready right now. That remains to be seen, of course, but it could be very fun to watch him over the next few seasons.
I’ve been following our farm system closer and closer each of the past several years now, and like to keep tabs on our prospects. Except at the very least one Minor League report per month going forward.
Summing it up, though, I haven’t heard of all of these picks before today, but I know that Jack Z’s crew has and quite frankly, that’s good enough for me.
