Milwaukee Brewers Prospects: Interview with Blake Allemand

In the fifth round of the 2015 June draft, the Milwaukee Brewers drafted senior infielder, Blake Allemand out of Texas A&M. As a four-year player at A&M, Allemand was a rock in the Aggies infield, seeing time mainly at second base and shortstop. Last season, he finished with his best season at the plate batting .339 with seven home runs and an .936 OPS.

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After signing with the Brewers, Allemand debuted with the Helena Brewers and after just 11 games he was on his way to Wisconsin to finish the year with the Timber Rattlers. In all he batted .290 in his first year as a professional with an OPS nearing .700. While he isn’t expected to have much power, his patience at the plate and ability to play all over the diamond could make him a big piece of the Brewers’ future.

Recently, I had a chance to interview Blake via Twitter. Here is what he had to say:

Pete: Who was the biggest influence in your baseball life?

Blake: Biggest influence was definitely my parents. Between my dad coaching me growing up and always taking me to go hit after work. He has always pushed me. And my mom always being there supporting me and taking me all over to different tournaments and games. My parents have been huge for me.

Pete: Are there players that you try to model your game after?

Blake: Probably the biggest player I have seen lately that I try to model my game after is Brock Holt of the Red Sox. He is a guy that can play anywhere on the diamond, who is very versatile and just a solid hitter who gives you consistent good at bats.

Pete: You played at A&M for four years, what are some of your best memories there?

Blake: Well, I got to go to some great places playing in both the Big 12 and SEC playing at places like, Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State, and Arkansas. Just huge crowds, really nice parks. It was a lot of fun. Getting to play in front of about 6,000 every game at home was awesome too. Our fans and stadium were awesome!

Some of my best memories though are just the guys I played with who I have so many memories with and are now some of my best friends. But my favorite memory would be as a senior my last game at home. I walked off the field celebrating after we had just won our regional. It was a great way to end my last game at home as a senior.

Pete: Did you have any idea of where you were going to go on draft day? What was that day like for you?

Blake: It was pretty crazy actually because we lost in the 3rd game of a super regional with a chance to go to Omaha the night before and that game went about 17 innings. We didn’t finish until about 2 in the morning, and then had to drive back to college station. I didn’t get home until about 5:30-6 and then got my first phone call around 10:30 so I was running on under 5 hours of sleep.

I had a feeling I would go somewhere in the top 10 rounds being a senior knowing I would be saving somebody some money. I was talking to some other teams and then I got a call from my area Brewers scout who offered me the most money and I said that sounded great sign me up. That was right before I was picked in the 5th round, which was pretty surreal seeing my name pop up on the screen like that.

It was awesome that something I have chased my whole life was finally a reality. I was just so excited to get started and keep chasing my dream. I am extremely thankful to the Brewers organization for giving me the opportunity and I’m excited to be apart of it.

Pete: What were some of the biggest adjustments if any going from DI College to the minors?

Blake: The biggest adjustment to me was just playing every single day as opposed to 4-5 times a week. It takes a toll on you both mentally and physically. I had to learn how to be mentally locked in and focused every single day. It was definitely a grind and it was a struggle at times to bring your A game every single day, but I love this game and I love playing so I embraced the challenge. I feel like I continually got better at that as the summer went on.

Pete: What do you feel is the biggest strength in your game and what are some goals for next season? I know its early, but any idea where you may end up at the start of next year?

Blake: Some of my biggest strengths I believe are my versatility. I can play a bunch of different positions and my ability to put the ball in play. I take pride in not striking out, as well as just bringing the same energy everyday. I’m going to bring the same effort each and every day. I’m a guy who you can count on to consistently have good at bats, hit the ball hard and get on base anyway. I can set the tone for the rest of the offense and try to score a lot of runs.

I haven’t not talked to the organization about where I will be next year so I have no idea where. I’ll be wherever it is and I’m going to work as hard as I can to move up. But I have always had extremely high goals and standards for myself. If had to say my goal would be to start the season in Hi-A and finish the season in Double A.

Pete: With all of the changes and exciting young talent in the organization, it’s a great time to be young and a Brewer. How do you feel about the direction of the organization going forward?

Blake: I’m excited! I’ve only been in the organization for a few months, but I’m happy to be a part of it. I’ve played with some great talented guys so far and it seems as though the organization is trying to build for the future moving forward and I’m gonna work as hard as I can to be a part of that future in Milwaukee.

Next: Gatewood: Brewers' Prospect #19

Pete: Thanks a lot and best of luck in the future!

Blake: No problem, Thank you!