Meet the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2nd Round Pick Caden Lemons

Our Q & As with the 2017 Milwaukee Brewers draft class continues with Caden Lemons. Caden was taken in second round and was the Brewers third overall pick of the draft.

Brad Ford: Hi Caden, congrats on being drafted in the second round. It has to be very exciting, why don’t you walk me through how you reacted when you were taken by the Milwaukee Brewers?

Caden Lemons: It was the best feeling in the world. I had a good amount of people over, some friends and family. It was the best feeling in the world, and all of them got real excited for me, they were all smiling, to hear my name come on the TV, it was awesome.

BF: I take it you were having a draft party watching MLB Network, did you think you’d be called late first, early second?

CL: Yeah right, we streamed it from our Apple TV and from our phones. There was just like 10 or 12 people, some family and good friends. That’s what we were hoping and expecting, it was a great honor to get drafted.

BF: Did you know the Brewers were one of the teams interested in you?

CL: Yes, sir. I went to one of their camps in Biloxi just to meet everyone, shake some hands and meet everyone at the camp.

BF: Speaking of Biloxi, it will be pretty nice that you could be pitching at a place so close to your family and friends in a couple years.

CL: Right, it’s pretty awesome. No matter where it is, they’ll probably always watch or be there.

BF: How stressful were the last few weeks for you? You had to finish up high school, you had to play baseball, all while being constantly scouted.

CL: At first, it was something different. I ended up getting used to it as the season went on. I figured I’d just pitch normally and not even worry about them back there. Just pitch for your team instead of trying to overthrow or trying to make this pitch do this or this pitch do that. Just have fun, that’s what I focused on, just have fun and let’s win. That’s what we ended up doing.

After high school, it was a whirlwind. I was going to all these camps across the country. It was awesome, a great experience.

BF: What do you know about Milwaukee and Wisconsin?

CL: I really don’t know much. I’ve heard ya’ll have got good cheese? That’s about it.

BF: That and good beer when you’re old enough. You’ll also have to pitch in some cold weather, I hope you’re ready for that.

CL: Yeah, that’ll be alright. That doesn’t bother me too much.

BF: Self-scouting report?

CL: I throw a four-seam and a two-seam fastball, I guess on every report it’s like 90-94 and top out at 97 this season. I throw a slider and a curveball and a changeup as well.

BF: I saw that you topped out at 97, but the Brewers think that as you continue to grow and put on muscle, you could be throwing even harder. That has to be pretty exciting?

CL: For sure, I really started putting in the work this year, and I only got about four months to do it, and I gained seven miles an hour in four months when I really tried to do it. I’m excited to see what I can do in a year or two, see what that turns out to be.

BF: What do you think your strengths are on the mound?

CL: I love to compete. That’s my favorite thing in the world is to just go compete and not let anyone else win. Just give it all you got every pitch. It’s the best feeling in the world to me, honestly.

BF: What’s your go-to pitch?

CL: I just started throwing the slider this year, so that’s kind of a new pitch, so not really that. I’d say either the two-seam or changeup.

BF: Do you model yourself after any pro players?

CL: No sir, not really. I believe everyone’s their own player and why model yourself after someone else’s stuff when you can be better being yourself? That’s how I go about it. I just want to be the best I can be and model myself after my strengths and my weaknesses and learn how to be better.

BF: When you get to the big leagues, where do you see yourself?

CL: Wherever they say, I’m just going to do whatever I can do to help their organization ‘cause that’s the investment they put in me. My goal is just to be the best that I can be, so wherever they need me. I’ve always been a starter growing up so that’d be fun, but you know if they want me to be a bullpen guy or a middle reliever, just whatever it is, I’m comfortable doing whatever they need me to do.

BF: What’s your favorite band or music group?

CL: I really like Eric Church, he’s country. I don’t know if ya’ll listen to country up there like we do down here.

BF: Country, especially in the northern part of the state, is huge. What’s your warm-up music?

CL: Definitely rap, that’s what we listen to when we’re working out and stuff. I like rap, rap and country are my two genres.

BF: What do you do for fun?

CL: I go to the gym every day. Me and my girlfriend hang out a lot. I like to shoot, like to fish, like to hunt. I used to do rock climbing, we had an indoor gym and a lot of places you can do that out here. And I like giving back, like up at our high school, there’s kids camps all the time, I’m always up there helping out with that.

BF: Anything else you want Brewers fans to know?

CL: Not really but I hope they’ll see me soon up in Milwaukee. That’s what I’m going to work for.