The Brew Crew had an evenly balanced five picks in five rounds in last week’s draft. However, interestingly enough they spent all five picks on hitting without selecting a single pitcher. Although they made some solid selections, it was still surprising to see a team whose biggest need at the major league level is pitching opt another direction with all of their picks. Let’s look at the Milwaukee Brewers draft.
Round 1, Pick 20: Garrett Mitchell OF UCLA
You could make a strong case that Garrett Mitchell was THE steal of the 2020 MLB Draft at pick 20. The 6th-best prospect according to MLB.com fell into the lap of the Milwaukee Brewers in the back half of the first round. Many believe the fall was caused by his Type 1 diabetes, a factor that may have scared off some teams. The Brewers have gone down a similar road before with their 2010 first-round pick Dylan Covey who also had diabetes.
Mitchell has proven that he has the tools to be one of the most elite hitters to come out of this class. He consistently hit for average at UCLA with a .327 BA, 24 doubles, 15 triples, and 28 stolen bases during his time there. His overall hitting (60) was graded fondly by scouts with improved power (50) and elite running (70). Diabetes or not there is no denying Mitchell as one of the best five-tool players in this draft. Charlie Blackmon comparisons seem very appropriate when looking at the total package. Both outfielders are left-handed batters with true five-tool potential out of the leadoff spot.
Grade: A
Round 2, Pick 53: Freddy Zamora SS Miami
Although the Miami shortstop shows a lot of promise, Freddy Zamora was a bit of a reach at 53. The 100th-best prospect according to MLB.com went ahead of several other promising infield prospects. Risk wise a player like Casey Martin who fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in the third-round would have been a much safer pick.
Zamora is a gifted fielder (55) with a phenomenal range and an absolute bazooka of an arm (60). He has also improved as a hitter throughout his collegiate career where he hit .300 with 24 doubles, 74 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. Comparison wise there is a lot of similarities with four-time Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons. They have nearly the exact same dimensions while banking on their arms to make up for consistency that is lacking at the plate.
Grade: C+
Round 3, Pick 92: Zavier Warren C/IF Central Michigan
This was certainly a position of need and the Milwaukee Brewers found great value drafting Zavier Warren in the third-round. Although he spent his time at shortstop and third in college, Warren has experience behind the backstop. This was a high-upside pick taking a player who has all the metrics but just needs development.
Warren’s best tool is his bat (55) as a switch-hitter who can spray the ball to all fields hitting .328 with 29 doubles in college. He also has a strong arm (55) which gives him versatility in the field at C, SS, or 3B. The 106th-best prospect according to MLB.com has flashes of Jimmy Rollins in his approach. Although Rollins was never a catcher, Warren looks very similar in college as a switch-hitting shortstop with a quality bat.
Grade: B+
Round 4, Pick 121: Joey Wiemer OF Cincinnati
This was definitely a project pick here as Joey Wiemer is a raw talent who has some work to do. The Cincinnati product has all of the tools besides a consistent bat at this point in his career. This is a 6’5″ and 215-pound defensive stalwart who can also run well (60).
The 167th-best prospect according to MLB.com showed decent power (45) at times in college with 12 homers and 25 doubles. But it is never a good thing when your lowest grade is in the hitting department (40). Not sure if it is just the long golden locks but there is a little bit of Harrison Bader in his game. The swings are reminiscent of each other with surprising speed and defensive capability. Wiemer was far from a bad pick, however pitching would have been a much better choice here.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 151: Hayden Cantrelle SS UL Lafayette
Securing the 118th-best prospect according to MLB.com in the fifth round at pick 151 is a tremendous value. Hayden Cantrelle can do it all to some extent but excels in the speed department (60). The 21-year old shortstop was drafted straight out of high school by the New York Yankees but elected to go to college instead.
Switch-hitting is one of Cantrelle’s greatest gifts which he did so at a high level hitting .280 with 31 doubles and 50 steals in three seasons. Scouts graded his hitting solid (50) with the power lacking a bit (40). There is a lot of Freddy Galvis comparisons here with the potential to be much more. Very close in size, both switch-hitting shortstops excel on the base paths and in the field with the bat needing some work.
Grade: A-
Final Grade: B+
The Milwaukee Brewers had a strong draft class that prioritized hitting in a big way. Had they gone with pitching in the second or fourth round instead of reaching for Zamora and Wiemer they would be closer to an A. However, the value they got with Mitchell at 20 is impossible to argue with.
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