Milwaukee Brewers: 3 Left Handed Pitchers To Know For The MLB Draft

We continue our preparations for the MLB Draft that will begin on Monday, June 12. We’ve given a general draft primer and previewed the first base, shortstop, and outfield positions for the Milwaukee Brewers. Now we turn our attention to the mound and see which left-handed pitchers could become future Brewers.

Left-handed pitching is a highly valued commodity throughout baseball due to the overall lack of quality options. The Milwaukee Brewers have been notoriously short on southpaws over the years. So what can the Brewers do about this? They have to draft some lefty pitchers.

There are a number of lefties at the top of this draft that could be available when the ninth pick rolls around.

The farm system has only three lefty pitchers in the top 30 prospects list and one of them, Nathan Kirby, just underwent Tommy John surgery. So the Minor League system needs an infusion of talented left-handed pitchers. Based on MLB Pipeline’s and Baseball America’s prospect rankings, here are three southpaws who could become future Milwaukee Brewers.

D.L. Hall, LHP, Valdosta (Ga.) HS

Draft buzz has linked Hall to the Brewers and he could very well be the ninth selection. Hall’s fastball can touch 95 but sits around 90-93 MPH with life, but Hall commands it very well. He has a good, hard curveball. He’s beginning to use his changeup more, but it’s not Major League ready yet.

Hall has a clean delivery as long as he keeps it consistent from pitch to pitch. He isn’t the biggest guy at 6’0″ and 190 lbs. His game has been compared to Los Angeles Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir. The Florida State commit can still fill out his frame and grow a little bit more in order to add velocity and effectiveness.

As long as he continues to refine his changeup, Hall has a real chance of contributing to a Major League rotation in the future. Besides two plus pitches, Hall’s makeup is also considered a positive. He is known to be very competitive and hard-working. If his changeup develops correctly, Hall’s ceiling would be as a No. 2 starter.

Trevor Rogers, LHP, Carlsbad (N.M.) HS

Rogers is the other prep southpaw that’s been connected to the Milwaukee Brewers. He can touch 95, same as Hall, but sits at 89-92 MPH and his curveball isn’t quite as good as Hall’s. Rogers may need to stick with a slider at the next level instead of the curve. His changeup is improving as well, but both off-speed pitches are considered to be far behind his fastball.

The Texas Tech commit’s stuff plays up because of his long arms and he has easy velocity with little effort. Rogers is 6’6″ and has been able to succeed with only average stuff without using his off-speed against weaker competition at the high school level. But Rogers is one of the classic ‘high upside’ picks that are littered throughout the MLB Draft and figures to go in the first round.

Rogers’ spring has been poor and that has caused his stock to fall a little bit. He may not figure to go the Brewers at nine, but he could fall to their second selection at pick #34.

David Peterson, LHP, Oregon

Peterson is another big guy at 6’6″ and 240 lbs and he can bring it. He recently posted a 20 strikeout performance against Arizona State and his draft stock has been climbing all year. Peterson sits 89-94 MPH and throws an above-average slider. His curveball is lacking and his changeup is only average, but his control is incredible.

Peterson has walked only 15 batters in over 100 innings for the Oregon Ducks and has struck out 140. He has a 2.51 ERA through 15 starts. Peterson has dominated opponents this year and his build is made for a starting rotation.

Peterson is looking more and more like a complete pitcher and he could end up in the top 10 of the draft. He currently is projected to go in the 10-20 range, but it’s possible he could go in the top 10.

All three of these pitchers have the potential to be Major League starters. Peterson would be the one to reach Milwaukee the fastest as he is more polished of the trio. Hall and Rogers figure to be projects with lots of upside that need a few more years in the minors to become a finished product.

Next: Which Outfielders Could The Brewers Draft?

The Milwaukee Brewers figure to have plenty of options with the ninth overall pick. So far there aren’t many new rumors as to who they like. The draft begins Monday night at 6 p.m. Central Time on MLB Network and MLB.com.