Brewers load up on pitchers
On the third day of the Major League Baseball draft, the Milwaukee Brewers loaded up on pitchers in a big way.
Of the 30 selections the Brewers made on Wednesday, 21 were pitchers, including 13 in a row during one stretch. Amateur scouting director Tod Johnson said the heavy dose of pitching was a combination of taking players they liked as well as making sure they have enough developmental time for players in the system.
“It’s an interesting group we got today,” Johnson said. “We’re pretty excited of what we were able to do. A lot of it was just how it fell on our board but
there’s also a need for pitching in our lower levels.
“A lot of the pitchers we were able to get, we’re pretty excited about. With the high school arms, there are some projectable guys in there. And the college guys have a lot of things we liked about them. We do have to match the third-day picks with making sure we have enough playing time for everybody.”
Two pitchers stood out for unusual reasons. Lefty Clayton Andrews, taken out of Long Beach State in the 17th round, is only 5-foot-6 and also played center field. Right-hander Wade Beasley, of Horatio, Arkansas, was home schooled but played team baseball.
“(Andrews) was their best pitcher as well as being their second-leading hitter,” Johnson said. “So, he’s pretty athletic and does a lot of good things but he is 5-6. We took advantage that he is not your ‘x’ standard-sized pitcher.”
The Brewers also took a couple of prep players who would have gone earlier if not for strong college commitments. Outfielder Elijah Cabell, taken in the 14th round, is expected to go to LSU.
In the 29th round, the Brewers took a flier on shortstop Nander De Sedas, originally expected to go in the first two rounds. Shortly after that announcement, De Dedas posted on Twitter that he was honoring his commitment to Florida State, the reason teams passed on him in the early going.
“Cabell and De Sedas were higherprofile kids,” Johnson said. “We obviously knew them well. We took the opportunity that if they decided at a later date they wanted to start their pro careers, we can talk about that. Is it likely? I don’t know.”
In all, the Brewers took 26 pitchers out of 40 selections in that draft, after taking three prep hitters on the first day. Shortstop Brice Turang of Santiago High School in Corona, Calif., was their top pick at No. 21 in the first round.
Beyond the haul of pitchers, including 14 from the college ranks, the Brewers took five outfielders, all but one out of high school, four catchers, three shortstops, a first baseman and one utility player.
“Overall, I’m happy about how it went,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to be sure if it’s great until about three to five years. Then, we’ll know a little more.”
Teams have until July 6 to sign drafted players or lose their draft rights. Johnson said the Brewers already have “started the process” of trying to sign Turang, who has a commitment to LSU.