Article: Thinking About the Brewers' Needs in the 2023 MLB Draft

[Harold Hutchison]

With the draft coming up, the Brewers will get the chance to infuse a lot of new talent into the farm system. In some areas, that infusion will be much-needed: By Opening Day 2024, they will need to find a way to keep fans interested after the all-but-inevitable departures of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Willy Adames via trade.

Image courtesy of © Angela Peterson / USA TODAY NETWORK

Hopefully, the farm system will have prospects who can do that. But the Brewers have some needs they should look to fill. Let’s take a look at them.

First Base

Face it, the players manning first base for the Brewers farm system are not looking too hot. Aside from 31-year-old Jon Singleton, none have an OPS over .718 as of June 2. Rowdy Tellez is slated to be a free agent after 2024, so the Brewers may need to find a replacement unless they extend him (which might be a good idea). Even if Tellez is extended through 2030, by the end of the deal, he may be more of a DH than a reliable option at first base. Thus, looking for a first baseman who can rapidly climb the ladder might be good–say Nolan Schanuel, with the Competitive Balance A pick the Brewers have this year.

Third Base

Tyler Black has been handing third base well in Biloxi, but his injury history means it may not be a bad idea to have a backup option–or better yet, someone who can push Black to second base, first base, DH, or even left field. This player should be someone who could rapidly climb the system. Braden Taylor might be that option for the Crew in the first round, at pick 18.

Starting Pitchers

One lesson of 2023 is that there can never be too much depth for your starting rotation. With the exception of Burnes, every member of the planned Opening Day 2023 rotation was on the injured list in 2022, 2023, or both. This should be a pitcher who can make a fast climb as well. One candidate with their second-round pick (No. 54): Alonzo Tredwell, while Sean Sullivan would make an excellent choice at pick 87 in the third round, and Matthew Dallas could be a worthwhile risk in the fourth or fifth round.

Pray For A Drop

In 2018, Brice Turang dropped to the Brewers at No. 21 in the first round of the draft. The Crew could always hope for history to repeat itself five years later, and maybe get some great talent. 

Jacob Gonzales from Mississippi could be one such dropper–offering the Brewers someone who could move up quickly, and whose lefty bat could be very useful. Another possibility is Adrian Santana–who is currently 38 on the consensus big board, but could be worth taking if he slips to #54 overall.

Make A Deal Or Three – Get More Picks

Acquiring competitive-balance picks might be another option. The Brewers have given up picks to get players, and should consider making a deal to clear space for Black or other prospects (Quero, etc.). If that can be done, the Crew could add one or two more prospects. It also could be a way to address the roster crush as players continue to come off the injured list and re-join the parent club. 

Overview

The Brewers come into the 2023 MLB draft with a number of needs. How they fill them could determine how they perform in 2026 and beyond. The success–or the lack thereof–in 2017-2020 has shown up in recent Brewers teams. But successful drafts can lead to success.

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[wiguy94]

You should absolutely never draft by need in the MLB draft. Always draft the best player available that fits the team's signing bonus strategy. 

[patrickgpe]

17 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

You should absolutely never draft by need in the MLB draft. Always draft the best player available that fits the team's signing bonus strategy. 

in a vacuum I agree with you. I would imagine there is a small gap between best player available and best player available in a need area. Its no secret the brewers need help in the corner IF positions. I'm not saying they should reach for any player (unless its to go underslot), but if 2 players are similar in your evaluation, take the position of need. 

[SeaBass]

The Brewers seem to have a draft strategy of selecting position players that play premium positions up the middle. SS, 2B, CF. It makes sense, those type of guys can generally be moved to positions of need later or traded for a good return. However, I do miss the days of having that bopper at a corner spot, I'm sure it's mostly because those type of big bodied guys are few and far between quality wise and the really good ones go early.

[BrewerFan]

Drafting based on need is not a particularly good idea in any sport, but at least in the NFL, you or NBA, you're talking about players who are more likely to contribute to their teams in the next year or two.

In MLB, you're looking at ~3 years if you hit on a College prospect and 5 maybe 6 if it's a HS kid outside the rare stars in each.

There's been a pretty stark change in their drafting ideology the last several years. Better hit tools, athleticism...just stick with that. As soon as you start trying to find your next 1B, you're going to reach and for what? Projecting the 2028 lineup?

[Ro Mueller]

As far as pitching goes, I assume we’re basically done with spending serious draft capital on older (“advanced”) arms. Here are the pitchers we’ve drafted in the top 7 rounds or paid at least a $200k signing bonus to in the last 4 years, in order by age on draft day:

- Russell Smith - 22 ($1m) 
- Tyler Woessner - 22 ($97.5k) 
- Ethan Small - 22 ($1.8m)
- Nick Bennett - 21 ($242.4k) 
- Will Rudy - 21 ($150k) 
- Jacob Misiorowski - 20 ($2.35m) 
- Carlos F. Rodriguez - 19 ($250k) 
- Antoine Kelly - 19 ($1.025m)
- Logan Henderson - 19 ($495k)
- Quinton Low - 18 ($347.5k)
- Caren Vire - 17 ($497.5k)

[SF70]

Power bats & power arms please. 2 of each thru the first 4 rounds should do it.

[paul253]

I agree you don’t generally draft for need but you also can’t constantly ignore certain positions year after year like the Brewers have at 1B and 3B. We probably have one legit prospect combined at those two positions, and that’s only if you count Tyler Black as a 3B when he gets could just as easily be considered a 2B.