2.64 Milwaukee Brewers - Jimmy Nelson, RHP, Alabama

The Brewers spent the 64th overall pick on Jimmy Nelson.

Follow the jump for his pre-draft report.

Jimmy Nelson   Position: RHP   School: Alabama   State: AL   Year: Jr.   Height: 6’6’’   Weight: 235

Birth Date: 6/5/89   Seiler Rating: 2C3   Last Drafted: 2007 (CIN-39)

Jimmy Nelson is a durable right-handed starting pitcher from the University of Alabama. Nelson originally came to Alabama from Niceville High School in Niceville, Florida, a panhandle town and school where he was a year ahead of 2008 supplemental first round pick Brett DeVall and fellow Draft Notebook prospect Austin Wood. Nelson was a solid prospect coming out of high school, but scouts didn’t believe he was ready for pro ball at the time, and he fell to the thirty-ninth round in the 2007 draft, where the Reds took him and failed to sign him. He ended up at Alabama, where he pitched mainly in relief for his first two years. He struggled throughout those two years, and a transition to the rotation this spring has borne much fruit. He has developed a t a fast rate, and scouts now believe he has the talent and frame to be a potential number three starter at the Major League level. His fastball is an above-average pitch that sits 89-92 in most outings, and he can bump it up to 95 if he needs to get it by a hitter. It rates as above-average due to its command and plus movement, though the movement sometimes moves it back over the plate, leaving him prone to home runs. He adds in an above-average slider, average curveball, and fringe-average changeup, and all four pitches should be usable as a pro. With four pitches like this and a successful year in the SEC on his resume, he could easily go in the third to sixth round range, where he should be signable for slot money.