Meet Milwaukee's #1 Pick of 2010

A couple of things before getting started.

1. Blogger was down yesterday when I was ready to update the site. By the time it was back up and running, let's just say that it had been a really, really long day.
2. Staff meeting and deadlines may keep me from getting back to the blog until after noon or so today. But, I will get to it...I hope.
3. The MWL All-Star rosters are going to be announced today. Really.

Now, here is the big Brewers/possible future Rattlers news. Milwaukee took Dylan Covey with the #14 pick of the first round of the MLB Draft last night.

Adam McCalvy at the Brewers homepage.

Brewers use top pick on prep righty Covey
Hurler has been compared to Giants' Cain, Dodgers' Billingsley

California prep right-hander Dylan Covey informed the world on Monday that his parents "are kind of cheap," and thus do not have MLB Network at the family's Pasadena home. So he gathered with more than 100 boosters at a friend's house for Day 1 of the First-Year Player Draft, and at some point, the 18-year-old looked around the room.

"I just stopped and thought, 'All of this stuff is for me,'" Covey said. "I've never looked at it that way before. I was always just going out and playing. I took a step back and realized this is the next chapter in my life. What's going to go on from here is a mystery."

The Brewers made Covey the organization's latest young power arm with the 14th overall selection, committing to Covey despite some mixed results in Milwaukee's recent history of drafting high school pitchers.

Covey, 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, throws a fastball in the 92-94-mph range, a power curveball "that put him over the top" for the Brewers, according to amateur scouting director Bruce Seid, plus an improving changeup. But history says he'll need seasoning in the Minor Leagues. The Brewers' best recent pick out of high school is 2004 second-rounder Yovani Gallardo, who pitched 3 1/2 seasons in the Minors before making his Milwaukee debut.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is next.

Brewers take 18-year-old pitcher Covey in draft
Milwaukee hopes high schooler will be a long-term solution

As much as the Milwaukee Brewers need to develop pitchers and get them to the major leagues as soon as possible, they did not go for a quick fix Monday night in the first round of the June draft.

Rather than take one of the many available college pitchers, the Brewers selected right-hander Dylan Covey of Maranatha High School in Pasadena, Calif., with the 14th pick.

Principal team owner Mark Attanasio and general manager Doug Melvin were in the Brewers' draft room and endorsed the decision of scouting director Bruce Seid and his staff to go with the long view with Covey.

"I give the guys credit for not taking the easy way out and maybe going after a college pitcher that might be able to get there quick and pitch in the bullpen," said Melvin, whose pitching staff ranks next to last in the National League with a 5.29 earned run average.

"College pitchers can get there early, but they can leave early, too. You've got to look at it over the long haul. We've always said whatever talent we thought was best, we'd take."

Covey, 18, went 7-1 with a 0.40 earned run average as a senior, with 138 strikeouts and 20 walks in 70 2/3 innings. He recently was named the Gatorade player of the year for the state of California.

A 6-2, 195-pound power pitcher, Covey regularly throws his fastball in the 93-94 mph range and touches 96 mph. He also has a power curveball in the 83-86 mph range that separates him from other power pitchers.

"When we talk about creating depth and building a future for the Brewers, I think our selection of Dylan Covey fits that description," Seid said. "We know Dylan real well. We weren't sure that he would get to us but he did.

"This gave us the opportunity to take somebody we really wanted. Dylan is a fantastic young man. Our scouts, Dan Huston and Corey Rodriguez, were heavily involved in this situation, got to know him real well, got to know the family real well."

Go read about him at both links.

Then, follow the draft at MLB.com. It restarts at 11am CDT today.

Maybe...Possibly....

Jim from Bernie's Crew has some news from minor league camp. He tosses in an opinion as well. The pertinent points have been excerpted for this post.

RHP Jake Odorizzi has been unbelievable thus far in minor league camp.

Yesterday, he tossed four scoreless innings. The right-hander only gave up a single hit, while walking no one and striking out five.

That performance followed his three inning outing that was both scoreless and hitless. Once again, he did not walk a single batter and struck out three.

It may be time for the organization to let Odorizzi loose and allow him to progress up the system as his performance dictates. They have been extremely cautious thus far, but two years after drafting him out of high school, he appears poised for a huge 2010 season for the Timber Rattlers.

We have our fingers crossed, Jim.

Rattlers Spring Training Game #1

I think that the way I am going to handle this is to put the hard stats in this post and develop more of a Day 1 at Spring Training article for the main website.

If you would like as close to a play-by-play of the game today (a 9-3 win over the possible Lake County Captains) head over to my twitter feed. The post that starts everything is this one. Then, just scroll up to the top. (Note: You can stop when I make the Culver's reference.)

Keep in mind - when you are looking at any of these numbers - this was a Spring Training game. The Timber Rattlers batted in the bottom of the ninth and the Captains batted in the top of the tenth despite the Rattlers having a 9-2 lead when the Captains made their final out in the top of the ninth.

Also, there were two inning that were rolled. Meaning, the pitcher on the mound went to (or near) his pitch count before the third out was recorded in that inning. The frame just ended after (or near) that pitch count instead of bringing in a reliever.

For starters...Here was today's starting lineup:

Michael Marseco........SS
Steve Braun............2B
Chris Dennis...........LF
Cameron Garfield........C
D'Vontrey Richardson...CF
Kris Davis.............DH
Sean Halton............1B
Scott Krieger..........RF
Wayne Dedrick..........3B

Damon Krestalude.......SP

Relief pitchers:
Jake Odorizzi
Tyler Cravy
Kristian Bueno
RJ Seidel
Rigoberto Almonte

Substitutes with at bats:
Carlos George
Kyle Dhanani
Franklin Romero
Mike Roberts

BOX SCORE (VERY unofficial)
............AB...R...H...BI
Marseco.....33...1...2...0
.George......1...0...0...0
Braun........5...0...0...0
Dennis.......5...3...3...1
Garfield.....3...0...2...2
.Roberts.....1...1...1...0
Richardson...4...2...2...2
Davis........3...1...2...0
Halton.......4...1...2...2
Krieger......2...0...1...0
.Romero......1...0...0...1
Dedrick......2...0...1...0
.Dhanani.....2...0...1...0

2B: Marseco, Garfield, Roberts, Davis
3B: Dennis (2), Halton
SB: Garfield

INNING-BY-INNING

LC...000 000 200 1 - 3
WI...201 001 050 x - 9

WISCONSIN PITCHERS

............IP...H..R.BB..K
Krestalude..3.0..1..0..0..0
Odorizzi....3.0..0..0..0..3
Cravy.......0.2..2..2..2..1
Bueno.......1.0..1..0..0..1
Seidel......1.0..0..0..0..1
Almonte.....1.0..2..1..0..1

Bernie's Sleepers

I missed this last week, so no sense in putting this off until the morning. Bernie's Crew takes a look at some Brewers farmhands whom they label 'Sleepers'.

2009 Timber Rattlers Dan Merklinger and Chris Dennis are both on this brief list of four players in the system. You'll have to click over to read what Jim and Ryan think about them.

I will borrow, steal, excerpt, or whatever you would like to call it, their thoughts on a potential (and again I will stress the word potential) 2010 Rattler.

OF Max Walla (statistics)

Max Walla burst onto the scene just before the 2009 Draft with an impressive power display during workouts, which convinced the Brewers to take a chance and scoop up the prep outfielder in the second round. Brewers fans were left wondering where he left that pre-Draft bat, though, as his professional debut was nothing short of horrendous. Walla struck out in over 44% of his at-bats and only managed to post a .199 batting average for the Rookie League Brewers in Arizona. He was simply overwhelmed by professional ball, likely pressing and developing bat habits after scuffling out of the gate. 2010 marks a new season and a new opportunity for Walla. Scouts say the 19-year old can flat-out hit and hit with some serious power. After a mental and physical break this offseason, expect to see a different player in 2010.

The inevitable "First Big League Camp" story

Eric Arnett, First Round Pick, All-Big Ten, Top Prospect...low man on the totem pole. But, he's soaking in it.

For years, Eric Arnett was a top dog, a stud at the top of the pile because of talent and hard work.

Now, he's just another face among others in the clubhouse who have been at the top at some point in their careers.

Despite being the Milwaukee Brewers' first-round pick in last year's draft, the 6-foot-5 right-hander from Indiana University is just a wide-eyed first-timer in major-league camp.

"Once I'm here, I'm back at the bottom," Arnett said. "I have to work my way back up. It doesn't matter here (where you're drafted). I'm just going to learn and take everything in and learn from these veterans that have been here."

Arnett was the 26th pick last June and received a $1.2 million signing bonus. Included in his contract was the invitation to big-league spring training, where he received the jersey number of a newcomer not expected to make the team - No. 67 - and a locker in an area away from most of the regulars. Not that it matters much to the 22-year-old.

"I'm still taking it all in," said Arnett, an Ohio native. "I'll see a guy walk by and say, 'Hey, I watched him as a kid.' It's going to be an awesome experience and I'm looking forward to it."

No word in the article about where Arnett might start his season.

And as an add-on to that last post

Brewers extend Spring Training invites

The Brewers have extended Major League Spring Training invites to seven non-roster players -- right-handers Eric Arnett and Kyle Heckathorn, left-hander Zach Braddock, catchers Jonathan Lucroy and Martin Maldonado, and outfielder Logan Schafer.

Arnett and Heckathorn were drafted last year by the Brewers. Maldonado played a few games for the Timber Rattlers last season.

Ready

From the Newark (OH) Advocate there is this:

WM grad ready for Brewers spring training

PATASKALA -- Eric Arnett got on a plane early this morning, heading to Phoenix to prepare for spring training.

Before leaving Ohio, he made sure to leave with a memorable moment.

The Watkins Memorial graduate and first-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers was honored at the high school Saturday, as his No. 22 jersey was retired at a dinner that honored his career.

"This means a lot," Arnett said. "When you get a chance to come home and soak some things in, it's pretty special. This is a great experience.

"(Having the jersey retired) is something I never thought would happen. It means a lot to me."

Arnett finished off an impressive senior season at Indiana this past spring and was then selected with the 26th pick in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft.

No mention of where Arnett may wind up to start the 2010 season...But, we are kind of pulling for a certain place in the Midwest League.

Arnett will start with the Brewers in spring training, getting a chance to work with the MLB team for an extended period.

From there, the Brewers will designate him to the minor leagues, but Arnett is hoping to take advantage of his time this spring.

"It will be big just to watch how the players prepare and what they do," Arnett said. "That will be really beneficial. You can learn a lot from their work ethic."

That oughta get him ready

Jaguars alumni gather

About 20 former Port St. Lucie High baseball players braved blustery 40-degree weather in Under Armour and knit caps Sunday to take cuts at the school’s annual alumni game.

Even a couple foul balls off the handle in the cold couldn’t spoil the 1990s versus 2000s alumni showdown for the group that features seven players with professional experience.

“It says something about the type of players we have, they all come back,” said coach Tony Malizia. “During the course of the season at home games, it seems like three or four come back and sit in the dugout. It’s very enjoyable, especially being a coach and having the older guys come back after they’ve been out of school since ‘93, ‘94.”

The part of the story to which the title of the story refers has been bolded in the following excerpt.

Milwaukee Brewers prospect Damon Krestalude, a 2008 graduate who pitched the Jaguars into the state championship in 2007, threw an inning before he heads to Arizona on Saturday for the second session of the Brewers’ winter program.

A 17th round pick in the 2008 draft, Krestalude had a 3-4 record in nine starts and a 5.35 ERA for the Helena (Mont.) Brewers last season. He expects to start the upcoming season with the organization’s low-A affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and hopes he’ll make it to Brevard County to play for the high-A Florida State League club in the near future.

40 degrees is nothing.

You want Prospects? How about 21 Prospects?

John Sickels of Minor League Ball has his preliminary Top 20 Prospects in the Milwaukee Brewers organization post available. Click over for the whole list, all 21 of them.

I will focus on the possible future Rattlers with his grades and his scouting reports, but here are the Rattlers from 2009 and where he places them.

1) Brett Lawrie
8) Wily Peralta
9) Cody Scarpetta
13) Lorenzo Cain

I will add this about Lawrie from John: I really believe in Brett Lawrie's bat. I'd just make him an outfielder and let him concentrate on hitting, but if he can improve his second base defense the Jeff Kent comparisons are dead-on. The guy seems to thrive on big stages.

Now, to the possible Rattlers for 2010:

3) Eric Arnett, RHP, Grade B: Needs to sharpen his control, but power sinker is impressive, combines grounders and strikeouts, which I like. I think he'll take a big step forward in 2010.

6) Kentrail Davis, OF, Grade B-. Need to see some pro numbers before ranking higher, but upside is very high. I hope they send him to the Midwest League; I'd like to take an early look in April.

7) Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Grade B-: Personal favorite from the '08 draft, I hope he goes to Wisconsin to start the year for the same reason as with Davis. Upside is very high and they've handled him cautiously thus far.

10) Kyle Heckathorn, RHP, Grade B-: Excellent fastball/slider combination, throws strikes but they aren't always quality strikes, needs to improve changeup if he remains a starter.

21) Scooter Gennett, SS, Grade C+: Speculative grade based on impressive scouting reports and video on a high school bat. Might drop to C.

A tip o' the cap to Jim over at Bernie's Crew for posting this first. A few of Jim's thoughts:

Sickels' rankings are always interesting to compare with those of Baseball America. He is a tough grader, so do not fret that no Brewers prospect received an 'A' or 'A-' from Sickels. Less than 20-25 prospects in all of Minor League Baseball garner a top grade.

I am shocked to see Sickels say that Kentrail Davis could challenge Brett Lawrie for the best bat in the system by the end of the year. That is extremely high praise for a young man that has yet to see the playing field professionally, but it seems that every minor league expert has fallen in love with Kentrail as a sleeper for the 2010 season. His Instructional League performance must have been utterly amazing.

Faster than the internet

BaseballAmerica.com will be posting their list of the Top 10 Milwaukee Brewers Prospects on their website on Monday.

But, if you are subscriber like we are at the stadium, you would have that list now.

So, I'll share it here:

1.) Alcides Escobar
2.) Brett Lawrie
3.) Mat Gamel
4.) Eric Arnett
5.) Jonathon Lucroy
6.) Kentrail Davis
7.) Zach Braddock
8.) Lorenzo Cain
9.) Jake Odorizzi
10.) Kyle Heckathorn

Ex-Rattlers on that list are Lawrie (#2) and Cain (#8). Potential future Rattlers are Arnett (#4), Davis (#6), Odorizzi (#9), and Heckathorn (#10).

BA has only Odorizzi and Heckathorn coming to the Timber Rattlers in 2010. According to them Arnett and Davis could start the next year at Brevard County. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Quick note on the strengths -- according to BA -- on the possible future Rattlers:

Arnett: After battling command problems earlier in his collefe career, Arnett put it all together as a junior. He threw his fastball at 91-94 mph and touched 97, and he tightened a mid-80's slider to give him a second out pitch.

Davis: Davis' combination of hitting ability, power, and speed, not to mention his stocky frame, have drawn comparisons to a lefthanded-hitting Kirby Puckett. He has a short swing with plenty of bat speed. He has a short swing with plenty of bat speed. He has plus speed and the potential to become at least a 20-20 player.

Odorizzi: Milwaukee believes Odorizzi will fill out and gain velocity as he matures. He currently pitches at 88-91 mph and touches 93 with his fastball, maintaining that zip throughout his outings. His free and easy delivery and good extension allow his heater to get in on hitters quickly, and it features good sink and armside run. He also features a curveball that's a plus pitch at times. He throws strikes and shows good poise and competitiveness.

Heckathorn: His raw stuff is outstanding and rivaled anyone's in the 2009 draft. His fastball sits at 91-94 mph and peaks at 98. His slider also can be devastating, registering in the high 80's. Even with his live arm and big frame, Heckathorn doesn't have any problems throwing strikes.

Will link to what isn't behind the subscriber wall on Monday.

Baseball America's AZL Top 20 Prospect List for 2009

Here is the article with the list.

Two Brewers farmhands are in the Top 20.

Pitcher Maverick Lasker checks in at #11 and outfielder Max Walla is at #20

Here are their scouting reports

Lasker

A fifth-round pick in 2008, Lasker missed all of his first pro season with a back injury but was impressive when he finally got on the mound this year. He had an easy time in his native Arizona and drew a late-season promotion to low Class A Wisconsin after the AZL season ended, pitching seven scoreless innings in his first start.

Lasker's best pitch is a natural sinking fastball that ranges from 88-92 mph. He's making progress with his slider, getting more depth and tilt with it. His changeup has the makings of a quality pitch, but he's reluctant to throw it.

Walla

The Brewers' top pick (second round) in the 2009 draft, Walla hit just .199/.283/.280 in the AZL but scouts and Brewers officials still are encouraged by his bat. He has very strong hands and wrists to go with short, compact swing, but he needs to learn the strike zone. The ball jumps off his bat when he makes contact.

"Once he learns to slow everything down and trust those talents more," Brewers manager Tony Diggs said, "he's going to be fine."

Walla's bat will have to carry him, but his other tools aren't terrible. He has slightly below-average speed and won't steal bases, but he gets good jumps and reads in left field and has an accurate arm.

Walla was also the topic of...something in the Chat

Warren (New London): This isn't a question so much as a statement that I'd like your reaction to. Maxwell Walla was supposed to be one of the best high school hitters in the draft, yet he had a terrible season in the AZL. The same thing happened some years ago with another high school hitter from New Mexico, John Roskos, who did eventually become a good minor league hitter although he never got much of a chance in the majors. Is the competition in New Mexico that weak? Or can you suggest another explanation? I assume you still think Walla has a good chance to be a hitter.

Bill Mitchell: I can't speak for the talent level in New Mexico. I did extra footwork on Walla because he looked so talented yet his numbers were not good. Overall, managers and scouts still believe in the talent. One opposing manager said that Walla killed them at the plate early in the season before he started to struggle, so the talent is obviously there. The biggest concern is that he becomes more of a tweener with not enough power for a corner outfield position but not enough speed to play centerfield. For what it's worth, I saw him in Instructs the other day and he was taking some nice swings against older pitchers. He'll be okay.

The Pioneer League Top 20 with any Helena Brewers will be released on Monday. The Midwest League Top 20 is scheduled for release on October 1.

'09 Draft recap

Jim Breen has two posts up over at Bernie's Crew on the 2009 Brewers draft.

Here is the one from the first 10 rounds.

Jim has plenty on the top 10 picks, but I'll focus on the one who was here in 2009

Round 3 -- SS Joshua Prince, Tulane University

Josh Prince impressed the Brewers brass by tearing up Rookie League Helena. He .298 average with a .426 OBP and an astounding 26 stolen bases in only 36 games -- including a six stolen base game. He was rewarded with a promotion to Class-A Wisconsin, where the going got much tougher. The walk rate stayed above 10%, however, as his disappointing .221 average can perhaps be blamed on a low .260 BABIP. A shortstop with blazing speed and a glove that can stick at short is a commodity. Expect improvement in Class-A next season. The Brewers have high hopes for Prince.

Part II covers rounds 11-20

The excerpt will be on the one player out of these picks who made it to the Timber Rattlers

Round 14 -- 2B Mike Brownstein, New Mexico University

Mike is a utility fielder much in the mold of Craig Counsell. Splitting his season between four separate teams between the Rookie League and Double-A Huntsville, the 22-year old Brownstein played every defensive position besides catcher. He spent most of the season with Helena and hit .305 with a .398 OBP, indicating an advanced approach at the plate. With a very high walk rate, speed, defensive versatility, and absolutely no power, the Milwaukee Brewers may have found a fine utility man.

Click on both links for a capsule on those first picks and read up on where some of these players might start 2010.

Last two Timber Rattler exhibition games

From Brewerfan.net here is Friday's game writeup, a 10-4 win over Lake County.

Wisconsin beat up on Lake County, 10-4. Erik Komatsu continued his hot-hitting, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Brett Lawrie added three runs and three RBIs of his own and smashed a home run and a double. Cody Adams has been a bit uneven in his early efforts. Cody Scarpetta pitched 3 2/3 innings, walking six but striking out nine in a very eventful 84-pitch effort.

...and here is Saturday's game writeup, a 1-0 loss to Cedar Rapids.

Wisconsin was shut out against Cedar Rapids, 1-0. The Timber Rattlers managed only four hits, including two from 16-year-old (yes, not 17 until August) Venezuelan outfielder Luis Chirinos. Trey Watten started and tossed three scoreless frames. Evan Frederickson picked up the loss, despite pitching five innings and allowing only one run. Frederickson walked three and struck out four.

Click the links for the Timber Rattler half of the boxscore.

Timber Rattler Exhibition Game (4/2)

Here is the Brewerfan.net writeup on Thursday's game between the possible Rattlers and possible Kannapolis Intimidators, the South Atlantic League affiliate of the White Sox.

Wisconsin was pummeled by Kannapolis, 13-3. The Timber Rattlers staff allowed 21 hits and walked six in the loss. Erik Komatsu was the only Wisconsin hitter to have two hits. It was a particularly long day for RHP's Nick Tyson and Pedro Lambertus. Brett Lawrie knocked in two with a triple. Newly signed catcher Sean McCraw saw his first Brewer action.

Click the link for the Rattler half of the boxscore.

If yesterday's game against Lake County is posted any time soon, I'll get that information to this blog.

April 1 Timber Rattler exhibition game

This is from Brewerfan.net. The possible Timber Rattlers played the possible Clinton LumberKings yesterday. The writeup:

Clinton defeated the Timber Rattlers, 7-3. Wisconsin managed only five hits against the Lumber Kings. Erik Miller hit a solo shot. Jake Odorizzi struck out the side in his lone inning of work, walking one.

Click the link for the Timber Rattler half of the boxscore. Did you happen to remember that the LumberKings are the new MWL affiliate of the Seattle Mariners?

March 31 Timber Rattler Spring Training game

The Timber Rattlers faced the Clinton LumberKings in spring training yesterday. Click here for the Timber Rattler half of the box score. The Brewerfan.net brief...

Clinton downed Wisconsin, 9-7. Brock Kjeldgaard hit a home run and knocked in three in a losing effort for the Timber Rattlers. Brett Lawrie (back in action) and Mike Marseco each had two hits. Exciting LHP Efrain Nieves started and allowed three runs in three innings, but he also struck out seven while walking none.

Clinton is now the MWL affiliate of the Mariners. How any ex-Rattlers did for Clinton is a question for someone else. Sorry.

March 30 Timber Rattler Spring Training game

From the good folks at Brewerfan.net is this report on Monday's game against the Great.Lakes.Loons.

Wisconsin outslugged Great Lakes, 11-7. The Timber Rattlers had seven extra-base hits, including four triples. Juan Sanchez had three hits and scored three runs. Chris Dennis, Cutter Dykstra, and John Delaney each had two RBIs. LHP Evan Frederickson walked five in three innings, but managed to keep the Loons off the board. For our friend above who asked about Brett Lawrie, still absent -- maybe we should assume an oblique intercostal thing (just kidding).

Click the link for the Rattler half of the box score.

Tuesday's games was Timber Rattlers vs. Clinton. Details this afternoon...I hope.

March 29 Timber Rattler Spring Training Game

On Sunday, the Timber Rattlers lost 5-4 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
The writeup at Brewerfan.net:

Cedar Rapids edged Wisconsin by the score of 5-4. Mike Marseco and John Delaney continue to earn mentions daily, as each had two hits each for the Timber Rattlers. Cody Scarpetta started and gave up four runs in four innings of work, striking out seven and walking four. Bobby McEwen and Curtis Pasma kept it close with scoreless efforts late.

Head over here for the Timber rattler half of the boxscore.

A little BP

Thanks to The Kid for the pointer to this:

That's from minorleaguenotebook.com.

March 28 Timber Rattler Spring Training Game

From brewerfan.net, just follow the link for the Rattler part of the boxscore. Here is a wrtire up of the game against Lake County.

Lake County roughed up Wisconsin, 9-1. The Timber Rattlers offense was quiet, managing only four hits. Brock Kjeldgaard was the lone bright spot, going 3-for-3 with a double and he scored the Rattlers lone run. Wily Peralta got the loss, allowing six runs and eight hits in three and two-thirds innings pitched