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96.3 mph. Wow. Brody Brecht is a Potential Top 5 Round MLB Draft Pick

This is a nice, FREE story by @Blair Sanderson .

As you will read, right now he is hearing he could be picked in the top 5 rounds of the MLB Draft and depending on how he throws this year he could definitely move up.

And you will also see that for him to give up football, that would require the MLB team to offer a sum of money he can't refuse.

The story:

 
Brecht now at #77 in the latest MLB Pipeline draft list.

Yup, updated on the 15th. Actually has an interesting synopsis. Brecht never participated in any showcases and chose to run track. Told scouts he’ll only play in the official season to win a state title. Showed first round stuff. Compared him to Jeff Samardzija since he relies on athleticism to overcome lack of polish. Doesn’t thrown a change up, is raw, and command is unrefined. Only scratching the surface of his potential, exciting what he might become if he devoted to only baseball.

Scouts still think it will be almost impossible to divert him from playing football for Iowa.

it’ll be interesting to see where he is drafted and what happens. The draft is now late as ever.
 
FWIW, Baumler and his advisors felt that he was a Top 50 talent last year and he was going to TCU if he didn't get Top 50 slot money (which was about $1.5M). Picked by the Orioles in the 5th round and he stayed true to his word . . . required the Orioles to pay him mid-2nd round money.

Again, not only did Baumler have a very good baseball program as a "fall back," he had a very nice financial parachute if baseball didn't work out. He was positioned very well to play "hard ball" with negotiations.

It will be interesting to watch if MLB teams take a chance on Brecht in an early round with the idea that he can be lured away from playing football/baseball in Iowa City with "slot money." As the game is structured, MLB teams really don't like to take chances on early round picks and walk away empty handed. Also, after the Red Sox cried incessantly about the mean 'ol Pittsburgh Pirates signed Josh Bell to a big contract after Bell's parents told teams not to draft him, MLB's imposition of draft budgets has led to a number of players trying to improve draft status and increasing their potential signing bonus.

I'd be very curious to know what number that Brecht and his advisor are telling MLB scouts that he needs to get in order to eschew playing football and baseball for the UI. I'm starting to get the feeling that Heller is going to lose Brecht . . . would be a bigger loss for UI baseball than UI football.
 
Does anyone happen to know when he will be pitching again? I'll be in Ankeny next week and would love to catch a game.
My guess is that he will be pitching tonight vs Ames, so just guessing here, I would say next week at home vs Mason City (6/21) is the best chance.

Play SE Polk tomorrow away and Fort Dodge away on the 23rd
 
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Does anyone happen to know when he will be pitching again? I'll be in Ankeny next week and would love to catch a game.

Brody pitched last night against Southeast Polk. He maxed his pitches so 4 days rest (not eligible to pitch on Monday vs. Mason City, but already pitched against them). Likely start at Fort Dodge on 6/23. Next likely opportunity to see him in Ankeny would be at home vs. Centennial on 6/28.
 
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Brody pitched last night against Southeast Polk. He maxed his pitches so 4 days rest (not eligible to pitch on Monday vs. Mason City, but already pitched against them). Likely start at Fort Dodge on 6/23. Next likely opportunity to see him in Ankeny would be at home vs. Centennial on 6/28.
Thank you! I've got family in Fort Dodge maybe I'll go make a visit.
 
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Don’t sleep on Brecht’s teammate and Iowa commit Weston Fulk. He can pitch it well but he’s absolutely killing it at the plate this year. I’ve seen all their games and I’ve never seen a kid stay this hot for so long.
I saw he pitched a perfect game recently. And Gehrig Christensen just threw a no hitter the other day as well
 
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Iowa baseball is really looking up!! Next season will be a ton of fun.

The potential is there. I’m cautiously optimistic. I do remember Zach Kenyon who was drafted in the 9th round out of high school. He didn’t exactly do great things while at Iowa. He had some decent moments, but was never even a weekend rotation guy.
 
The potential is there. I’m cautiously optimistic. I do remember Zach Kenyon who was drafted in the 9th round out of high school. He didn’t exactly do great things while at Iowa. He had some decent moments, but was never even a weekend rotation guy.
Thought of him this week, too. He was rotation guy until he wasn’t. His velocity went from the low-90s to bordering on 80-poo later in his career. Puzzling.
 
The potential is there. I’m cautiously optimistic. I do remember Zach Kenyon who was drafted in the 9th round out of high school. He didn’t exactly do great things while at Iowa. He had some decent moments, but was never even a weekend rotation guy.
They do have some interesting pieces to be sure. I know there were a few guys not drafted that could come back for another year if they wanted (Fullard, Bauman, Dreyer). Dreyer is coming off injury but when healthy is very good. Bauman was solid, had an ERA of about 4 in 68 innings. Fullard is a tremendous bat.

The freshmen, as talented as they are, will probably need at least some adjustment period and may not be great right out of the gate. But if, big if, Fullard is back, there are pieces to a nice lineup the other returning players. And Morgan, Brecht, Dreyer, Bauman (and others, including Nedved) would give Iowa Iowa a deep bench of arms.

Projecting how players will go over the course of 2-3 years is hard. There are guys like Kenyon, and there are guys like Allgeyer and Gallagher who all of a sudden took off and are still playing. Allgeyer got to the big leagues this year and Gallagher is in the Indians organization.

Hoping Iowa can get a break and not suffer a serious injury to the pitching staff as seems to happen every year.
 
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