Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Rays 3rd Round Pick - 98th Overall: Ryan Brett

BaseballAmerica:(rated #146 overall)
Brett is a throwback player who's fun to watch. He's always dirty, doesn't wear batting gloves and is a sparkplug who always plays at full speed. For most of the year he tried to switch-hit, but he reverted back to his natural righthanded swing as the draft drew near. He has a knack for getting the barrel on the ball, though sometimes he tries to play bigger than he is and scouts said they would like to see him embrace small ball. Brett is smallish at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, but he works out regularly with Josh Sale and is strong. Scouts are split on where he'll play defensively. Some believe he'll be able to stay at second base, while others say his actions are too choppy and the game will be too fast for him there. He's an above-average runner and could be an above-average defender in center field. The speed also makes him a terror on the basepaths, and some scouts think that if he fulfilled his commitment to Gonzaga that he could bat better than .400 and steal 40-50 bases a season. In professional ball, his ceiling would be a .285 hitter with about 12 home runs and 20 stolen bases a season. He'll likely be drafted around the third round and is considered signable.

Andy Seiler:
Ryan Brett is a short middle infielder from Highline High School in Burien, Washington, a southern
suburb of Seattle. Brett’s one of the Pacific Northwest’s best high school prospects, and he should
become his school’s most successful baseball player ever. As you can tell by his vitals, he’s a rather short player, but he doesn’t lack strength. He’s a hard line drive hitter and scouts don’t have many doubts about his current strength as a hitter. His hit tool is a potential plus and he makes excellent contact against any pitch in any count. His raw power is below-average, but he’s not one to get cheated if he’s given a good pitch to hit. He complements his hit tool with plus to plus-plus speed that he uses very aggressively on the basepaths. He could potentially steal 30 or more bases a year with his aggressiveness and speed, the style of game he loves to play. Defensively, scouts are much less sure about his tools. His arm is average, but not quite good enough to stick at shortstop. Some scouts envision him in center field in the long run, while others want to turn him into a second baseman. In center, he could have above-average range and become a defensive asset, though it might take awhile to reach that point. He has all the tools to be a leadoff hitter at the next level and that could get him drafted in the third to sixth round range, which should lead to him signing rather easily away from
Gonzaga.

Rays are wearing out the state of Washington.

11 comments:

  1. If this guy is signable, he is very intriguing. Rumor is that he is a Dustin Pedroia with less pop but more speed and better baserunning. Lead off guy. He worked out with Sale. Rays love the Pacific Northwest don't they?

    ReplyDelete
  2. You guys will absolutely love this kid. He is absolutely ripped for a HS kid and he really is like a throwback type player like Pedroia but this kid has absolute wheels. The Angles flew him down to their pre-draft workout a couple weeks ago and he hit a 450 foot bomb over the scoreboard and was the fastest guy out of the 50 they brought in. And he doesn’t pitch, but he threw a couple innings during the season and hit 91 on the radar gun (I was there), so the dude has an arm.

    There was a lot of talk he would be taken in the supplemental first round, but with the way it shook out and him landing to the Rays in the 3rd, you should be very happy.

    Here's a local story on him from a couple months ago.

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2011517790_mason04.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. hopefully the opportunity to play with Sale will get him signed. Gonzaga has to be intriguing to him. I really hope we get him on board.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hope they sign this kid, I really like him.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I go to highschool with this kid, and believe me he's AMAZING and u guys got a steal

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you know him, TELL HIM TO SIGN!!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I played against him this year in the playoffs, and he hit a 500+ foot off of us. I am not exaggerating either, it literally was. He is an absolute menace too, you just can't get him out. He beats out routine ground balls all the time.

    ReplyDelete
  8. He is definitely a future Pedroia with wheels. I watched him as well outrun everyone at the Angels predraft workout (clocked at 6.3). He has a strong arm and has been clocked throwing 92 before. He did go yard during that batting practice but what was more important was that he was peppering the field from the left and right side. Cant wait to see what he can do:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I was a senior in high school this year and had the chance to play against Ryan Brett. This kid is the real deal. Best player I have ever played against, even though I am just a high school pitcher. I pitched against both Ryan Brett and Drew Vettleson this year and Brett impressed me the most. He is the fastest person I have ever seen, you can not stop him on the bases. He hit a ground ball to our first baseman and he dropped it for just a second, he was just a step away from the base yet Brett beat him to it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I coached against him. Yes, he plays the game hard and is the kind of guy you want in tight situations. I had a kid signed at U of Washington strike him out once and break two of his bats (I was calling pitches). He did hit one off the wall for his only hit of the game. He works hard, but I'm not sure he's 3rd round money. Good luck with him. He's a hell of a player.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 2014 and he's still going strong!

    ReplyDelete