After taking pitchers with their two first-round draft choices in 2011, the Milwaukee Brewers started off the 2012 Major League Baseball draft by selecting four position players. Then they came back with a whole lot of pitchers. A look at who the Brewers selected over the three days of the draft:
Round 1, pick 27 — C Clint Coulter (6-3, 220), Union (Wash.) H.S.: Nicknamed "Grunt" and "Country Strong," Coulter is a bulky, strong backstop with plus arm strength and plus power. He might not stay behind the plate, but he should provide a big bat wherever he ends up.
Round 1, pick 28 — OF Victor Roache (6-1, 235), Georgia Southern: Roache is another big bat, who, in 2011, had the first 30-home run season in college baseball since 2003. He might have been picked higher, but a badly fractured wrist ended his 2012 season prematurely, sending his stock falling.
Compensatory Round A, pick 38 — OF Mitch Haniger (6-2, 180), Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo: The third big bat in three picks, Haniger will need to add some muscle but could be a power hitter and play center field.
Round 2, pick 93 — OF Tyrone Taylor (6-1, 185), Torrance (Calif.) H.S.: An athletic specimen known for his solid speed in the leadoff position, Taylor will be a project who could hit for a solid average and grab plenty of extra-base hits.
Round 3, pick 122 — RHP Zach Quintana (6-0, 180), Arbor View (Nev.) H.S: Signed to play with San Diego State next season, Quintana boasts a fastball in the low 90s and is the first pitcher selected by the Brewers.
Round 4, pick 155 — RHP Tyler Wagner (6-3, 195), Utah: Wagner was a closer for a below average team but has a fastball in the low to mid 90s. A power slider could be his ticket to being an effective reliever in the future.
Round 5, pick 185 — RHP Damien Magnifico (6-2, 195), Oklahoma: In addition to having an awesome last name, Magnifico has a stellar fastball that has been known to hit triple digits. Beyond that, he might be just average right now but will have time to develop other pitches to prove he'll be anything other than a bullpen arm.
Round 6, pick 215 — SS Angel Ortega (6-2, 170), Colegio Hector Urdaneta (Puerto Rico): Ortega is a young defensive shortstop who likely won’t have too much trouble staying at the position. The question is whether he’ll be able to hit at a major league level; he’s definitely not going to be a power guy.
Round 7, pick 245 — LHP David Otterman (6-3, 215), University of British Columbia: Otterman has the ideal body for a pitching prospect, but he still needs a lot of polish. He’ll be a project that could pay off down the line.
Round 8, pick 275 — OF Edgardo Rivera (6-0, 155), Inzarry de Puig (Puerto Rico) H.S.: According to Baseball America, Rivera is a steal in the eighth round. He has some serious speed, but he’ll need work on his swing in the minor leagues and he'll need to add weight to his 155-pound frame.
Round 9, pick 305 — RHP Alejandro Lavandero (6-3, 180), Belen Jesuit Prep School (Miami): Committed to Florida Atlantic, Lavandero needs to add some strength. That will help him gain velocity, especially on his fastball. But he has the intangibles and curveball to succeed.
Round 10, pick 335 — LHP Anthony Banda (6-3), San Jacinto (Texas) C.C. At the junior college level, Banda had an impressive 1.95 ERA, but he will need polish as a pro. Arizona drafted him in the 33rd round last season. Round 11, pick 365 — RHP James Gainey (6-3, 205), U.S. Naval Academy: Gainey was striking out almost a batter per inning with Navy this past spring, but there are concerns about his command, as he walked a whole lot of batters in college ball.
Round 11, pick 365 — RHP James Gainey (6-3, 205), Navy: Gainey was striking out almost a batter per inning with Navy this spring, but there are concerns about his command, as he walked a whole lot of batters in college ball.
Round 12, pick 395 — RHP Eric Semmelhack (6-5, 230), Wisconsin-Milwaukee: The first local player drafted by the Brewers this season, Semmelhack is a huge guy with serious upside. His fastball has been known to grace the mid-90s.
Round 13, pick 425 — 1B Alan Sharkey (6-1, 185), Coral Springs (Fla.) H.S.: The only corner infielder the Brewers have drafted to this point, Sharkey batted cleanup in high school, but the lefty wasn't much of a power hitter with just four home runs this season.
Round 14, pick 455 — RHP Ryan Gibbard (6-3, 220), Lynn University (Fla.): A big pitcher with good command, Gibbard doesn't have dazzling velocity with that size, but he could throw harder as he grows as a pitcher, considering his already solid mechanics.
Round 15, pick 485 — RHP Buck Farmer (6-4, 230), Georgia Tech: It's a bit puzzling to see how far Farmer fell — Baseball America ranked him just outside of the top 100 — so if he's signed, he could mean big-time value this late. Farmer is a big guy whose fastball hovers around the low 90s, but he's known for his solid changeup.
Round 16, pick 515 — 1B Adam Giacalone (6-2, 218), Neosho County (Kan.) C.C. He has committed to the University of Tennessee and is ranked 464th in Baseball America's top 500. The two-time Jayhawk Conference Player of the Year hit .396 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI in 2012. He made only four errors at first base all season. In 2011, Giacalone hit .396 with 18 home runs and a school record 102 RBI and was named a first-team All-American.
Round 17, pick 545 — SS Alfredo Rodriguez (5-11, 165), Maryland: This is the second time the Brewers have drafted Rodriguez; they picked him in the 32nd round a year ago. His great uncle Julian Acosta spent 12 years in the Brewers' organization. Rodriguez hit .294 with two home runs and 34 RBI in 2012 and had a .967 fielding percentage at shortstop. Rodriguez started 177 consecutive games for Maryland and also tied the school record with 62 career stolen bases. Rodriguez is a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s top collegiate shortstop. He's a very good defender who will be a shortstop at the next level, but there are concerns about his bat.
Round 18, pick 575 — RHP Hunter Adkins (6-4, 190), Middle Tennessee State: Adkins went 5-6 with a 5.75 ERA in just over 76 innings for MTSU this season. He gave up more than a hit per inning this season.
Round 19, pick 605 — 3B Carlos Garmendia (5-11, 160), South Miami (Fla.) High School: He has committed to Stetson University. Garmedia was hitting .339 with one home run and 30 RBI this season through 20 games. Originally committed to Wake Forest, he chose Stetson over Miami. He was named a Rawlings second-team All-American for Florida in 2012 and a third-team underclassman All-American by Perfect Game in 2011. He's a strong and athletic offensive-minded infielder.
Round 20, pick 635 — SS Michael Garza (6-0, 200), Georgetown: Garza hit .393 with eight home runs and 44 RBI in 53 games for the Hoyas in 2012. He was named to the All-Big East first team after tying the school record with 86 hits. Garza was the playoff MVP of the Cape Cod League in 2011 as he led Harwich to the summer league title.
Round 21, pick 665 — RHP Austin Blaski (6-3, 200), Marietta College: Blaski was a big reason Marietta just finished off its second consecutive Division III national championship. In 2012, Blaski went 13-1 with a 1.23 ERA in 110 innings pitched for Marietta. Those numbers earned him the ABCA’s Division III Pitcher of the Year award. In 2011, Blaski was the Division III World Series Most Outstanding Pitcher.
Round 22, pick 695 — LHP Taylor Wall (6-2, 195), Rice: Wall made 29 appearances out of the bullpen for the Owls in 2012, going 6-4 with a 3.08 ERA. Not a hard thrower, Wall added pitches to his arsenal prior to this season. He led the Owls in starts his freshman season and was the most outstanding player of the 2009 NCAA Regional.
Round 23, pick 725 — C Paul Eshleman (6-3, 220), Cal State Bernardino: Eshleman transferred to Bernardino after playing his first three seasons at Oregon. In three years with the Ducks, Eshleman hit .246 with seven home runs and 26 RBI. In his only season at Bernardino, Eshleman hit .310 with eight home runs and 38 RBI.
Round 24, pick 755 — C Michael Turay (5-10, 188), Cal State Stanislaus: Turay played three years at Nevada before transferring to Division II Cal State Stanislaus prior to this season. He hit .262 with two home runs and 18 RBI in 2012. Turay hit .237 with three home runs and 33 RBI in three seasons at Nevada.
Round 25, pick 785 — LF Lance Roenicke (6-1, 190), UC Santa Barabara: The son of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, Lance Roenicke hit .310 with four home runs and 35 RBI during his senior year. An outfielder with plus speed, Roenicke led the Gauchos in home runs and RBI this season, vastly improving his numbers from his junior year.
Round 26, pick 815 — LHP Mark McCoy (5-11, 184), Barnegat (N.J.) H.S. McCoy has committed to Wake Forest University. His fastball is consistently in the high 80s and sometimes hits the low 90s, and he has a high-level slider. His career high school ERA is under 2.00. Wake Forest coach Tom Walter expects McCoy to step in immediately and be one of his top three starters.
Round 27, pick 845 — RHP Tyler Duffie (6-4, 225), TCU: Duffy has appeared in just five games for the Horned Frogs in 2012, tossing 9 1/3 innings without giving up an earned run.
Round 28, pick 875 — RHP Martin Viramontes (6-5, 225), USC: The Trojans’ closer last season, Viramontes had a 3.14 ERA in 20 games out of the bullpen. He played four seasons at Loyola Marymount but was granted an extra year due to a medical redshirt and spent his final season at USC. He was drafted in the 27th round by the Yankees in 2010 but didn’t sign. He features an above-average fastball that can hit the mid-90s, but his off-speed stuff is still developing.
Round 29, pick 905 — 1B Bryan Saucedo (6-3, 210), Malvern Collegiate Institute (Canada): A native of Toronto, Saucedo is a member of the Canadian Junior National Team. Saucedo is a commit to Riverside Community College in California. Saucedo has played against professional players and top international competition with the junior national team.
Round 30, pick 935 — RHP Jonathan Armold (6-2, 200), Flagler (Fla.) College: Armold started 12 games for the Division II school in 2012, posting a 4.67 ERA in 69 1/3 innings. Those numbers were down from his junior season, when he tossed 87 1/3 innings with a 3.81 ERA. His sophomore season was his best as he went 6-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 86 2/3 innings.
Round 31, pick 965 — LHP Brent Suter (6-5, 200) Harvard: Suter led Harvard in innings this season, posting a 4.36 ERA in 53 2/3 innings. He walked only 15 batters all season. Suter pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer, posting a 3.96 ERA in 28 1/3 innings. Following his sophomore season of 2010, Suter was named First Team All-Ivy League for going 4-0 with a 3.55 ERA.
Round 32, pick 995 —RHP Nick Anderson (6-5, 195), Mayville State University: A rare draftee from the state of Minnesota, Anderson went 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA for Mayville State this season. He had three complete games this spring, and 40 strikeouts in 33 innings.
Round 33, pick 1,025 — RHP Austin Hall (6-4, 210), BYU: Hall displayed versatility in his time at BYU, playing every position but catcher for the Cougars. He pitched only one inning this season, but he hit .291 while spending the majority of his time at various infield positions.
Round 34, pick 1,055 — RHP Tommy Burns (6-1, 180), Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.): According to Maxpreps.com, Burns helped lead Don Bosco to 20 wins in its first 23 games this season. The right-hander went 9-0 as a high school junior with a 1.53 ERA.
Round 35, pick 1,085 — SS Jose Sermo (6-0, 190), Bethany (Kan.) College: Sermo hit .363 for Bethany, an NAIA school, in 2012, although his stat line also included 32 errors. He is from Vega Alta, P.R., originally.
Round 36, pick 1,115 — C Alex Mangano (6-0, 180), Southwest Miami (Fla.) H.S.: Mangano is one of 15 total high school players the Brewers drafted this week. Defense appears to be the 18-year-old's greatest asset.
Round 37, pick 1,145 — SS Taylor Smith-Brennan (6-0, 195), Edmonds (Wash.) Community College: Smith-Brennan, who bats right-handed, had five regular-season home runs this spring, tied for the most in Edmonds' conference.
Round 38, pick 1,175 — C Christopher Shaw (6-1, 185), Holy Trinity (Winnipeg, Manitoba) Academy: Shaw is one of six catchers the Brewers selected in this year's amateur draft. He turned 18 barely six weeks ago, so time is on his side in regard to his road to the major leagues.
Round 39, pick 1,205 — CF Derek Jones (6-3, 175), St. Marguerite D'Youville (Brampton, Ontario): Jones is the last of four native Canadians drafted by Milwaukee this year. He's a lanky 18-year-old who may need time to round into form.
Round 40, pick 1,235 — C Charles Vazquez (6-1, 200), American Senior H.S. (Plantation, Fla.): Vazquez represents the last of 25 selections the Brewers made Wednesday. Vazquez is also the last of 21 position players, overall, who Milwaukee selected during the 2012 draft.
