M’s Go With Shortstop, Pick Brad Miller at #62
Not exactly the name that people were expecting here, but considering how involved we seem to have been in Virginia and North Carolina and South Carolina these past few years, it makes a kind of sense. Miller hits lefty and had a .403/.506/.571 slash line at Clemson this year with a 40/34 K/BB. Craig Counsell is the comp that they’re throwing out for him, apparently, because he has an approach that seems superficially wonky/icky. I don’t remember Counsell’s batting particularly, but Miller keeps his hands really high while batting and somehow manages to generate the speed to get the bat through the zone, so unconventional, but not bad by any stretch. I’m looking at the BA report now and the final word is “baseball rat with good makeup,” which definitely sounds like the type of pick that we’re inclined to make.
He seems to have some defensive inconsistencies, but it’s not for lack of tools or range. His arm is fine, his speed is fine, he just seems to have a weird approach that leaves him unable to make certain plays. This sounds like the kind of thing that could be straightened out in time, so I think that the second base or third base claims are not necessarily solid, just stemming from the usual practice of moving slightly erratic guys to less demanding roles. It seems like a good pick even if it wasn’t one that was on our radar. Expect that phrase to fit into nearly every post from here on out.
Clemson bio
YouTube: Miller at USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Trials
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19 Responses to “M’s Go With Shortstop, Pick Brad Miller at #62”
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Craig Counsell had one of the most awkward batting stances I’ve ever seen. His elbows were over his head.
Can’t be upset with picking the best hitter from the best conference in the nation, who plays one of the 3 most valuable positions.
His numbers as a Clemson Junior are very similar to Ackley as a UNC Junior (both ACC schools), with Ackley having a pretty big edge in HR power. However, Ackley played 1b his Jr year due to his arm injury and Miller played SS. I love the pick…another guy close to the majors with a high hit tool and who is a worker.
So instead of taking SS Lindo from highschool We get a Pitcher and a college SS? Sounds like they should be Major League ready much sooner?
What is his cieling from an average and power stand point? Could he be a .300 AVG, 10+ HR guy? I’m not to familiar with him.
I like the Kevin Cron pick. A lot of upside there.
example of Counsell batting stance…
link
The Miller pick sounds pretty solid…not sexxxy but solid…will he shift to 3B?
Cron sounds like a DH candidate with the power and being a 1B, but I also just read he has a strong college commitment…
I just read that Miller grew up wanting to be like former Clemson standout Khalil Greene. Let’s hope he was talking about a pre-2005 Khalil Greene.
Good bat who can play up the middle or the hot corner? Sounds good.
I hope he’s not a malfunctioning robot like Greene is.
I’m gonna say he’s comparable to Julio Franco. Crazy batting stance, good hitter, marginal fielder at SS.
I’ve never seen Brad Miller play, except on Youtube, so I can say whatever I want, and it means absolutely nothing.
Miller is a switch-hitter who won the ACC Player of the Year award and batted .395 with 50 RBI this season, both team-highs.
Okay, I’m game… Somebody else said it– best hitter, in the best conference (ACC, which is short for the “ACkley Conference”… all about hitters).
Miller is a left-handed hitter, not a switch hitter.
Our FO really seems to be working to collect high-average/OBP lefty hitters in the middle infield, don’t they? Given Safeco, it makes sense — and it means that a guy like Miller is more valuable to us than he would be to other teams.
Maybe he only faced right handers this year? Okay okay, silly me for cut&pasting from Seattle PI… I like what I’m reading though.
From what I’ve read it sounds like Miller was pretty bad defensively his first two seasons but improved this year. Still seems rather dicey to stick as a SS, though.
I think it is common for someone who was a SS in college or HS to end up at a less demanding position in the Majors. Assuming they are a good enough hitter to compete.
His Stance is similar to Edgar Martinez.
The stance is not as wierd as craig counsell. He does start with his hands high, but the bat comes down to a regular position before starts driving the bat through the zone. His stance is a non-factor to me.
Love it. I’m a proud Tiger. Look forward to Miller and Smoak ribbing each other in the dugout in a couple of years.