Top 15 BREWERS PROSPECTS
As ranked by Deric McKamey

1. Manny Parra (LHP)- 9C
2. Matt LaPorta (LF)- 9D
3. Jeremy Jeffress (RHP)- 9D
4. Angel Salome (C)- 8C
5. Brent Brewer (SS)- 8D
6. Mat Gamel (3B)- 7C
7. Alcides Escobar (SS)- 7C
8. Cole Gillespe (LF)- 7C
9. Taylor Green (3B)- 8D
10. Michael Brantley (LF/1B)- 7C
11. Darren Ford (CF)- 7C
12. Jon Lucroy (C)- 7C
13. Zach Braddock (LHP)- 8D
14. Lorenzo Cain (CF)- 7C
15. Hernan Iribarren (2B)- 7C

PLAYER POTENTIAL RATING
Scale of (1-10) representing a player’s upside potential
10 – Hall of Fame-type player
9 – Elite player
8 – Solid regular
7 – Average regular
6 – Platoon player
5 – Major league reserve player
4 - Top minor league player
3 - Average minor league player
2 - Minor league reserve player
1 - Minor league roster filler

PROBABILITY RATING
Scale of (A-E) representing the player’s realistic chances of achieving their potential
A - 90% probability of reaching potential
B - 70% probability of reaching potential
C - 50% probability of reaching potential
D - 30% probability of reaching potential
E - 10% probability of reaching potential

Five Star Prospects
1. Matt LaPorta, LF
2. Manny Parra, LHP
Four-Star Prospects
3. Jeremy Jeffress, RHP
Three-Star Prospects
4. Cole Gillespie, OF
5. Angel Salome, C
6. Alcides Escobar, SS
7. Mat Gamel, 3B
8. Caleb Gindl, OF
9. Luis Pena, RHP
10. Robert Bryson, RHP
11. Brent Brewer, SS

Just Missing: Lorenzo Cain, OF ; Hernan Iribarren, 2B ; Mark Rogers, RHP

Just Missing usually indicates the next star or perhaps the list wasn’t long enough. In this case, I would suggest that the list wasn’t long enough. Cain has been fairly highly regarded, Iribarren an heir to Weeks and Rogers a front-line starter if healthy. This list is un-ordinary after looking at the other lists you’ve all seen, with the exception of Pena and Bryson. That’s quite suspicious that they are on the list and the Minor League Player of the Year - Taylor Green isn’t there.

So far we’ve heard from Baseball America, John Sickels, and now Kevin Goldstein. There is another ace in the hole, that I’d love to hear from - Deric McKamey - but I have no sources or keys as to how get a hold of him. If I can find his analysis on the web, I will post it - as his system is a bit different than the others. He keys on ceilings as well as the potential to reach those ceilings. Its an interesting ranking to see.

I’m itching to do my own Top 50, it has just been hard finding time here of late. Stay tuned!

Let me begin by saying I have no affiliation with any organizations. I’ve coached Pony League/Babe Ruth for 3 years, and that’s the extent of my coaching career. I played High School baseball, and even went to try out at the college level. That’s the extent of my playing career. I don’t know what it takes to be a MLB general manager, and I didn’t even stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

I am a fantasy geek. I have subscriptions to Baseball America, and Scout.com, and check in with John Sickel’s site as well as Derrick McKamey and Kevin Goldstein. So you could say I spend a little time reading about the up and comers of tomorrow. Heck, I’m even in Dynasty fantasy baseball leagues. Poor soul I am.

So, I’ve been following the Orioles/Mariners fiasco for the past 3 weeks wondering what the hold up is. And I’ve come to this conclusion. Year-by-year contracts for a general manager is a horrendous thing to do. I’m looking at Bill Bavasi and I want to send him a flaming bag of dog crap and lay it on his office doorstep so he can stomp it out and get poo all over himself. That’s the equivalent of what he’s doing to the organization anyways. You can’t fault the guy. The black suits (who likewise have limited actual baseball knowledge) have put pressure on him to win now. Put butts in the seats. They want to see green on the bottom line. If Bavasi can convince Bedard to sign in 2 years, the deal doesn’t look so bad. I know prospects are prospects, but look around the Brewer’s infield and you can see the importance. By sending 4 prospects and a middle-reliever with good value, he is sending the organization back 1 step. At least he wasn’t dumb enough to include Clement, Morrow or Triunfel.

You can read his gafs on another website, but if you gave this organization to a baseball mind, I dare to say it would have been in the playoffs by now - and perhaps in contention. Spending $125 million in payroll is not the way to have a successful franchise. When I say successful, I mean a winning franchise who is capable of winning for 3-5 years in a row. I thought the Yankees and the Knicks should have proven that by now. Look at the teams in contention this past post-season. Rockies, Diamondbacks, Indians, Red Sox, and Brewers have leaned on their minor leagues. They’ve nourished, spent money on scouting and generally had baseball minds in place to make good decisions.

Ask Giants fans how they’ve loved having Sabean on a year-to-year basis. My point is, get a guy in, give him time. Get someone who has knowledge of baseball. Granted, baseball is a business, so it helps to know how to manage money - but would you “average Joe” have made any of the moves the M’s have made over the past few years? Don’t trade for a empty .300 hitter to be your DH. That position should provide some power production. Don’t fork over $12 million a year on a 3-5 type starting pitcher when you were only bidding against yourself. According to information that I’ve dug up, no one else would have went over 10.5. Then look at your payroll. Bavasi has committed $12 million + $9.375 million + $9 million to Silva, Washburn and Miguel Batista for the upcoming season. Would you “average Joe” commit this type of money for the back end of your rotation?

Bavasi has been put in a situation that he has to do whatever it takes to try to win now. Sure, these guys may have been the best available at the time and required that kind of money to sign. But it still is not a smart thing to do. If he doesn’t show improvement, he gets the axe. Much like Sabean has had to do deal with for the past few years. Its encouraging for an organization to spend money in international scouting to dig up guys like Carlos Triunfel. It’s encouraging for an organization to pony up signing bonuses to land high-ceiling arms like Phillipe Aumont. But don’t turn around and piss it away with signing back of the rotation starters for that kind of money and then mortage a future all-star outfielder for a 2 year rental. Don’t throw your first round pick into the fire of the big league bullpen just 20 innings in his professional career.  Would you Brewer fan throw Gallardo or Parra straight into the bullpen just after you drafted them?  You risk stunting his growth.  It will be a huge mistake if Morrow isn’t in Tacoma this year too.

I close by saying, God bless the Brewers organization. They are following the model of franchises of whom have the Brewers in their rear-view mirror. God bless the small market teams for being smart with their money. For developing their prospects. For putting baseball minds in place when it comes to making baseball decisions. For international scouting. For finding that gem in the 30th round of the draft.

Give me Melvin and co. over a $125 million payroll any day. I might have to practice patience and wait for the prospects to prosper, but its healthier than having an ulcer watching the big boys throw it all away.

The recent signings of Cameron and co., will make an impact on the system.  As Dave replied to my last post, the Brewers just haven’t been able to develop an impact OF.  That is perhaps, because the majority of their top picks haven’t been outfielders, however, I’d have to look a little closer at recent draft before making that declaration.  Braun will now make a move to LF with Hall switching to the hot corner to make room for Cameron.  I’m not a big fan personally of the move, but hey, Doug didn’t ask me either.  If I had to sign an OFer, I would’ve went with Lofton to bat at the top of the order and be a table-setter for the heart of the order.  But again… Doug didn’t ask me.

This squad should rival “Bambi’s Bombers” of the late 1970’s.  This squad, led by Gorman Thomas and Paul Molitor led the American League in home runs with 178, and also led 6 other offensive categories.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be dissecting the minor leagues, position by position, which will lead to a pre-season top 50.  So stay tuned.

These grades are preliminary, and subject to change.

1. Matt LaPorta, OF, Grade B+ (great bat, glove??)
2. Manny Parra, LHP, Grade B+ (a really good prospect who needs more attention)
3. Mat Gamel, 3B, Grade B
4. Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Grade B (assumes he stops smoking dope)
5. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Grade B-
6. Taylor Green, 3B, Grade B-
7. Cole Gillespie, OF, Grade C+
8. Alicides Escobar, SS, Grade C+ (overrated by lots of people IMHO)
9. Caleb Gindl, OF, Grade C+ (very promising, want more data)
10. Angel Salome, C, Grade C+
11. Michael Brantley, OF, Grade C+ (a personal favorite I admit)
12. Lorenzo Cain, OF, Grade C+
13. Zach Braddock, LHP, Grade C+
14. Robert Bryson, RHP, Grade C+
15. Hernan Iribarren, 2B, Grade C+
16. Brent Brewer, SS, Grade C (yes I know all about his tools. He is so damn raw that I don’t believe in him yet.)
17. R.J. Seidel, RHP, Grade C
18. Zack Jackson, LHP, Grade C
19. Cody Scarpetta, RHP, Grade C
20. Dan Merklinger, LHP, Grade C

Others Grade Cs who are interchangeable with those above include Chris Cody, Chris Errecart, Eric Farris, Darren Ford, Steve Hammond, Robert Hinton, Brendan Katin, Brad Nelson, Lou Palmisano, Mark Rogers and Vinny Rottino. Again, don’t get all pissy about exact placement on this list. The grades are more important than someone being ranked 15th instead of 13th.

This system has been thinned out by promotions and trades, but I suspect they will recharge quickly.

For those of you who follow Sickels, you’ll know that grades “C” consist of journeyman, position changes, and those prospects who are too young to get a legitimate grade. I’ll have my own top 20 in the coming weeks. I’m just very busy during this Holiday Season.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

If you said, “teams that made the playoffs during the 2007 season”, you’d be close. In fact, the Brewers should have made the playoffs if not for a late-season slump that allowed the Cubbies to creep in. The real answer to the question is that the Brewers were graded as “High Achievers” according to Basebal America, along with the afore-mentioned teams. Baseball America released their organizational report cards for 2007 and instead of giving letter grades, separated teams into four categories: “High Achievers”, “Trending Up”, “Trending Down”, and “Better Luck Next Year.” The good news is that the other teams on the short list of “High Achievers” made the playoffs, and appear destined to do so for the next handful of years. Things are definitely looking up in the land of the Norse.

Baseball America in the past, have offered letter grades, based on the following criteria: (A) Major League Performance, (B) Minor League Performance, (C) Stability in the Front Office, (D) Talent in the Farm System, (E) Young Talent in the Big Leagues, (F) Talent Procured Through the Draft or Trades, and the (G) Overall Direction of the Franchise. This year, the made it more flexible and less like a report card. I’ll take a stab at some commentary based on past credentials.

(A) Major League Performance
The Brewers failed to make the playoffs, however, posted their first winning season since 1992, and came close to the postseason since their last appearance in 1982. The light is clearly at the end of the tunnel. The improvement has been fueled by homegrown talent, spear-headed by Ryan Braun, who was named Rookie of the Year, and Prince Fielder won a Silver Slugger award for their accomplishments during the 2007 season. While Yovani Gallardo didn’t win any awards, he gave a significant boost to the rotation posting a 3.67 ERA through 110 innings.

(B) Minor League Performance
The Brewer’s minor league affiliates posted the best winning percentage (.565) amoung all National League affiliates during the 2007 season. So not only has the system produced high-impact players at the MLB level, there are plenty of reinforcements on the way. The farm produced Division Winners at AAA (Nashville), AA (Huntsville) and even A+ (Brevard County), A (West Viriginia) and R (Helena) were leading their divisions at the break before succumbing to St. Lucie, Hickory, and Great Falls respectively.

Nashville captured the American North division title, but lost out to New Orleans who went on to lost to Sacramento for the PCL title. R.A. Dickey was named PCL Pitcher of the Year and Nashville’s manager, Frank Kremblas, was named PCL manager of the year. Huntsville marched all the way to a Division Title as well as a spot in the Southern League Championship series. They eventually lost out (3-2) to a Montgomery Biscuit team featuring Minor League Baseball top 50’s Wade Davis and Jacob McGee and Player of the Year Reid Brignac. Huntsville manager, Don Money, won Southern League Manager of the Year. Brevard County followed Huntsville’s path, as they too lost out in the Florida State League Championship to Clearwater. Brevard County’s manager, John Tamargo, also received the Manager of the Year award. The West Virigina Power plowed through the South Atlantic League to a spot in the Championship series versus the Columbus Catfish. The Catfish swept the Power in a 3-game series. Helena even made the playoffs, but was knocked out in the first round by the Great Falls White Sox. All in all, 5 out of 6 minor league affiliates made the playoffs, with Huntsville, Brevard County and West Virigina all reaching their league’s respective Championship Series. This is important as winning broods confidence. Something that the Milwaukee club has lacked in the past. If the farmhands experience success during their climb through the system, it will bring a winning attitude to the big club.

(C) Stability in the Front Office
General Manager Doug Melvin’s job is safe and secure and has made few mistakes during his tenure. The Brewers finished with a .500 record in 2005, and narrowly missed the playoffs this past season. Scouting Director Jack Zduriencik was named Baseball America’s 2007 Major League Executive of the Year, thus the franchise is in good hands. Bobby Heck, a Zduriencik disciple was lost to the Houston Astros after the season. The future is bright and the office is stable.

(D) Talent in the Farm System
Recent graduations of Ryan Braun, Yovanni Gallardo, and to an extent R.A. Dickey and Manny Parra, would lead one to think that the farm is barren. That could be no further than the truth. Sure, the farm is weaker, but as mentioned above, 5 of 6 affiliates made the playoffs, so there is plenty of talent to harvest. The following farmhands made Baseball America’s Top 20 Prospect Lists:

(R) Helena Brewers - Pioneer League
• #2 Caleb Gindl (OF)
• #6 Jonathan Lucroy (C)
• #8 Robert Bryson (RHP)

(A-) West Virginia Power - South Atlantic League
None

(A+) Brevard County Manatees - Florida State League
• #12 Alcides Escobar (SS)

(AA) Huntsville Stars - Southern League
• #8 Manny Parra (LHP)
• #20 Alcides Escobar (SS)

(AAA) Nashville Sounds - Pacific Coast League
• #1 Yovanni Gallardo (RHP) - graduated to MLB

(E) Young Talent in the Big Leagues
Just take a look at the lineup. Nearly each position has been homegrown since the 2001 Draft. Recent graduates include Braun and Gallardo. Manny Parra has a decent chance of breaking camp with the big club, but could use more seasoning in Nashville unless some trades go down during the rest of the off-season. The farm hasn’t produced much in the bullpen, but those needs have been filled in Free Agency or minor trades.

(F) Talent Procured Through the Draft or Trades
As previously mentioned, the Brewers have drafted well throughout the years. However, that comes at expense of poor records and scoring top 10 draft picks. They have made the most of it, and 2007 was no different, as they were able to scoop up LFer Matt LaPorta with the 7th overall pick and catcher Jonathan Lucroy in the 3rd Round. The Brewers really haven’t made a lot of noise in trades, only making small moves when they need them.

(G) Overall Direction of the Organization
Up up up. The difference between the Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays is player development. Both teams have consistently picked in the top half of the draft for the past 5 years. The Brewers seem to have developed theirs better, or at least scouted better, spear-headed by Zduriencik. Without having a 2nd Round pick this year, nor any supplemental picks, the Brewers reached up and grabbed LaPorta with their first pick. Their top 4 picks were all-stars in their respective leagues. Bottom line, no matter where they pick, it seems they’ll make the most of it. They’d better, as winning will make an impact on where they draft. With the reigning Executive of the Year, and a fine GM in Melvin, the organization is heading in the right direction. As you’ve seen with the Diamondbacks and Rockies, rookies can make an impact. Look for the Brewers to be the next team to make a post-season splash, led by a solid nucleus of first round picks. Their future is so bright, they gotta wear shades…

I was going to include additions and subtractions after the arbitration deadline has passed, but those transactions involved present major leaguers. My friends over at Brewers Bar have done a fine job of covering those moves.

Recent Additions

Is this a case of the Giants having too much depth in their system? Looking strictly at the numbers, the former San Jose Giant’s closer looks to have some potential for the sudden relief pitcher fetish that Milwaukee has developed this off-season. This side-armer has quietly advanced through the Giants system, without many accolades. He was a California League Mid-Season All-Star, the year in which he was a closer for the aforementioned San Jose Giants.

Bateman has been seemingly old for his leagues, mostly due to his slow progression. Pitching under former big leaguer Trevor Wilson while in Salem Keizer seemed to have straightened him out after a rough start to his professional career coming out of a Division III school. Scout.com reports that Wilson taught him the cut-fastball during his stay with the Volcanoes.

According to several reports on scout.com, Bateman is a side-armer and a strike thrower with a bulldog attitude. That’s the kind of makeup to succeed in his role, which leads me to wonder why he hasn’t earned a chance before now. He can muster a mid 90’s fastball, however, Bateman pitches more comfortably in the low 90’s, while mixing in sliders, curves and a hard cut fastball. The lanky reliever (think Ervin Santana) relies more on the deception of his delivery and movement of his pitches rather than raw power.

One thing that might help him succeed is developing a weapon against left-handed hitters. He does a nice job of shutting down the right-handers with a variety of breaking stuff, often times breaking hard away from the hitters, but he lacks an off-speed weapon against the left-handers.

Is time running out? At 27 years old and in AAA, it doesn’t bode well. However, scout.com notes that some pitchers are just late bloomers and cites that Scott Linebrink didn’t really break out until he was 26, although he reached AAA at 21 instead of 26. They mentioned Linebrink as a comparison as far what pitches Bateman throws and the angle at which he delivers them. Bateman has two things going for him: A) He’s a side-armer, and there always seems to be a niche for a pitcher with some deception to succeed and B) He’s got the mentality to succeed in the relief role. Only time will tell if he can get his cup of coffee, but the PCL should be a good test this season to see if he can thrive in a hitter’s league.

For a system known to put their pitchers on the fast track, Bateman has crept along. Without any knowledge from advance scouts, there must be something holding him back. Maybe he will use his stay here in the Music City as a spring board to advance to the big club and fulfill his potential. He’s never been ranked on Baseball America’s lists, but garnered a few “sleeper” tags from John Manuel back in 2005. Bateman has been eligible for the Rule 5 drafts since 2005, so there must be a reason he hasn’t had a chance before now.

Campbell made his Major League debut with Washington and was 0-0 with a 10.38 ERA in four appearances during the 2006 season. Brett was nothing but solid during his ascent through the National’s system. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League after the ‘06 season in preparation to enter Spring Training with the Nationals for this season. The results must have not been what was expected, and he was demoted to AA Harrisburg during the ‘07 season despite making his debut in the Show during a September callup in ‘06.

Without dominating stuff, Campbell managed to run off a streak of 23 scoreless innings for Savannah, while serving as their closer during the 2005 season. He’s earned Mid-Season All-Star awards in the South Atlantic League and the Eastern Leagues during the 2005 and 2007 seasons respectively.

He has a decent, but not great repertoire, all the while producing over a strikeout per inning during his run in the Minor Leagues (9.50 Ks per 9 IPs). Campbell’s statistics show a fly-ball pitcher, something that should have bode well in Washington’s spacious park.

His nice strikeout percentage must have come at the expense of his control, as Campbell has also averaged 4.15 Walks per 9 IPs. As previously mentioned, after Campbell ascended to the Majors after starting the 2006 season in A ball, he struggled with AA Harrisburg during the 2007 season. There has been no mention of arm troubles during his career, so he expects to have a clean bill of health. John Sickels had this to say about Campbell after watching him pitch with AAA Potomac during the 2006 Season:

…”Started this year in the Carolina League, promoted to Double-A and then Triple-A. Fastball at 88-92 MPH with an OK slider. Short guy at 6-0, but looks athletic and is a former college shortstop. Has promise as a middle reliever. Grade C prospect”…(Courtesty of the John Sickels Baseball Newsletter, September 2006)

His rise to the bigs in 2006 was impressive. His fall to Double-A in 2007 was uninspiring. Is Campbell at a crossroads? Has he developed that “OK” slider into an average pitch? Campbell must pound the strike zone and keep the ball in the ballpark in order to succeed. Will Brett get that cup of coffee in Milwaukee? That will be determined by which version the Brewers get. The 2006 version who made his debut, or the uninspired 2007 version.

Sandoval certainly has an interesting story attached to his career. Sandoval was exposed during that 2003 season of being older than he really was listed as, often a problem with Latin players before Major League Baseball cracked down after the events of 9/11. He came over to the states known as Luis Espinal, but it was soon to be discovered he was Juan Sandoval and actually born in 2001 instead of 2004. In a more tragic event, Sandoval was shot in the face in February of 2006 while eating dinner with his family in his native Dominican Republic.While doctors saved his eye, he remains blind in his right eye.

“Juanderama” or “Juan Done” is definitely an inspiring story, and the kind of guy you want to root for.After multiple surgeries, and a yearlong layoff, Sandoval is back in action. Sandoval literally is having to relearn to pitch, field and play the game of baseball. With the loss of vision in his right eye, Juan is having to overcome depth perception among other things such as control issues.

His career has showed a fighter. He’s typically given up too many hits, and hasn’t struck out as much as you’d like to see, but he is your prototypical innings eater - or was - as he’s now been regulated to relief duties. Sandoval once showed a lot of promise, even if his numbers didn’t reflect it.

According to Scout.com, in 2005, a highly respected scout deemed Sandoval as the best pitching prospect on the roster. The 2005 San Antonio Missions squad included the likes of Ryan Rowland-Smith, Cesar Jimenez, Yorman Bazardo and Emiliano Fruto. The same report also reports that Sandoval pitches in the low 90’s with “exceptional movement” and a “sharp breaking slider.” He often struggled with release with his release points, and too often leaves his pitches up in the zone.

I’ve been unable to find a more recent report, but I hope to get down to the stadium to see him in person in the upcoming season.He has a lot of work to do, but should be an inspiring story, and a person you have to root for.

2B - Callix Crabbe - drafted 17th overall by the San Diego Padres in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

RHP - Bo Hall - drafted 19th overall by the New York Yankees in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 Draft.

You can read the entire article here.

Fortunately for the Brewers, this man hasn’t found a General Managers job elsewhere, although, that may be an issue that the club has to deal with somewhere down the road. The Brewers have already lost two of his top scouts: Tom Allison was named Scouting Director for Arizona in 2006, and Bobby Heck was named Scouting Director for Houston after the close of the 2007 season.

Zduriencik is the first non-general manager ever given that honor by Baseball America.

To put things in perspective, Zduriencik drafted the entire starting infield for the Brewers since 2001 — shortstop J.J. Hardy, first baseman Prince Fielder, second baseman Rickie Weeks and third baseman Ryan Braun. To top that off, he also drafted rightfielder Corey Hart and two rookies who look to head up the rotation for years to come — Northpaw Yovani Gallardo and Southpaw Manny Parra.

According to Baseball America,

..."During the eight drafts he has conducted for the Brewers, he never had the benefit of an extra pick. Because the Brewers forfeited three second-round picks by signing free agents, Zduriencik had only 21 picks over the first three rounds in his eight years in Milwaukee. By comparison, Atlanta had 40 picks and Oakland 39 over the first three rounds over that period."...


Zduriencik has made the most of his drafts, as can be seen in Miller Park today. The Brewers should count their lucky stars that no one has pried such an important figure in the organization away. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

You’ve heard the names. There’s a fairly notable group that includes the likes of the aforementioned Santana, selected by the Marlins from Houston in the 1999 draft, only to be traded to the Minnesota Twins for fellow minor leaguer Jared Camp (who was incidently drafted #1 overall). My, I bet they wish they had that one back. Imagine the bounty the Marlins could get from Santana AND Cabrera. Other notables include All-Stars George Bell, Bobby Bonilla, Scott Podsednik, Dan Uggla and your very own Derrick Turnbow.

The point is, talent can be found if your scouts do their homework. I’d be hanging out with the Marlins’ scouts for a while too, as they seem to have found more success than others. You can read the complete rules of the Rule 5 at wikipedia, and additionally find other fun facts about the draft. In layman’s terms players who are eligible are players not on the 40-man roster which translate to college draftees from the 2004 Draft, and high school draftees or free agent signees from the 2003 Draft or during the year of ‘03 - according to Kurt LaMont (Pistol) over at Batter’s Box.

Without inside information, I’ve taken it upon myself to dig through the system and find who might be eligible. This list is preliminary, so do not burn me at the stake if I happen to include someone who is not eligible. There is also a Minor League portion (AA and AAA), but I’m unfamiliar as to who is eligible for that. Without further ado, here are my findings with a brief commentary.

According to brewerfan.net - Here’s the list of availables: Rule 5 

High School Draftees from ‘03

• OF - Charlie Fermaint - Once considered the fastest player in the Brewer’s organization, Fermaint appeared on the fast track. However, injuries and the apparent lack of discipline has slowed his progress. The 4th Rounder out of Puerto Rico was rated as high as #12 in a stacked Brewers system after the 2006 season, and has a nice collection of honors and awards on his ascent through the system. Fermaint while “only” 22 years old has yet to break into AA, and has been quite a disappointment after starting out with a bang. According to Baseball America, his tools include plus speed, an average arm and plays a effortless center field. Some officials reported that he evoked memories of a young Andruw Jones. In hindsight, he appears to be a similar type player, only without the power. Fermaint appears to have stalled out and looks to be a pinch runner and late-inning defensive replacement at best. He will have to improve his strike zone judegement and get on base more as he profiles as a top of the order hitter. BA reported he was very coachable, so perhaps a change of scenery would help, but I can’t see a team putting him on a 25-man roster.
BA Rankings: 2006 #12 ; 2007 #12 ; 2008?

College Draftees from ‘04

• Josh Wahpepah - RHP - A full-blooded Native American, Wahpepah moved to the bullpen in hopes of increasing his chances of making the show. According to Baseball America, Wahpepah relies on a deceptive delivery to get hitters out, as his fastball lies in the 88-92 mph range, occasionally bumping it up a few ticks with the move to the pen. He repeated the Florida State league this season, and while he seems to have improved control, he still has a long way to go. He’s 23, and should be challenged at AA next season. The story on Wahpepah is a maintaining his delivery. When he’s off, it takes away from his secondary pitches. If a team thinks they can iron that out, they might take a chance.
BA Rankings: 2005 #20

• Josh Baker - RHP - Once a part of a lights-out Rice rotation, Baker has fallen out of the limelight. A 4th round pick by the Rangers in ‘01, Baker decided to enroll at Rice. The Brewers drafted him in 2004, again as a 4th rounder, and was reported as having good size with a nice fastball/curve combo. Injuries have been a stunt to Baker’s growth as a professional, only tossing 5 innings this past season after not pitching at all in 2006.
BA Rankings: 2005 #19

• Steve Sollmann - 1B - Sollmann has put up respectable numbers in certain categories, including a .395 OBP in AA Huntsville this past season. However, a .770 OPS won’t cut at 1B, a position that demands some pop. Sollmann was a second baseman coming out of college, and profiles better with the bat at that position.

• David Johnson - RHP - Johnson didn’t put up spectacular numbers during his days at UCLA, but his stuff must have been good enough to be a 15th Rounder back in 2004. Johnson seemingly has the guile to get players out, and has come close to striking out a batter per inning throughout his career. Johnson may eventually get a cup of coffee, but he’s a middle reliever at best.

• Dan Stanczyk - RHP - Stanczyk was a non-drafted free agent out of the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin. He may not be eligible for this list, I’m a little unsure of that. Stanczyk, like Johnson isn’t outstanding, but is innings-eater in middle relief and strikes out close to a batter an inning. He’s still in A ball, however, so he still has a way to go until he reaches Miller Park.

All in all, I don’t see anyone taking a shot at any of these guys. Pitchers tend to be more available because every team looks for depth in their organization. Plus, it is easier to hide a pitcher in a reliever role than it is to store a batter on the bench - especially for the NL teams.

If anyone is likely to go, it would be Fermaint, who I might compare to an Alejandro de Aza type player - taken by the Marlins in the minor league portion of the draft in ‘04 from the Dodgers. The difference being, this is the major-league portion, and I can’t see a team risking a spot on the 25 man roster for the potential Fermaint might still have.

The Brewers’ 40-man roster appears to be full, so it appears they won’t be selecting anyone in the major-league portion, but they may take a shot at someone in the minor league portions.