Milwaukee Brewers Draft Review

More NL Central draft stuff, with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee Brewers Draft Analysis
1) Dylan Covey, RHP, California HS: His stock had slipped slightly in the weeks before the draft, but not enough for this to look like a bad pick to me. He still projects as a number two starter, with a 90-94 MPH fastball, strong slider, curve, and changeup. He just needs to get more consistent with his mechanics.

2) Jimmy Nelson, RHP, University of Alabama: Nelson's stock had been rising before the draft, and a number of teams were considering him for the second round. He needs to get more consistent, but he can hit 95 MPH on his best days and his breaking ball has bite.

3) Tyler Thornburg, RHP, Charleston Southern: Two-way player in college as starter/outfielder, but in the pros he will probably relieve due to his 92-93 MPH fastball and power curve. Legitimate pick in this round.

4) Hunter Morris, 1B, Auburn: Questionable defense but a big-time power bat make Morris a good fit as a fourth round choice.

5) Matt Miller, RHP, University of Michigan: He's tall at 6-6 and can hit 94 MPH, but lack of polished secondary pitches limited his college success. He has a live arm and could be refined into something special, and sometimes pitchers like this do a lot better against wood.

6) Cody Hawn, 3B, University of Tennessee: Not a great defender and likely to end up back at first base, but he has a solid bat that should produce both power and batting average.

7) Joel Pierce, RHP, Ontario SS: Very projectable young Canadian, already throws 90-92 and could get faster as he matures. Needs mechanical work and better breaking stuff, but has a lot of potential.

8) Austin Ross, RHP, Louisiana State University: Low-90s fastball, but mediocre secondary offerings kept him from going higher. Still an interesting pick with potential.

9) Yadiel Rivera, SS, Puerto Rico HS: Good defensive player with a questionable bat, but young enough to improve.

10) Rafael Neda, C, University of New Mexico: A very solid hitter, but needs defensive improvement to stick behind the plate.

FOUR OTHERS OF NOTE: 14-Mike Walker, 3B, University of the Pacific; 16-Andrew Morris, RHP, Gulf Coast CC; 19-Rowan Wick, OF, British Columbia SS; 26-Daniel Gibson, LHP, Florida HS

COMMENT: Some Brewers fans seem disappointed that they drafted Covey, but I still like him a lot despite late-spring hiccups. The rest of the single-digit rounds focus on projectable arms and power bats, with one glove mixed in. 26^th rounder Gibson probably isn't signable, but would be a nice over-slot pickup if they could manage it. This isn't a spectacular group, but it isn't a bad one, either.