Baseball America's Pioneer League Top 20 Prospects for 2009

Entire list may be found here. The Helena Brewers to make the list are all pitchers. They may also be in Appleton next year:

2. Jake Odorizzi, rhp, Helena (Brewers)
10. Eric Arnett, rhp, Helena (Brewers)
17. Nick Bucci, rhp, Helena (Brewers)

The scouting reports on those players:

Odorizzi:

The 32nd overall pick in 2008, Odorizzi has spent his first two pro seasons in Rookie ball. That's not a reflection on his ability, because he has everything desired in a high school pitcher: a plus fastball, a chance for two average secondary pitches and a free and easy delivery. A natural athlete who also excelled in football as an amateur, he has room to fill out his lean 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame and add velocity.

Odorizzi works downhill from a three-quarters arm slot, with his fastball ranging from 87-91 mph and touching 93 with sink and life to his arm side. He maintains his velocity deep into starts. Because he stays balanced and gets nice extension in his delivery, his heater gets on batters quickly.

Odorizzi flashes a plus curveball, featuring occasional tight, late break, but it backs up on him too often at this stage. He mixes in a few sliders for variety and has inconsistent feel for his changeup.

Arnett:

The Brewers brought Arnett along slowly after making him just the second first-round pick ever from Indiana University. He completed five innings in only one of his 14 appearances, showing inconsistent velocity and command.

Arnett's arm strength is intriguing. A physical 6-foot-5, 230-pound righthander, he showed a 90-94 mph fastball with plus sink—but later in games he dipped into the high-80s. He works quickly, and his arm action is clean.

Arnett's mid-80s slider, his go-to strikeout pitch in college, showed tight rotation and bite, but he couldn't locate it consistently. It's a true plus offering when it's working, but he needs to maintain his arm slot. He also needs to refine his below-average changeup and his feel for pitching.

Bucci:

An 18th-round pick in 2008, Bucci entered the Pioneer League with little fanfare but made a name for himself. He ranked second in the league in wins (6-3), fourth in strikeouts (66 in 69 innings) and fifth in ERA (4.41). He also raised his profile by throwing five shutout innings to beat Korea in Canada's opener at the World Cup in September.

A live-bodied 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander, Bucci throws downhill and gets good extension on a four-seam fastball that ranges from 88-92 mph and touches 93. He'll mix in a two-seamer occasionally. He works fast and aggressively attacks the strike zone, hiding the ball well in his delivery.

His hard 76-79 mph curveball is an average pitch, and his changeup has nice sink. Bucci has all the ingredients, including composure, needed to mature into a rotation candidate, most likely as a No. 4 or 5 starter.

The chat about the Pioneer League list is scheduled to start at 2:00pm CDT.

The Midwest League list is scheduled for release on October 1.

A season opens in Helena

The Helena Brewers begin their Pioneer League season tonight against Missoula.

The Helena Independent-Record has been there for the last few days with plenty of articles. but here are their stories for today.

Pitcher Arnett living the dream

Eric Arnett remembers going to school when he was younger and teachers would ask him the age-old question.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

"You say professional baseball player and they kind of laugh," said Arnett, the Milwaukee Brewers' top draft pick. "But in the back of your mind you think, well that's what I'm really going to do."

And here he is, dream fulfilled, sitting in the dugout at Kindrick Legion Field on a sunny Thursday afternoon, staring out at the mound he'll be standing on, at least for awhile, as a pitcher for the Helena Brewers.

"It's a dream come true for me," Arnett said. "Everyone wants to be a professional baseball player when they're little and to actually have that dream come true is pretty remarkable."

The 6-foot-6 righthander just finished his junior year at Indiana University and received a $1.2 million signing bonus after Milwaukee made him the 26th overall pick in this year's draft.

Kindrick gets a makeover

The Brewers are starting the season fresh in more ways than one.

Several improvements have been made to Kindrick Legion Field, thanks to a city parks bond that originally slated $1.2 million for the park. The park got new lights, a revamped clubhouse and press box, a new scoreboard display and a freshly painted outfield fence, which includes shiny new advertisements. More additions are planned, including a sun shade for the picnic area located atop the third base dugout.

One of the biggest changes occured in the Brewers’ clubhouse.

“It’s like night and day,” Brewers pitcher Chad Robinson said of the clubhouse. “It looks way better.”

Formerly cramped and oddly arranged, the changing room has been completely redone. The lockers are now located against the walls and the shower is no longer the focal point of the room.

Brewers kick off season at home against Missoula

The Brewers have a good mix of new players and returners from last year. Leading the Pioneer League veterans is Cutter Dykstra, who moved to second base during the offseason.

Dykstra and his teammates might have a better chance this year after the first Helena minicamp in years. Getting to the Queen City early has, by all accounts, helped the players and coaches figure out what they have to work with.

The Brewers have several top prospects vying for playing time this season. Milwaukee’s No. 1 draft pick, Eric Arnett, is one of the must-watch players on the Helena squad.

Offensively, look for the Brewers to play with increased speed and intensity this year.

Centerfielder Derrick McPhearson might be the fastest player in the league, according to Gonzales.

“(McPhearson) is a football player, which doesn’t always translate to baseball,” Gonzales said. “He’s made great strides. Hopefully he can keep moving forward.”