In the middle of the best week of the season thus far for the Denver Brewers (more about that in a separate post), the WPK held their annual amateur draft and the feeling in the Denver front office is that while they likely didn't get any generational impact players, they did very possibly add at least a small handful of future big league players.
The over-arching narrative of this year's draft is that the first round primarily saw collegiate players with high floors and moderate ceilings being drafted.
Top pick, third baseman Dave Harbin out of Georgia Tech, is a prime example. Chosen by the woeful Phoenix Speed Devils, the slick fielding young man with a strong potential power bat and eye but relatively poor contact skills, Harbin has already been assigned to the organization's full-season single A club, the Lincoln Whiskeyjacks. Harbin profiles as durable and although his raw foot speed is pretty uninspiring he is considered a very smart base runner. But as a 1-1, this is not an exciting pick for Phoenix fans.
The top pitcher taken came with the second pick, by the Detroit Falcons. Many experts believe that Scott Lucas, who just completed his junior year at Rice University, would have made a better 1-1. He possesses a plus plus curveball with elite level potential, a well above average fastball (though at this point he tops out in the low 90's in terms of velocity) an average sinker with a little room for growth still, and a pretty hopeless changeup. But with good makeup, particularly a great work ethic, above average stamina, and a great knack for inducing groundballs, he looks like he has a strong chance to end up at or near the top of a WPK rotation.
The Denver Brewers scouting staff believes that the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings got one of the steals of the first round when they chose Aurora College starting pitcher Isaiah Roberson with the 10th pick of the draft. Roberson could have some troubles keeping balls in the yard with movement that looks to be average at best at his peak, but his control profiles as plus plus and is already well developed and with three already big league ready pitches, headlined by a curveball that should be among the best in time, along with a well-above average slider and fastball, he finds himself starting in AA with an eye towards a quick move up the system. He is lauded for his leadership skills, great intelligence, and his tireless work ethic. In the words of Denver's head scout Ulrik Berthelsen, "perfect skill set to succeed on and off the field." And if all of that isn't enough, very few starting pitchers can match either his stamina or his ability to control the running game. Watch for this kid in the near future.
As for the Brewers, with the 23rd pick of the draft they took Davidson College right handed starting pitcher
David Rodriguez. The slightly built Rodriguez is a perfect example of the trends in this draft, as he profiles as very nearly WPK-ready now but with the likely ceiling of a mid-rotation starter. Like Roberson, he has great makeup, combining smarts and great work habits with reportedly low greed. His repertoire consists of four already big league level pitches led by a changeup that could become one of the finest in the game. He is an extreme groundball pitcher, which is a Brewer specialty, but his stamina is just a bit above average and he may have control issues going forward. With the deep stable of starting pitching prospects in the system he might never crack the Brewers rotation but he could have what it takes to be a fine bullpen arm eventually or at worst good trade bait before long.
With their second round pick the Brewers went against their own well-established philosophy of never picking relief pitchers until much later in the draft when they took right-handed closer
Dan Folk out of Aurora College. Why did the Brewers make this unexpected move, other than the fact that he was considered the most talented player available at that point? Well, it likely has something to do with his multi-inning profile, his reported durability, his strong work ethic and baseball smarts, and the fact that he already has elite stuff and should be a strikeout machine. On the other hand, his movement is poor and his control likely to be average at best. Might have been a reach, certainly is a risk, but with his two elite or near elite pitches (changeup, fastball) it seemed a risk worth taking.
The Brewers third round pick was shortstop
Matt Enders out of Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston, Massachusetts. While Ender appears to have modest offensive potential, he is very fast and a plus defender, although he may profile best as a second or third baseman. He could well prove to be a super utility player with the ability to be a fine corner outfielder as well (and with his strong arm, perhaps even an excellent right fielder.) And perhaps above all else, the kid looks like a future team captain.
Next up for Denver was right fielder
Cameron Bergren out of Wichita State, taken in the 4th round.
Bergren is another high floor, modest ceiling player. He has almost no area where he excels but also none where he is particularly deficient. He does have a very strong arm, which is his calling card in the field. And although his foot speed is just average, he is an above average runner on the base paths. He should be good at drawing walks, has a bit of pop in his bat, and will likely be about average in terms of contact skills. Not likely a future star, but almost surely will have some role in the WPK before too long.
And with their 5th round pick the Brewers went with another right fielder, slugger
Matt Turner out of Buffalo College. As alluded to,
Turner's carrying card is power. He has little speed and profiles as a pretty average defensive outfielder at best (probably more a left fielder than a right fielder in the bigs). His contact skills at the plate should be adequate, but not much more than that. But with a strong work ethic, and as a flyball hitter who should be able to lift plenty of baseballs into the seats, Denver decided to take a chance on him even though he doesn't fit the usual toolsy, athletic profile of outfielders that the organization nearly always favors.
Certainly they did get a few guys who fit that description just a bit later in the draft (
Roger Reimer out of El Paso College in the next round, super speedster
Javier Hernandez out of East Tennessee State in the 11th), as well as as somewhat promising bat-first, power-first first baseman named
Gene "Basher" Brasher (yes, I just gave him that nickname) in the 8th round. Catcher
Rich Fugate (out of Austin College), taken in the 7th round, has some potential with very good catching ability (but an average arm) combined with potentially quite good contact hitting skills (he should rarely strike out, though he won't draw many walks either.)
Perhaps the dark horse candidate for some big league success in this draft for the Brewers is their 18th round pick, a 19-year old shortstop out of San Jose College named
John Rowe.
Rowe, in spite of being slow footed, profiles as a potentially gold glove caliber second baseman (an average arm keeps him from being a truly legit shortstop), he should have a great eye and strong enough plate discipline that he might over-achieve his very poor contact tool projection. And, like his more talented middle infield draft compatriot
Matt Enders, he looks like a possible future captain in the clubhouse.