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Milwaukee Brewers: 3 Shortstop Prospects To Know For 2019 MLB Draft

By David Gasper |
JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Baseballs and a bat sit on the field of the Miami Marlins during a team workout on February 23, 2016 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Baseballs and a bat sit on the field of the Miami Marlins during a team workout on February 23, 2016 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
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The MLB Draft is just two short weeks away. The Milwaukee Brewers front office is gearing up for the Draft and going through a lot of prep work and preparing their big board at this very moment.

With the bog board being developed, we’ll take a look at some key prospects that could be available and interesting to the Milwaukee Brewers with their first round selection, at No. 28 overall.

We’ve previously looked at outfield prospects that could hear their names called by the Brewers on June 3rd. Now we’ll take a look at some shortstop prospects.

Shortstops are among the most versatile prospects you can find in the draft. From shortstop, a player can be moved almost anywhere. Hernan Perez came up as a shortstop by trade, and he’s played very little of it over the years, but his versatility has been key and his ability to play shortstop in a pinch is invaluable.

A shortstop with a strong arm can move to third base. A shortstop with a weak arm could move to second base. Not many can stick at shortstop in the big leagues, but they can move other places.

Last year, the Milwaukee Brewers selected a shortstop with their first round pick, Brice Turang. Could they double-dip at the position? Here are a few possibilities.

Braden Shewmake, SS, Texas A&M

Shewmake has some exciting potential as a prospect. The 6’4″, 190 pound junior is a left-handed hitter that still has projection in his frame to add muscle, and in turn, add power. And when a big left handed hitter can add power and play in Miller Park, that’s a good recipe for the player and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Here’s something that caught my eye about what MLB Pipeline had to say about their 25th ranked prospect:

Of the half-dozen college players at [shortstop] who have legitimate first-round aspirations in 2019, he might be the best pure hitter.

David Stearns’ ears perked up just reading that. The best pure hitter at the shortstop position is likely Braden Shewmake. That right there is immediately going to put him on the shortlist of possible draft candidates.

Plus, according to reports Shewmake has very good baseball instincts and a knack for stealing bases. His character makeup is also a positive as he’s a selfless player, willing to play anywhere to help the team.

As the 25th ranked prospect, there’s a good likelihood he’ll be there at No. 28 overall for the Milwaukee Brewers selection.

ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 16: Major league baseballs sit in a glove as the Seattle Mariners warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 16, 2016 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – AUGUST 16: Major league baseballs sit in a glove as the Seattle Mariners warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 16, 2016 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Gunnar Henderson, SS, Morgan Academy (Ala.)

Henderson is a high school, left handed hitting shortstop that has a college commitment to a team in the SEC. Sound familiar? Last year’s selection, Brice Turang, had a commitment to LSU and is a solid left handed hitter. Henderson is in the same boat, expect committed to Auburn.

There are a few differences between Turang and Henderson though. Turang is 6’0″ and 173 pounds while Henderson is 6’3″ and 195 pounds. Now this isn’t football, so those measurables don’t mean as much, but Henderson does have a higher potential to hit for power than Turang does.

Related Story. 3 OF Prospects To Know For 2019 MLB Draft. light

Henderson also possesses an above-average hit tool, again making him intriguing to the Brewers amateur scouting department based on their history.

The debate about Henderson is his long term defensive home. Some scouts believe he can stick at shortstop, while others believe he’ll lose some of his speed as he adds muscle, making him a more ideal fit at third base. Henderson’s highest graded tool is his arm, which scouts give a 60 on the 20-80 scale. His hit and speed tools follow closely behind at 55.

MLB Pipeline ranks Henderson as their 33rd best prospect, making him another possible candidate at 28 overall for the Brewers. He’s solid across the board, and his improved bat speed and running ability this spring has boosted his stock even further. Perhaps it’s boosted him into the back half of the first round.

MILWAUKEE, WI – SEPTEMBER 03: A Wilson baseball glove and major league baseballs sits on the field at Miller Park on September 3, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jeff Haynes/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – SEPTEMBER 03: A Wilson baseball glove and major league baseballs sits on the field at Miller Park on September 3, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jeff Haynes/Getty Images) /

Matthew Lugo, SS, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (P.R.)

MLB Pipeline ranks the 18 year old Lugo as their 36th overall prospect, meaning he should be available for the Brewers with the 28th overall pick.

Lugo has a strong bat, which is the one carrying tool of his profile. He reportedly has an advanced approach at the plate for his age, and focuses on hitting line drives and going up the middle. If you haven’t noticed a trend, we’re mostly looking at hitters with above-average hit tools as the names to know for the Brewers heading into this draft.

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For the rest of his tools, nothing really stands out for Lugo. He possesses average power and speed, and his defense is nothing spectacular. He might not be able to stick at shortstop in the future, but will have a future at either second or third base should he prove unable to clean things up at shortstop.

Lugo is committed to the University of Miami, and it may be tough to sign him away from that commitment, and especially with the limited bonus pool this year for the Crew, that could prove even more difficult.

He’s got a really good bat and has the potential to add more power as he fills out his frame and could even have above-average power when all said and done.

At 28 overall, the board would likely have to fall the exact opposite way of the Brewers favor for them to make Lugo their selection, unless the Brewers believe in a certain part of his skill set more than other teams. But there’s a chance Lugo falls until late round 2, where he would be an excellent value pick.

Next. Concerning number of Brewers left on base. dark

The MLB Draft is coming up fast, and there are a lot of variables when picking 28th overall. It’s going to be a lot of waiting and seeing how things fall for the Crew this year.

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