R.J. Seidel Stats & Scouting Report

IP	554
ERA	4.646
WHIP	1.448
BB/9	3.671
SO/9	6.888

Full name Richard L. Seidel
Born 09/03/1987 in La Crosse, WI
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Central
Drafted in the 16th round (482nd overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006 (signed for $415,000).

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Wisconsin has more high school depth than usual this year, and much of it is ticketed for the University of Arkansas. The prize of the crop is Seidel, who along with Oak Creek lefthander Tony Butler and Fond du Lac catcher Chad Pierce has committed to the Razorbacks. Seidel is the most projectable pitcher in the upper Midwest, an athletic 6-foot-6, 185-pounder whose arm works so easily. His fastball presently ranges from 85-90 mph, but as he fills out his velocity could zoom up to the mid-90s. His curveball should become at least an average pitch, and he already has shown some mastery of a changeup. He's also a football quarterback and a basketball forward for Central High, and scouts' main concern is that he doesn't dominate as much as he should against inferior competition in any of his three sports. Though he has a good chance to be a higher draft pick three years from now, Seidel is believed to be signable at least through the first five rounds.

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Seidel is still young and developing, so the Brewers expect him to have ups and downs. That's exactly what happened last season in low Class A, where he slumped in the second half. Though he didn't get to pitch a lot as a high schooler in Wisconsin, Seidel has a good feel for pitching, in part because his father Dick pitched in the Yankees system in the early 1980s. He's not overpowering with an 89-92 mph fastball, but Seidel has allowed just 12 homers in 163 innings in hitter-friendly environments, reflecting his pitchability. His curveball continues to be inconsistent, but he has an advanced changeup for his experience level. After missing time with biceps tendinitis in 2007, Seidel stayed healthy and took a regular turn last year, which was encouraging, though he seemed a bit worn out by season's end. He has a great pitcher's frame and is still filling out, so he should get stronger and add velocity. With his stuff, savvy, frame and bloodlines, he has a ceiling as a middle-of-the-rotation starter.
One of the best Wisconsin high school pitchers to come along in recent years, Seidel dropped to the 16th round of the 2006 draft because of a strong commitment to Arkansas. He signed late in the summer for $415,000, the equivalent of third-round money, and made a solid pro debut in 2007. With a great pitching frame that he's still growing into, Seidel already throws his fastball at 88-91 mph, has good movement and should add velocity as he matures physically. He still needs work on his curveball, but his changeup is advanced for his age and rates as the best in the system. He also has precocious feel for pitching, in part because of the lessons learned from his father Dick, who pitched in the Yankees system in the early 1980s. Seidel is a good athlete who starred in football and basketball in high school. Mostly as a precaution, the Brewers shut him down for much of July with biceps tendinitis, and he wasn't the same pitcher afterward. To make up for some of that lost time, he went to instructional league to get more work and focus on his secondary pitches. Seidel will pitch the entire 2008 season at age 20, so Milwaukee won't rush him. He'll spend the year in low Class A.
Seidel, whose father Dick pitched in the Yankees system in the early 1980s, ranked as the top prospect in Wisconsin for much of the spring. But he had a strong commitment to Arkansas and when he turned down predraft offers from at least two clubs, he slid to the 16th round. The Brewers evaluated him a bit more during the summer in American Legion ball, then signed him in early August for $415,000--just $2,500 less than third-round pick Cole Gillespie received. Seidel threw his fastball at 85-90 mph most of the spring, but he's so athletic and projectable that some scouts believe his heater eventually will reach the mid- 90s. His curveball should become at least an average pitch, and he already has shown some mastery of a changeup. A three-sport star as a quarterback and basketball forward in high school, Seidel will jump up this list if he responds well to focusing on baseball. The Brewers usually move high school pitchers slowly, and he should begin his pro career in extended spring training before heading to Helena or the Arizona League in June.