The Denver Brewers have a bit of a reputation of drafting a lot of speedy, good glove outfielders in the amateur draft, and hoping that their athleticism and toolsiness will help them to exceed current projections of their hit tool. Sometimes it has worked, often it hasn't. Though it should be noted that four of the current Brewers outfielders- Joe McPhillips, Josh Schaeffer, Val Guzman, and Jon Williams- were Brewers draft picks who basically fit this description. And they are all having fine seasons in 1977. So it didn't come as a surprise when 3 of the first 5 players the Brewers chose in this year's draft were speedy center fielders.
First round pick Matt Catlett has by far the best hit tool of the three and is most likely to have the potential to be a starter in the WPK someday. The slightly built product of Madison College isn't expected to develop much over-the-fence power but with his plus plus speed and very advanced base running skills, he is expected to produce a good deal of extra base hits. He won't likely walk much but at his prime he is projected to be very tough to strike out. While he is a plus defender he possesses just an average arm and may end up being more suited to left field in the long run. Catlett is considered an advanced prospect, even if not really an elite one, and though he will start his professional career in the Rookie League it is thought he might climb up the minor league ladder quickly.
More about the other center fielders taken in the first five rounds but before that, with their 2nd and 3rd round picks the Brewers grabbed a pair of left-handed multi-pitch starting pitchers.
Austin Bond, taken at the end of the 2nd round, has an impressive 6 pitches in his arsenal, though none of them project as elite and all are relatively undeveloped at this point. Bond is definitely a bit of a development project pick, but with his high intelligence and work ethic, along with indications of great adaptability, the Brewers are optimistic that he can exceed his current projections. His ground ball inducing tendencies fit in well with organizational philosophy and the organizational leaders are confident that as he fills out his velocity will improve. (Plus he has that great name, mixing Austin Powers with James Bond.)
Third round pick Steve Reid, out of Memphis College, is a similar pitcher though with a more developed 5-pitch repertoire but perhaps a bit of a lower potential ceiling than Bond. Where Reid does have an advantage is in his stamina, where he profiles as a potential workhorse. On the other hand, he doesn't profile as being quite as durable as Bond. The good news is that of the four rather mild injuries he suffered during his collegiate career only one was arm related and that was a tired arm that sidelined him for just one week in 1974.
As mentioned earlier, the Brewers then returned to picking toolsy outfielders. With their 4th round pick it was the Phoenix, Arizona native Angelo Rivas. Rivas is a high energy guy with great leadership potential. He has great speed but needs to develop a bit more savvy on the base paths. His speed does allow him to have the range to remain a true center fielder, though his arm is average and he is prone to gaffes a bit more often than would be hoped for. His hit tool is adequate at best and may likely mean that any big league future for him will be as a backup outfielder. Though it should be noted that he has strong infield defensive skills as well and could likely play both first and second and could end up being a super-sub.
With their 5th round pick the Brewers chose L.A. native Chris Kaplan. Kaplan has the best raw speed of the three center fielders the team chose early in the draft. His top-of-the-scale speed also gives him the potential to be an elite defender in center. Like his counterparts chosen earlier in the draft, Kaplan has a great work ethic and this should serve him well. But the big question with Kaplan is whether he will ever develop enough of a hit tool to make it to the bigs. On the plus side, it is felt that he will develop enough plate discipline to be a tough guy to strikeout, though it isn't expected that he will ever draw many walks. His ceiling is probably slap-hitting back-up outfielder/defensive replacement/pinch-runner. But with his weak bat his floor is pretty low and he may never hit enough to get out of the minors.
