SBNation.com User Blog: ilikeburritos

Lohse to Sign With Brewers

ilikeburritos — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:44:39 -0000

Lohse to Sign With Brewers

And it's apparently for 3 years according to Tom Haudricourt. I'm gonna go cry in the corner now.

Drew Ward expected to enter 2013 draft

ilikeburritos — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 21:14:45 -0000

Drew Ward expected to enter 2013 draft

Ward, who is #2 on the Perfect Game HS class of 2014 list, says that there is a 95 percent chance that he will graduate early and enter the 2013 draft.

This makes things a little interesting...

Way Too Early 2013 MLB Mock Draft (Top-10)

ilikeburritos — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:59:27 -0000

So with the school year over, the draft over, and most testing over, I find myself with tons of time on my hands and not much to do. So in my effort to combat boredom, I have written up a mock draft for next year's draft. This is more of a stab in the dark at this point, but I used whatever scraps of information I could find. Enjoy.

1) San Diego Padres- Austin Meadows, OF- Possibly the best position player in the draft, Meadows is a legit 5-tool talent who should make the top 5 as of right now and is a candidate for the first overall pick.

2) Chicago Cubs- Karsten Whitson, RHP- A former 9th overall pick in 2010, Whitson is one of the top college pitcher for the 2013 draft class. Although there are concerns about injuries, he should start next season with a clean bill of health.

3) Minnesota Twins- Austin Wilson, OF- The Twins would be getting one of the top collegiate position player, and Wilson has solid tools across the board with a good power potential.

4) Colorado Rockies- Jeremy Martinez, C- In a draft class deep in catching talent, Martinez is one of the best, with a good power potential and a chance to stick at the plate because of his excellent defense. Catchers with great bats and the ability to stick at the plate are valuable commodities of the draft.

5) Kansas City Royals- Oscar Mercado, SS-The Royals go the high school route this time and nabs a HS shortstop with a great glove and lots of potential with the bat.

6) Houston Astros- Clinton Hollon, RHP- Hollon is one of the top high school pitcher in the draft with a fastball that sits in the low-90s with a good breaking ball to go with it. Although he’s a little short in stature, he still has a good chance to stick as a starting pitcher. The Astros are in the process of rebuilding, and adding Hollon to the farm system already with Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers Jr. would provide a great building-block for the rebuilding process.

7) Oakland A’s- Ryne Stanek- RHP- Stanek is another top college pitcher in the draft with a low-90s fastball and solid secondaries. Although the A’s went the high school route in the recent draft, I believe they’ll go back to the college route once more and snag a top collegiate pitcher.

8) Detroit Tigers- Justin Williams, OF- Williams provides a top notch bat and although he does provide solid tools across the board, his main highlight is his bat. If the Tigers draft him, he should eventually form a fearsome combo with Fielder and Castellanos

9) Seattle Mariners- Stephen Gonsalves, LHP- The Mariners have an impressive stockpile of pitchers in their minor league system and I think they’ll add another arm in Gonsalves, who is starting to get comparisons to Tyler Skaggs. He has a low-90s fastball with tons of room to grow. He also has a curveball with a lot of potential and an above-average changeup.

10) Milwaukee Brewers- William Abreu, OF- Because the Brewers now feel the need to draft bats, they’ll probably draft lots of bats for a while. This time they select a HS outfielder who is similar to Albert Almora in that he has solid tools across the board with a good power potential. He could be a potential 20/20 player with a possibility for higher numbers.

3) Minnesota Twins- Austin Wilson, OF- The Twins would be getting one of the top collegiate position player, and Wilson has solid tools across the board with a good power potential.

5) Kansas City Royals- Oscar Mercado, SS-The Royals go the high school route this time and nabs a HS shortstop with a great glove and lots of potential with the bat.

Pre-Draft 2012 MLB Mock Draft

ilikeburritos — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:54:06 -0000

This time around I don't have the time to provide an explanation for each pick. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities.

1.Houston Astros- Carlos Correa, SS

2.Minnesota Twins- Byron Buxton, OF

3.Seattle Mariners- Mike Zunino, C

4.Baltimore Orioles- Kevin Gausman, RHP

5.Kansas City Royals- Mark Appel, RHP

6.Chicago Cubs- Albert Almora, OF

7.San Diego Padres- Max Fried, LHP

8.Pittsburgh Pirates- Kyle Zimmer, RHP

9.Miami Marlins- Lance McCullers, RHP

10.Colorado Rockies- Michael Wacha, RHP

11.Oakland A’s- Richie Schaffer, 3B

12.New York Mets- Courtney Hawkins, OF

13.Chicago White Sox- Marcus Stroman, RHP

14.Cincinnati Reds- Andrew Heaney, LHP

15.Cleveland Indians- Devin Marrero, SS

16.Washington Nationals- Gavin Cecchini, SS

17.Toronto Blue Jays- Lucas Giolito, RHP

18.Los Angeles Dodgers- Ty Hensley, RHP

19.St. Louis Cardinals- Stryker Trahan, C

20.San Francisco Giants- Stephen Piscotty, 3B

21.Atlanta Braves- David Dahl, OF

22.Toronto Blue Jays- Tyler Naquin, OF

23.St. Louis Cardinals- Victor Roache, OF

24.Boston Red Sox- Joey Gallo, 1B

25.Tampa Bay Rays- Lucas Sims, RHP

26.Arizona Diamondbacks- Chris Stratton, RHP

27.Milwaukee Brewers- Clint Coulter, C

28.Milwaukee Brewers- Zach Eflin, RHP

29.Texas Rangers- Shane Watson, RHP

30.New York Yankees- Matt Smoral, LHP

31.Boston Red Sox- Addisson Russell, SS

32.Minnesota Twins- Mitchell Brown, RHP

33.San Diego Padres- Corey Seager, 3B

34.Oakland A’s- Nolan Fontana, SS

35.New York Mets- Walker Weickel, RHP

36.St. Louis Cardinals- Barrett Barnes, OF

37.Boston Red Sox- Josh Elander, C

38.Milwaukee Brewers- Lewis Brinson, OF

39.Texas Rangers- Clate Schmidt, RHP

40.Philladelphia Phillies- Tanner Rahier, SS

41.Houston Astros- Adam Brett-Walker, OF

42.Minnesota Twins- Pierce Johnson

43.Chicago Cubs- Nick Travieso, RHP

44.San Diego Padres- Chris Beck, RHP

45.Pittsburgh Pirates- D.J Davis, OF

46.Colorado Rockies- J.O Berrios, RHP

47.Oakland A’s- Nick Williams, OF

48.Chicago White Sox- Mitch Gueller, RHP

49.Cincinnati Reds- Daniel Robertson, SS

50.Toronto Blue Jays- James Ramsey, OF

51.LA Dodgers- Patrick Wisdom, OF

52.St. Louis Cardinals- Ty Buttrey, RHP

53.Texas Rangers- Duane Underwood, RHP

54.Philadelphia Phillies- Brian Johnson, LHP

55.San Diego Padres- Mitch Haniger, OF

56.Chicago Cubs- Mitch Nay, 3B

57.Cincinnati Reds- Wyatt Mathisen, C

58.Toronto Blue Jays- Hunter Virant, LHP

59.St. Louis Cardinals- Travis Jankowski, OF

60.Toronto Blue Jays- Pat Light, RHP

This time around I don't have the time to provide an explanation for each pick. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities.

1.Houston Astros- Carlos Correa, SS

2.Minnesota Twins- Byron Buxton, OF

3.Seattle Mariners- Mike Zunino, C

4.Baltimore Orioles- Kevin Gausman, RHP

5.Kansas City Royals- Mark Appel, RHP

6.Chicago Cubs- Albert Almora, OF

7.San Diego Padres- Max Fried, LHP

8.Pittsburgh Pirates- Kyle Zimmer, RHP

9.Miami Marlins- Lance McCullers, RHP

10.Colorado Rockies- Michael Wacha, RHP

11.Oakland A’s- Richie Schaffer, 3B

12.New York Mets- Courtney Hawkins, OF

13.Chicago White Sox- Marcus Stroman, RHP

14.Cincinnati Reds- Andrew Heaney, LHP

15.Cleveland Indians- Devin Marrero, SS

16.Washington Nationals- Gavin Cecchini, SS

17.Toronto Blue Jays- Lucas Giolito, RHP

18.Los Angeles Dodgers- Ty Hensley, RHP

19.St. Louis Cardinals- Stryker Trahan, C

20.San Francisco Giants- Stephen Piscotty, 3B

21.Atlanta Braves- David Dahl, OF

22.Toronto Blue Jays- Tyler Naquin, OF

23.St. Louis Cardinals- Victor Roache, OF

24.Boston Red Sox- Joey Gallo, 1B

25.Tampa Bay Rays- Lucas Sims, RHP

26.Arizona Diamondbacks- Chris Stratton, RHP

27.Milwaukee Brewers- Clint Coulter, C

28.Milwaukee Brewers- Zach Eflin, RHP

29.Texas Rangers- Shane Watson, RHP

30.New York Yankees- Matt Smoral, LHP

31.Boston Red Sox- Addisson Russell, SS

32.Minnesota Twins- Mitchell Brown, RHP

33.San Diego Padres- Corey Seager, 3B

34.Oakland A’s- Nolan Fontana, SS

35.New York Mets- Walker Weickel, RHP

36.St. Louis Cardinals- Barrett Barnes, OF

37.Boston Red Sox- Josh Elander, C

38.Milwaukee Brewers- Lewis Brinson, OF

39.Texas Rangers- Clate Schmidt, RHP

40.Philladelphia Phillies- Tanner Rahier, SS

41.Houston Astros- Adam Brett-Walker, OF

42.Minnesota Twins- Pierce Johnson

43.Chicago Cubs- Nick Travieso, RHP

44.San Diego Padres- Chris Beck, RHP

45.Pittsburgh Pirates- D.J Davis, OF

46.Colorado Rockies- J.O Berrios, RHP

47.Oakland A’s- Nick Williams, OF

48.Chicago White Sox- Mitch Gueller, RHP

49.Cincinnati Reds- Daniel Robertson, SS

50.Toronto Blue Jays- James Ramsey, OF

51.LA Dodgers- Patrick Wisdom, OF

52.St. Louis Cardinals- Ty Buttrey, RHP

53.Texas Rangers- Duane Underwood, RHP

54.Philadelphia Phillies- Brian Johnson, LHP

55.San Diego Padres- Mitch Haniger, OF

56.Chicago Cubs- Mitch Nay, 3B

57.Cincinnati Reds- Wyatt Mathisen, C

58.Toronto Blue Jays- Hunter Virant, LHP

59.St. Louis Cardinals- Travis Jankowski, OF

60.Toronto Blue Jays- Pat Light, RHP

Milwaukee Brewers Draft Review

ilikeburritos — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:12:04 -0000

1.27- Lucas Sims, RHP, Georgia HS- Sims has a good fastball that can touch the upper-90s with a plus curveball and a changeup that can at least be average in the future. The Brewers like guys with big fastballs and great curveball, and Sims fits that criteria. He adds some upside pitching to the Brewers' farm system and could turn out to be a good #2 starter.

1.28- Joey Gallo, 1B, Nevada HS- The Brewers love guys with huge bats and although Gallo may have trouble making contact at times, his sheer power is undeniable. He has the power to hit 30-40 home runs per season and would add a high-ceiling bat to the Brewers' farm system.

1s.38- Stephen Piscotty, 3B, Stanford- Even though the purpose of this pick was to save money to pay for the first two picks, Piscotty is still a very solid pick. He provides solid defense at 3B and provides decent home run power- enough to hit for 20 home runs per season. He's pretty polished and should be able to contribute to the big league club in a couple of years.

2.92- Josh Henderson, OF, Virginia HS- Henderson is raw but has plenty of talent and has a very high ceiling. He'll need to take a while in the minors honing his skills, but he could turn out to be a very good player in the long run. He also doesn't have a particularly strong commitment to college so he should be signing for around slot.

3.122- Kenny Diekroger, INF, Stanford- He was once a projected 1st-round prospect but he has shown that he cannot stick at SS and doesn't have much power with the bat. Nonetheless he makes a lot of contact and should be a good utility infielder in a couple of years.

Overall this is a solid draft for the Brewers, a mixture of high-upside guys and quick-to-the-majors guys, and although the first two picks are going to be pricey, because the remaining picks should sign for around slot- or maybe even below- the Brewers should be able to afford all the picks with little difficulty. All of these players should add more talent to the Brewers farm system, which has taken a heavy hit after trading for Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke.

Milwaukee Brewers Draft Room

ilikeburritos — Sat, 26 May 2012 15:45:53 -0000

So far for the 27th and the 28th overall picks, using the polls from the last MOD, I'm leaning towards Joey Gallo and Addison Russell. I'm also gonna consider Stryker Trahan and Lucas Sims if they are available by the time the Brewers draft.

For the supplemental round, I'm thinking Hunter Virant, Tanner Rahier, Clint Coulter, Shane Watson, Trey Williams, or Nick Williams for the high school choices, and Adam Brett-Walker, Pierce Johnson, or Barrett Barnes for the college choices.

For the 2nd round, I'm thinking Austin Aune, Josh Henderson, Austin Maddox, or Kenny Diekroeger

For the 3rd round, I'm thinking Dylan Lavelle, Jeremy Baltz, Damien Magnifico, or Daniel Robertson.

Feel free to discuss possible draft picks, strategies, questions, and other draft related things before and during the draft. I'm willing to take suggestions for each picks, and in fact suggestions are very much welcome.

Less than an hour until the draft begins...

For the 2nd round, I'm thinking Austin Aune, Josh Henderson, Austin Maddox, or Kenny Diekroeger

For the 3rd round, I'm thinking Dylan Lavelle, Jeremy Baltz, Damien Magnifico, or Daniel Robertson.

Less than an hour until the draft begins...

Milwaukee Brewers MOD #3

ilikeburritos — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:18:07 -0000

Now with the AP Exams over with, I am now able to put more focus into the draft. For this MOD I'll be focusing on picks 27 and 28, and I've narrowed it down to these players:

Joey Gallo, 1B- Gallo is known for his big power and big arm, and either qualities are valued by the Brewers. Although his calling card is the mega-power he brings with his bat, he also has a fallback option as a power pitcher whose fastball is capable of reaching triple-digits. I think the Brewers would be fine with those qualities.

Trey Williams, 3B- Williams has been falling due to perceived attitude issues, which could be overblown, and a lack of great success for his senior year. The talent he brings to the table, however, is undeniable. He has great bat speed that could generate tremendous power. He also brings solid defense to third. The Brewers value position players with big power and Williams fits that description.

Walker Weickel, P- He's big, projectable, and has good stuff, with a fastball in the low-90s, a plus changeup, and a solid 12-6 curveball. If he manages to fill out and increase velocity, he can turn out to be a workhorse #2 starter.

Addison Russell, SS- At first there were doubts to whether he can stick at SS, but ever since he lost 20Ibs and got in better shape, more and more people are starting to believe that he can stick at SS. He has solid defense in the infield and has a great bat that could eventually translate into 20 HRs per season or more.

There will be a poll and the top 2 picks from the poll will be the primary candidates for pick 27 and 28.

Now with the AP Exams over with, I am now able to put more focus into the draft. For this MOD I'll be focusing on picks 27 and 28, and I've narrowed it down to these players:

There will be a poll and the top 2 picks from the poll will be the primary candidates for pick 27 and 28.

Poll

Which players should the Brewers pick for the 1st round?

Walker Weickel

4 votes

Addison Russell

4 votes

Joey Gallo

7 votes

Trey Williams

1 votes

16 votes | Poll has closed

Milwaukee Brewers MOD #2

ilikeburritos — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:21:22 -0000

So according to the poll in the first MOD, the top 2 hitters to be considered are Trey Williams and Victor Roache, the latter of which may not be around by the time the Brewers pick. The top 2 pitchers to be considered are Nick Travieso and Walker Weickel. And while those players will be the primary choices, there are some other players that are worth thinking about:

Joey Gallo, 1B- He has tremendous power and can pitch too, although his power will be his calling card. There are some questions as to whether he'll hit enough to make use of his tremendous power, but the Brewers love tremendous bats and Gallo should be on their radar.

D.J Davis, OF - He has solid tools across the board highlighted by blazing speed and a newly developed power potential. He's starting to make some noise right now and could be a very good 4-tool player (lacks the arm to be a true 5-tool player).

Kolby Copeland, OF - He has tools similar to Courtney Hawkins, and even though Hawkins has more raw power, he's no slouch with the bat either. He also has solid tools across the board.

J.O Berrios, P- He's not as tall as the Brewers would prefer, standing at 6'0, but he has sound mechanics and can bump up his fastball up to 97mph. According to Jonathan Mayo, Berrios has a very good curveball that is an absolute hammer, so couple that with his fastball and he already has 2 plus pitches. With his sound mechanics and great stuff I don't think he should have much problems staying as a starter. And because there are plenty of pitchers in the Brewers' farm system that should either move up to the majors or the upper minors, Berrios would have plenty of time to develop if the Brewers decide to draft him.

Addisson Russell, SS- Although he may have to move to 3B in the future, he still bring solid defense and a great bat. He also has great bat speed which should allow him to generate a lot of power. The Brewers could use some more depth in the infield.

Thoughts?

*** And as a side note, anyone who wants to be an assistant scouting director can volunteer by commenting. First come first served.

Kolby Copeland, OF - He has tools similar to Courtney Hawkins, and even though Hawkins has more raw power, he's no slouch with the bat either. He also has solid tools across the board.

Thoughts?

*** And as a side note, anyone who wants to be an assistant scouting director can volunteer by commenting. First come first served.

Milwaukee Brewers MOD

ilikeburritos — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:53:09 -0000

So for this year's draft the Milwaukee Brewers have 2 first round pick and a pick in the sandwich round. Now it does make sense to draft a whole lot of bats this year, as the Brewers' farm system is very thin on bats, but they should not ignore good pitchers if they are available.

One draft pattern that I have noticed in the past few draft with the Brewers is that they have a preference for big, strong pitchers who can potentially chew up a ton of innings, or guys with great power potential.

The Brewers can use much of their picks on hitters, but my guess is that they'll still aim to get at least one pitcher with their picks, as they have been very pitcher-heavy in the past couple of drafts.

Some players that should be around by the time the Brewers draft:

RHP Ty Hensley

3B Trey Williams

3B Richie Schaffer

RHP Lucas Sims

RHP Nick Travieso

1B Adam Brett-Walker

OF Victor Roache

RHP Walker Weickel

Some players that should be around by the time the Brewers draft:

RHP Ty Hensley

3B Trey Williams

3B Richie Schaffer

RHP Lucas Sims

RHP Nick Travieso

1B Adam Brett-Walker

OF Victor Roache

RHP Walker Weickel

So who should the Brewers draft?

Poll

So who should the Brewers draft?

RHP Ty Hensley

1 votes

RHP Walker Weickel

3 votes

OF Victor Roache

5 votes

3B Trey Williams

5 votes

RHP Lucas Sims

1 votes

1B Adam Brett-Walker

1 votes

RHP Nick Travieso

3 votes

3B Richie Schaffer

2 votes

Other (suggest in comments)

0 votes

21 votes | Poll has closed

New Mock Draft, Including the First 10 Supplemental Picks

ilikeburritos — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:41:53 -0000

1. Houston Astros- Mark Appel - RHP – The Astros need to build their farm system and they need to build it quickly. Although they could go with Byron Buxton with his tremendous upside, but Appel is a safer bet and his stuff is top-notch with a fastball that can reach the upper 90s with a nasty slider.

2. Minnesota Twins- Byron Buxton-OF- The Twins will be getting the best positional HS player in the draft. Buxton has blazing speed highlighting his 5-tool potential. Also, the Twins have shown interest in Buxton and it’s gonna be tough passing on his massive ceiling.

3. Seattle Mariners- Mike Zuzino- C – The Mariners need bats, and Zuzino plays a premium position with great defense and a great bat. What wouldn’t you like about a catcher that can play his position and can hit very well?

4. Baltimore Orioles- Kevin Gausman- RHP- Gausman has had a fantastic start to this season and is one of the top college pitchers in the draft. A fastball that can reach the upper-90s with a potential plus pitch in a curveball and a changeup seems very enticing, along with his workhorse build.

5. Kansas City Royals- Lucas Giolito- RHP- Giolito may be sidelined with a sprained elbow, which could potentially lead to TJ surgery, but his stuff is just too tough to ignore any further; plus more often than not pitchers recover from TJ surgeries really well. With a workhorse build, upper-90s fastball, nasty hammer-curve, and a great changeup, he could become an ace in the not-so-distant future.

6. Chicago Cubs- Kyle Zimmer-RHP-The Cubs could use a frontline starter, and Zimmer is a future frontline starter, with a fastball that reaches the upper-90s with a nasty curveball. His changeup has the chance to be an average pitch and he has the body to be a workhorse.

7. San Diego Padres- Devin Marrero- SS- A shortstop in a draft is always a hot commodity, especially one that can play great defense. He may not have the best power, but he can play defense.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates- Carlos Correa- SS- I believe I’ve picked Correa for the Pirates for my past mocks, and I’ll do it again! Correa has the bat, he has the glove, and he has good range. And even if he has to move to third his bat and arm could allow him to adjust really well. Whether as a shortstop or 3B, the Pirates should be happy to get such a great positional player in Correa.

9. Miami Marlins- Walker Weickel- RHP- The Marlins love HS players, and I think they go that route again with Weickel. He has a low-90s fastball, a good curveball, and a plus changeup. Potential #2 starter.

10. Colorado Rockies- Max Fried- LHP- The Rockies would be getting the top left-handed HS pitcher in the draft in Fried, who has an above-average fastball with a plus curveball. He would solidify a rotation that already has Drew Pomeranz and Jhoulys Chacin.

11. Oakland A’s- Marcus Stroman- RHP- Stroman has been dominant as a starting pitcher for Duke so far, with a fastball that reaches the upper-90s with a nasty slider. The A’s took a similar pitcher in Sonny Gray last year, and they could go a similar route this year.

12. New York Mets- David Dahl-OF- The Mets select a prep outfielder with above average defense in the outfield with a good hitting tool. He can turn into a very good player if he develops power.

13. Chicago White Sox- Stephen Piscotty-3B- Well, the White Sox need to build their farm system from scratch, so they might as well start out with a college player. Piscotty comes with a solid bat with above-average power, and is good defensively at 3B.

14. Cincinnati Reds- Lance McCullers- RHP- McCullers has been putting up great numbers and has the stuff to be a frontline starter with a fastball that ranges from 94-97 with a plus curveball and a plus slider. Although there are some fears that the effort in his delivery, along with his size, could lead to a move to the bullpen, I think the Reds take their chances with him. After all, they would benefit either way if he turns either into a frontline starter or a dominant closer.

15. Cleveland Indians- Michael Wacha- RHP- Wacha has been doing very well so far into the season, and with a fastball that reaches the mid-90s and a plus changeup, and with a 6’6 frame, he can be an innings-eating workhorse for the Indians in a couple of years.

16. Washington Nationals- Matt Smoral- LHP- The Nats lost some great pitching prospects after trading for Gio Gonzales, but they would be getting another great pitching prospect in Smoral, who has an intimidating mound presence with a fastball that can reach 94. His secondary pitches need some work, but they have the chance to be above-average.

17. Toronto Blue Jays- Hunter Virant- LHP- The Jays love high-upside HS pitchers, and Virant fits that profile. He already has a fastball that reaches 93mph with strong secondary pitches. He still have tons of room to grow and it won’t be long until his fastball reaches the mid-90s.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers- Stryker Trahan- C- The Dodgers would be getting a potential 5-tool catcher in Trahan. 5-tool catchers don’t grow on trees, as catchers can’t run very well, and if the Dodgers develop him well, they could get something special.

19. St. Louis Cardinals- Chris Beck- RHP- Although Beck has not dominated through the college season so far, he still is one of the most polished pitchers in the draft and could turn out to be a very good innings-eating mid-rotation starter.

20. San Francisco Giants- Joey Gallo- 1B- The Giants have great pitching, but they could use an impact bat. Gallo provides tremendous power and could be a perennial 30HR hitter if he gets to the big leagues.

21. Atlanta Braves- Nick Williams- OF- Williams has great raw tools but hasn’t been able to put it together completely, not to mention that there has been attitude issues (at least that’s what I’ve heard). While the right attitude can be instilled into a person, raw talent and tools cannot. If the Braves be patient with Williams, they could be rewarded with a great, great major league player.

22. Toronto Blue Jays- Courtney Hawkins- OF- With their earlier pick, the Jays selected a high-upside pitcher. Now they are going to select a high-upside position player in Hawkins. Hawkins has great raw tools highlighted by tremendous power with the bat. He has decent speed and good defensive actions in the outfield.

23. St. Louis Cardinals- Victor Roache- OF- The Cards lost a power bat in Pujols and Berkman and Beltran are aging and won’t last for too long. Roache has tremendous power and could help out the big league club in no time at all.

24. Boston Red Sox- Gavin Cecchini- SS- The Red Sox would be getting an infielder who could actually stick at SS. He also has a good bat and good speed and could be batting at the top of the lineup for the big-league club in the long run.

25. Tampa Bay Rays- Albert Almora- OF- The Rays would be getting an outfielder with power to all fields with solid tools across the board.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks- Adam Brett-Walker-1B- Adam Brett-Walker has tremendous power, but his problem has been making contact. However, he seemed to have solved that problem somewhat this college season and could be a right-handed version of Russell Branyan.

27. Milwaukee Brewers- Trey Williams- 3B- Williams has tremendous power with good defense at third and a strong, accurate arm. With Aramis Ramirez at 3B for the next 3 years for the big-league club, they have plenty of time to develop Williams.

28. Milwaukee Brewers- Lucas Sims- RHP- Sims is one of the more polished pitchers in the draft with a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, a great curveball, and a decent changeup. He could be a great #2 starter.

29. Texas Rangers- Keon Barnum- 1B- The Arlington ballpark is a great place for power hitters and Barnum fits the profile of a power hitter. He may not be a gold-glover, but he has tremendous power.

30. New York Yankees- Ty Hensley- RHP- Hensley has a fastball that reaches the mid-90s and an excellent curveball, along with a workhorse body. He’s similar to Phil Hughes and seems to be a good fit for the Yankees.

31. Boston Red Sox- Brett Mooneyham- LHP- Mooneyham has been dominant this college season with a fastball that reaches 94 with a good slider. The Red Sox could be getting a great #3 starter with this pick.

32. Minnesota Twins- Taylore Cherry- RHP- With their earlier pick they picked one of the best position players in the draft. With this pick they select a giant right handed pitcher with good stuff. He could turn out to be a #2 starter with workhorse ability.

33. San Diego Padres- Nathan Kirby- LHP- The Padres would be getting a good left-handed HS pitcher with a low-90s fastball and an excellent curveball.

34. Oakland A’s- Richie Schaffer- 1B- The A’s would be getting a player with above average power with good contact ability as well. It would only enhance the major league lineup in the long run.

35. New York Mets- Lewis Brinson- OF- The Mets continue with their high-upside picks by picking Brinson. Brinson has great raw tools and could develop into a great player if the Mets give him time to develop and refine his tools.

36. St. Louis Cardinals- Travis Jankowski- The Cards get an outfielder with great speed and defense. He won’t have much power with the bat, but he can make consistent contact and can steal a lot of bases. He could be a potential leadoff batter in a short while.

37. Boston Red Sox- Jesse Winker- OF- Although Winker isn’t that fast and may have to move to 1B, he still shows great power and makes good contact. Could turn out to be a perennial 20HR player.

38. Milwaukee Brewers- Mitchell Traver- RHP- The Brewers love tall pitchers and Traver is tall and has a fastball that is already touching the mid-90s. He also has a nasty slider to complement his fastball. He may not be around by the 38th pick in June if he continues his success.

39. Texas Rangers- Clate Schmidt- RHP- The Rangers get a prep arm with a fastball that reaches the mid-90s with a nasty curveball. There are some things to iron out with Schmidt, such as developing a third pitch, but if everything clicks, he could be a good #2 starter.

40. Philadelphia Phillies- C.J Hinojosa- SS- The Phillies get a HS shortstop with solid all-around tools highlighted by a good bat. A shortstop with a good hit tool is always in high demand, and despite the signability concerns with Hinojosa, I think with the talent in this pick, the Phillies take a chance on him.

41. Houston Astros- Rhett Wiseman- OF- The Astros get a HS outfielder with the tools to turn into a solid outfielder in the majors.

Another 2012 MLB Mock Draft (including the first 10 supplemental picks)

ilikeburritos — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:15:27 -0000

Here's my 3rd mock draft, this time with the first 10 supplemental picks.

1. Houston Astros- Lucas Giolito, RHP- The best HS pitcher in the draft, Giolito could provide an excellent prospect for the Astros' farm system and a top of the rotation starter for them in the long run. Armed with a fastball that touches the upper 90s with an excellent curveball, I think the Astros take their chances with a very talented HS pitcher for the 1st overall pick.

2. Minnesota Twins- Byron Buxton, OF- Right after the Astros pick the best HS pitcher in the draft, the Twins follow that up by taking the best HS position player in the draft. I've read somewhere that the Twins have interest in Buxton, and his 5 tool potential, including his blazing speed, may be much too difficult to pass on.

3. Seattle Mariners- Mike Zuzino, C- The Mariners take a catcher with a gold glove potential behind the plate, along with a very good bat. Could provide much needed help with the bat.

4. Baltimore Orioles- Mark Appel, RHP- Armed with a fastball that touches the upper 90s with a great slider, he could make his case for the 1st overall pick with his raw stuff alone. Even though there are concerns with how he hasn't been able to strike out many batters, I think the Orioles take their chances with his great raw stuff.

5. Kansas City Royals- Kevin Gausman, RHP- Gausman may not have the as high of a ceiling as Giolito or Appel, but his mid-90s fastball and great changeup, along with breaking balls that have flashed plus, may be enough for him to become a very good #2 starter or maybe even an ace.

Here's my 3rd mock draft, this time with the first 10 supplemental picks.

3. Seattle Mariners- Mike Zuzino, C- The Mariners take a catcher with a gold glove potential behind the plate, along with a very good bat. Could provide much needed help with the bat.

6. Chicago Cubs- Chris Beck, RHP- The Cubs take a very polished pitcher in Beck, who comes with a low-90s fastball, above average changeup and slider. Could help out with the major league club quickly.

7. San Diego Padres- Max Fried, LHP- The Padres take the best HS lefty in Fried. With his low-90s fastball, that could increase in velocity as he fills out, and an outstanding curveball, he could be a top-of-the-rotation lefty similar to Clayton Kershaw.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates- Devin Marrero, SS- Marrero has solid tools across the board, with a good bat, range, and glove. He will also stick at a premium position at shortstop, which makes him very valuable.

9. Miami Marlins- Lance McCullers, RHP- Even though McCullers has outstanding pure stuff, an upper-90s fastball and a nasty curveball, his trouble with control and the effort in his delivery makes some people wonder if he's destined for the bullpen. However, if everything clicks, he could be a dominant top of the rotation starter, and I think the Marlins take their chances with him.

10. Colorado Rockies- Carlos Correa, SS- Correa has great range, arm, and bat, and even though Tulowitzki is at SS right now, Correa could make a successful transition to 3B.

11. Oakland A's- Kyle Zimmer, RHP- Reports on Zimmer seems to be very good right now, with a fastball that touches the upper 90s with a wipeout curveball. If he continues he may be taken in the top 5. But if he's around by the time the A's pick, they may take him.

12. New York Mets- Matt Smoral, LHP- A towering lefty with a low-90s fastball with a slider that shows potential, Smoral can turn out to be something special if he can find consistency with his stuff. The Mets took a high-risk, high reward pick last draft, and they may be willing to do so again.

13. Chicago White Sox- Walker Weickel, RHP- The White Sox need some major help with their farm system, and a team with a closer as their best prospect might as well build around a young, high-ceiling, starting HS arm. Weickel has a low-90s fastball, a 12-6 curveball, and an advanced changeup.

14. Cincinnati Reds- David Dahl, OF- Dahl has solid tools across the board and could develop into an above-average 5-tool outfielder.

15. Cleveland Indians- Trey Williams, 3B- Williams can hit for average and power and can provide above-average defense at the hot corner. The Indians get great value here at pick 15.

16. Washington Nationals- Stryker Trahan, C- Trahan is one of the few catchers out there that has 5-tool potential. Yes, he can actually run. Good catchers are often in high demand, and ones with 5-tool potential has great value indeed.

17. Toronto Blue Jays- Duane Underwood, RHP- The Jays love young, high-ceiling HS talent, and Underwood is just that. He has a fastball that reaches the upper 90s and offspeed stuff that shows great potential. Could be a top of the rotation starter in the future.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers- Albert Almora, OF- The Dodgers get an outfielder with solid tools across the board in Almora. He probably won't be a star player, but he'll provide solid production for years to come.

19. St. Louis Cardinals- Joey Gallo, 1B- Gallo could provide a great bat with 35+home run power to complement Holliday, and since Beltran is aging and his abilities fading, Gallo would fit in nicely after he no longer plays in St. Louis.

20. San Francisco Giants- Brian Johnson, LHP- Johnson comes with a low-90s fastball and an above average curveball. He could become a middle of the rotation workhorse lefty for the Giants in a short time.

21. Atlanta Braves- Courtney Hawkins, OF- Hawkins could become a 5-tool outfielder at centerfield, with his glove, above-average speed, and his bat that has tremendous potential.

22. Toronto Blue Jays- Gavin Cecchini, SS- shortstop is a premium position, and Cecchini could stick at the position. With his above-average bat, he could become a #2 hitter in a lineup while bringing above-average defense at SS.

23. St. Louis Cardinals- Ty Hensley, RHP- Hensley has a great curveball that complements his low-90s fastball. He also has the size to be a durable workhorse behind Miller and Wainwright in the future.

24. Boston Red Sox- Stephen Piscotty, 3B- Even though it's early in the college season, Piscotty has finally shown some power. If the power lasts, then he can stick at 3B, with his above average arm and glove. Could also move to the outfield if needed.

25. Tampa Bay Rays- Hunter Virant, LHP- The Rays love young arms, and Virant has tons of potential. He has tons of room to grow and he already has 3 pitches that flash great potential. Could become a good #2 starter.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks- Lewis Brinson, OF- The D-backs get a promising young outfielder who is very raw but his ceiling is very, very high, as he shows signs of developing into a 5-tool outfielder. He's been compared to Dexter Fowler, but also has a promising bat with promising power. Could turn out to be a very good centerfielder.

27. Milwaukee Brewers- Nick Williams, OF- Williams is another very raw outfielder who has tremendous ceiling. There are some who question his makeup, but the Brewers have drafted headcases with great talents(i.e Brett Lawrie, Jeremy Jeffress). Needs to refine his skills, but the potential for a 5-tool status is there.

28. Milwaukee Brewers- Lucas Sims, RHP- The Brewers take a promising HS pitcher in Sims, who has a mid-90s fastball with a very good curveball. The changeup hasn't been used much, but it also shows promise. Could turn out to be a very good #2 starter down the line.

29. Texas Rangers- Victor Roache, OF- Roache would be taken in the top 10 if it wasn't for his injury. He's not the fastest runner out there, but his bat would fit in nicely in either 1B or in the corner outfield spots. He managed to hit 30 home runs with the bats that seemed to hinder many college batters, so the power's legit. In a hitter heaven park that the Rangers play in, Roache would easily put up 30+ home runs on a yearly basis.

30. New York Yankees- Michael Wacha, RHP- Wacha doesn't have great pure stuff, but he will be able to be a great workhorse behind Sabathia and Pineda. He has a low-90s fastball and an above-average changeup.

31. Boston Red Sox- C.J Hinojosa, SS- Hinojosa would go much earlier in the draft if it wasn't for signability issues. He comes with good defense at a premium position, and has good power potential.

32. Minnesota Twins- Mitchell Traver, RHP- Very tall? Check. Good fastball? Check. Potentially good offspeed stuff? Check. Traver can provide some good pitching upside in the Twins' farm system, as the pitching talent there has been mediocre as of late.

33. San Diego Padres- Rio Ruiz, 3B- Ruiz has solid tools all around, with good glove, range, and bat. He's not that fast, but he doesn't need to be in the hot corner.

34. Oakland A's- Travis Jankowski, OF- Jankowski doesn't impress with power, but what he can do is run and play smallball. He has the speed and the glove to play at centerfield effectively, and can adjust to the giant stadium the A's play in(I've heard that the A's were willing to move to a different stadium, but for the time being I'll just assume that they'll stay for some time).

35. New York Mets- Taylore Cherry, RHP- One very noticeable thing about Cherry is how tall he is, as he is 6'8. Couple that with a low-90s fastball, very good changeup, and a promising slider, and the Mets could have something special here with Cherry.

36. St. Louis Cardinals- Jake Barrett, RHP- There are some who believe that Barrett's max-effort delivery could lead him to the bullpen, but his stuff could put him in a middle of the rotation. Either way the Cards would be getting good value out of him.

37. Boston Red Sox- Nathan Kirby, LHP- After selecting two position players with their previous picks, the Red Sox now go with a pitcher. Kirby has a low-90s fastball with a great curveball.

38. Milwaukee Brewers- Adam Brett-Walker, OF- There are some questions about Walker, such as whether he'll be able to make contact. But he has tremendous power, and if he manages to get at least some contact, he could be a right-handed version of Russell Branyan.

39. Texas Rangers- Jesse Winker, OF- Winker is a bat-first player who may have to make a transition to 1B or DH. But his bat would play well in the park the Rangers play in.

40. Philadelphia Phillies- Rhett Wiseman, OF- Wiseman has good tools, even though he has a below-average arm. Could prove to be an above-average player.

41. Houston Astros- Marcus Stroman, RHP- Stroman has a power arm that can touch the upper 90s with a nasty slider. Could be a shutdown closer for the Astros in a couple of years.

Post-Fielder Mock Draft

ilikeburritos — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:55:52 -0000

Here's another mock draft, this time after the Fielder signing. This time I tried to make it a "the best player available" draft. May be posting a sandwich round mock soon.

1) Houston Astros- Lucas Giolito, RHP- Giolito is the best HS arm in the draft and has a tremendous ceiling. A mid-to-upper 90s fastball with a hammer curve with a changeup that isn’t far behind. Would only improve their farm system which does not have many top-notch prospects.

2) Minnesota Twins- Mark Appel, RHP- The Twins digress from their usual draft tactics in terms of pitching, as instead of drafting a soft-tossing finesse pitcher, they draft a power pitcher armed with an upper-90s fastball and a plus slider who can be a top of the rotation starter for the them in a few years.

3) Seattle Mariners- Byron Buxton, OF- The Mariners go with a potential 5-tool outfielder with a tremendous ceiling despite being very raw. After seeing how the entire lineup struggled for the Mariners, Buxton would be a step in the right direction to improving it.

4) Baltimore Orioles- Kevin Gausman, RHP- The O’s take the power arm from LSU with a solid pitching repertoire who can turn out to be a top-of-the-rotation workhorse for them in the long run.

5) Kansas City Royals- Michael Zuzino, C- Zuzino is a top-notch catcher in the draft with a good bat with above-average defensive skills behind the plate.

Here's another mock draft, this time after the Fielder signing. This time I tried to make it a "the best player available" draft. May be posting a sandwich round mock soon.

4) Baltimore Orioles- Kevin Gausman, RHP- The O’s take the power arm from LSU with a solid pitching repertoire who can turn out to be a top-of-the-rotation workhorse for them in the long run.

5) Kansas City Royals- Michael Zuzino, C- Zuzino is a top-notch catcher in the draft with a good bat with above-average defensive skills behind the plate.

6) Chicago Cubs- Walker Weickel, RHP- The Cubs get a polished HS arm with loads of potential and could be a staff anchor for them in the long run.

7) San Diego Padres- Carlos Correa, SS- One of the most hyped HS shortstop so far, Correa provides solid defense with a great bat to go with. Great SS don’t grow on trees and a talent like Correa’s doesn’t either.

8) Pittsburgh Pirates- Devin Marrero, SS- With this pick the Pirates get a SS with an above average bat and excellent defense who will actually stick at the position. Considering many SS draftees don’t stick at the position in the long run, this is a valuable pick for the Pirates.

9) Miami Marlins- Max Fried, LHP- The Marlins seem to like HS pitchers and Fried is the best HS LHP in the draft. Armed with a fastball that sits in the low-90s with an excellent curveball, along with tons of room to grow, the sky is the limit for Fried.

10) Colorado Rockies- Victor Roache, OF- The Rockies would be drafting a player with an outstanding bat with uber-power. While most college players struggled with the new bat, Roache didn’t just succeed, he excelled, hitting 30 home runs. In a hitter friendly park such as Coors Field, Roache would put up 30+ home runs on a season basis.

11) Oakland A’s- Lance McCullers, RHP- The A’s seem to have a thing for short power arms, taking Sonny Gray in the previous draft and then trading for Jarrod Parker. Lance McCullers is also short, but packs plenty of stuff, boasting an upper-90s fastball with a hammer curve. There are some doubts to whether he can stick as a starter long term, but even if he does not end up as a top of the rotation starter as his stuff indicates, the A’s also can also benefit from having a power reliever.

12) New York Mets- Trey Williams, 3B- Great power, great defense, and outstanding all-around tools, the Mets get a steal here with a premier 3B of the draft.

13) Chicago White Sox- Mattew Smoral-LHP- I’m not gonna sugar-coat it, the White Sox’s farm system is flat-out awful. Why not rebuild it starting with a tall lefty with tons of room to grow who can turn out to be something special?

14) Cincinnati Reds- Duane Underwood, RHP- the Reds would be getting a power arm that can reach the upper 90s with the fastball easily. Would complement Robert Stephenson very nicely.

15) Cleveland Indians- Stryker Trahan, C- what wouldn’t you like about a potential 5-tool catcher? He can hit, he can run, he has power, he has the glove, he has the arm. The Indians would be getting a very special talent here with Trahan.

16) Washington Nationals- Courtney Hawkins, OF- Hawkins has solid tools across the board and may become a nice 5-tool CFer. Maybe he can be the solution to the Nats’ CF problems.

17) Toronto Blue Jays- Joey Gallo, 1B- Gallo has tremendous power and has the potential to slug out 40 home runs per season. Of course he’s gonna have his fair share of strikeouts with that bat, but his power will fit in nicely along with Bautista’s.

18) LA Dodgers- Hunter Virant, LHP- Although Virant’s new to pitching, he has tons of potential, armed with a low-90s fastball and offspeed offerings that show promise.

19) St. Louis Cardinals- David Dahl, CF- Dahl has solid tools across the board with a chance to be a solid CFer for the Cardinals for years to come.

20) San Francisco Giants- Rio Ruiz, 3B- Ruiz comes with great glove, decent range, and a good bat. He could add some pop into the Giants’ lineup and would provide great fielding as well.

21) Atlanta Braves- Lewis Brinson, OF- Brinson is very raw, but also brings the potential to be a 5-tool player. I don’t think the Braves will be disappointed with this pick.

22) Toronto Blue Jays- Mitchell Traver, RHP- Traver is a very tall righty with power stuff who has the potential to be a nice #2 starter. Could add to the stockpile of quality arms the Jays already have.

23) St. Louis Cardinals- Gavin Cecchini, SS- Cecchini can actually stick at the position with great glove and range and the Cards get great value out of the 23rd pick.

24) Boston Red Sox- Ty Hensley, RHP- The Red Sox pitching in the minors haven’t been very good lately, but with Hensley, who is armed with a low-90s fastball with an excellent curveball, the Sox get a nice arm to complement Barnes and Owens to improve their pitching in the farm system.

25) Tampa Bay Rays- Kenny Diekroger, SS- Even though I’m writing this mock I’m surprised at how Diekroger seems to be falling. I doubt he should fall any more than this, as he bring good defensive skills and a decent bat as well.

26) Arizona Diamondbacks- Albert Almora, OF- Although he doesn’t have eye-popping tools, he still has solid all-around tools that makes him a good pick at this point in the draft.

27) Milwaukee Brewers- Nick Williams, OF- Considering his raw tools, he can go way higher in the draft, but he still has lots of work to do despite the raw stuff. Even though he is a high-risk, high reward pick, the Brewers’ farm system is in desperate need of high-ceiling talent and Williams can be just that.

28) Milwaukee Brewers- Lucas Sims, RHP- The Brewers also need work on the pitching end, as most of their pitchers in the minors are mid or bottom rotation pitchers. With a fastball that reaches the 97 and with a potential plus curve, Sims can be a nice #2 starter for them in the long run.

29) Texas Rangers- C.J Hinojosa, SS- The best player left on the board so far, Hinojosa would be drafted earlier if it wasn’t for signability concerns. He does bring above-average tools for a SS and may be able to make a transition to 3rd as the Rangers already have Jurickson Profar in the minors already.

30) New York Yankees- Taylore Cherry, RHP- Cherry is one HUGE guy, a pitcher checking in at 6 foot 9 inches. Already armed with a low-90s fastball and potential above-average offspeed offerings, Cherry already seems like a future #2 starter. If he can increase the fastball velo, then he can really be something special.

31) Boston Red Sox- Michael Wacha, RHP- with a strong frame and solid pitches, the Red Sox would be getting a mid-rotation workhorse in Wacha.

Post-Fielder Mock Draft

ilikeburritos — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:15:29 -0000