Draft Profile - Rex Brothers, LHP

[Chisoxfn]

Rex Brothers out of Liscomb. Yep, he's coming out of a small school but the guy has been flying up draft boards. He was thought of as a top 5 round draft choice entering the season, but since than he's added velocity. He previously pitched in the 91-93 MPH range but is now pitching in the 93-94MPH range, touching 96. What is more impressive is what the added velocity has done to what was already a plus slider. His slider is in the 86-87MPH range with lots of late break, which is exactly what you want to see out fo a slider as it will get lots of swings and misses. The other big thing that has Brothers shooting up draft boards is his improved command. In fact, a few scouts have been quoted as saying they haven't seen a lefty with a better arm in the draft and he still projects as a guy that might be there when the Sox pick (given the small school reputation). But he also has that laid back attitude that I think the Sox will love. His manager is often quoted as saying how humble of a guy he is and that you'd never know he was about to be a millionaire. In fact, he seems like a power-armed vesrion of Buehrle (attitude wise). Right now, aside from Scheppers and Crow, I would put Brothers as the guy I would love the Sox to pick. Two plus pitches and a developing change-up all coming from the left side of the plate. His frame isn't huge, 6-1, 205, but he has a very strong lower-body with huge thighs (a big plus for a pitcher).

 

Bottom line, this is the type of guy that could develop into an ace and would be the perfect compliment in the rotation to lefties like Danks/Buehrle.

 

From the Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090501...367/1002/SPORTS

Rex Brothers' dreams and explosive fastball were too big for the tiny high school he attended as a sophomore.

 

 

As difficult as it was to leave behind childhood friends, he transferred from Class A Community High School to AAA Shelbyville, where the competition on the diamond was far more intense.

 

"Community is a great school and there's a lot of good people there,'' Brothers said. "But I thought if I ever wanted to pursue a baseball career, transferring to a bigger school was the best thing to do."

 

It turned out to be a smart move.

 

A little more than a month before the Major League Baseball Draft, the left-handed junior pitcher is right where he hoped to be.

 

He earned a scholarship to Lipscomb, where his blazing fastball is attracting a steady stream of professional scouts to every start he makes for the Bisons.

 

"He's pitched pretty consistently at 94 to 96 (mph) and touching some at 97,'' Lipscomb pitching coach Lantz Wheeler said.

 

Brothers typically pitches on Friday nights, the opening games of series against Atlantic Sun opponents. As such, he'll take the mound tonight as the Bisons host Belmont at 6 p.m.

 

Heading into the season, Brothers was ranked 77th on Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list. Since then, he's turned so many heads that he's now expected to be among the 32 players selected in the first round of the June 9 draft.

 

"A lot of it has come down to the maturity he's made,'' Wheeler said. "He's starting to bridge the gap between what he sees and feels and is able to make quicker adjustments.''

 

Brothers, now 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, said his confidence keeps growing.

 

"It was a part of just growing into my body, and a part of working mechanically so hard over the winter and taking on a mind-set to fill up the strike zone,'' he said.

 

While Brothers might just now be making a splash with pro scouts, he has been an asset for Lipscomb since he was a freshman. He was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year in 2007, and last year he led the conference in innings pitched (97) and strikeouts (96), and tied for first in games started (15).

 

This season, he's been a shining beacon for a team that hasn't had much success otherwise. After earning their first NCAA Tournament berth last year, the Bisons are 17-27 overall and 11-10 in the A-Sun.

 

They are tied for sixth in the standings with North Florida and have lost seven of their past nine games heading into the series with Belmont. Brothers has not let the team's struggles to drag him down.

 

"We haven't supported him like we would have liked offensively,'' Coach Jeff Forehand said. "Obviously, he recognizes that we haven't been scoring the runs that we need. But his demeanor has never changed and he's kept going at it week after week."

 

[Chisoxfn]

Oh and he's second in college baseball in strikeouts, behind Strausburg.

[dasox24]

From Sickel's blog:

Rex Brouthers, LHP, Lipscomb

Brouthers is moving rapidly up draft lists. He has 3.01 ERA with a 101/35 K/BB in 69 innings this spring, 51 hits allowed, demonstrating an exceptional K/P ratio. He's dominating with excellent stuff, hitting 94-96 MPH with the heater and using a nasty slider. His changeup needs work and his command is still sloppy, but his ceiling is very impressive and he could be the first college lefty drafted.

Edited May 9, 2009 by dasox24

[ThunderBolt]

From Sickel's blog:

I Want To Go To There.

[dasox24]

I Want To Go To There.

Sure thing...

[Chisoxfn]

Per Baseball America:

 

Henry (Oakland): Any sense on how high Rex Brothers might go and which teams might have an interest in taking him?

 

Jim Callis: I think he goes somewhere in the 11-20 range. I projected that the Cardinals would take him at No. 19 in that mock draft I mentioned.

[Chisoxfn]

From Baseball Amercia:

Mike (Chicago): Are the White Sox possibly looking to draft Rex Brothers from Lipscomb with the 23rd pick?

 

Jim Callis: He'd be their type of guy but I don't think he gets to them.

[ThunderBolt]

I’m really starting to get on this kid’s bandwagon. His arm is just outstanding, and power lefties are hard to come by. If KW continues to show Poreda, Brothers is a perfectly logical replacement.

[Chisoxfn]

I’m really starting to get on this kid’s bandwagon. His arm is just outstanding, and power lefties are hard to come by. If KW continues to show Poreda, Brothers is a perfectly logical replacement.

It's looking very unlikely that Brothers will be there when the Sox pick. He's pretty much cemented himself into the top 20.

[ThunderBolt]

Some video of Rex Brothers: Destroyer of Worlds. (also the name of the book i will be writing about him)

.

His personality reminds me of Jim Thome. Here's hoping he falls to us.

Edited May 30, 2009 by Thunderbolt

[BearSox]

He hides the ball extremely well. With his arm action, that probably makes his fastball seem 2-3 mph faster than it really is to hitter. Not to mention, his fastball already sits in the mid 90's!

 

I wouldn't be shocked if he went in the top 10.

[Chisoxfn]

He won't be around, but a name thats dropping is White out of UNC. I was talking to a guy at yesterday's game, not sure how credible of a source he is or not, but he was scouting Strasburg and I had asked him about White and it sounds like his stock has taken a hit. He probalby goes 5 picks before ours, but if he slides to 23, White would be a f***ing awesome arm to get in the system.