Brewer Fanatic 2025 MLB Mock Draft 1.0: One High-School Athlete, One College Slugger

[Jamie Cameron]

Image courtesy of © Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s mock draft season! Over the next two weeks in the buildup to the draft, we’ll be rolling out at least two mock drafts, covering the first round and the first batch of competitive-balance picks. For each of these, we’re doing our best to read the tea leaves and make picks based on the talent available at a particular slot, and considering each organization's drafting tendencies. Feel free to jump into the comments with disagreements and other preferred picks.

1. Nationals: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
All the buzz here seems to be between Anderson and Ethan Holliday. If the LSU southpaw doesn’t go number one, surely, he won’t get past three.

2. Angels: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
Fast-moving college players is the Angels' trend until it isn’t, and we'll project them to take such players until they don't.

3. Mariners: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Arnold is a quality arm for a system that’s become bat-dominant. The Mariners are outstanding at developing arms.

4. Rockies: Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater HS, OK
This appears to be the floor for Holliday. The organization for which his dad became a household name won't let him slide any further.

5. Cardinals: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS, MS
If the board unfolds like this, the Cardinals will get their pick of a strong cluster of prep shortstops. Parker has a chance to be the best offensive profile of the bunch.

6. Pirates: Eli Willits, SS, Fort-Cobb Broxton HS, OK
Willits has been steady on boards all spring. This would be a good get at six overall. (And yes, he's the son of former big-league outfielder Reggie Willits.)

7. Marlins: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS, CA
The Marlins would be thrilled to have Hernandez here. They have consistently developed pitching talent well.

8. Blue Jays: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS, CA
The Blue Jays are in an interesting spot. There are plenty of good options here. It would be hard to pass on Aiva Arquette, the consensus top college bat available. Toronto has been linked heavily to the prep shortstop group, though. Carlson is the best defensive shortstop in the draft. There’s potential for good impact with the bat, too.

9. Reds: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
Arquette is currently ranked sixth, by consensus. The Reds would be thrilled with this outcome. He’s a physical hitter who should be able to move relatively quickly, despite some refinement needed in the hit tool.

10. White Sox: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
Witherspoon is the consensus college starting pitcher number four. He shouldn’t last long outside the top 10, even if he slips past Chicago.

11. Athletics: Ike Irish, C, Auburn
The Athletics have found success with college bats recently (Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz), Irish is one of the strongest college hit/power combos in a class lacking them.

12. Rangers: Kayson Cunningham, Johnson HS, TX
Cunningham might have the best hit tool on the prep side (along with Parker), to go with plus speed.

13. Giants: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
Houston is shortstop 1-B to Billy Carlson’s 1-A. He’s a lock to stick at that spot, with a good approach and hit tool, despite (generously) fringy power.

14. Rays: Josh Hammond, SS, Wesleyan Academy, NC
Hammond is an outstanding athlete who made tremendous strides with the bat this spring.

15. Red Sox: Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee
Kilen ratcheted up the power with Tennessee, to go with the great hit tool. He should have plenty of suitors in the teens. There are a number of other college bats who could make sense here, including Brendan Summerhill and Wehiwa Aloy.

16. Twins: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
The Twins are well-known for successfully developing mid-to-late college arms into viable MLB options. What if the starting ball of clay was more interesting? Bremner was a consensus top-five prospect coming into this season. It’s a metrically appealing fastball, an above-average slider, and a plus changeup. There’s work to do on the command, but he finished strong. The ceiling is a playoff-caliber starter.

17. Cubs: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
Wood’s surge this postseason is reminiscent of Cade Horton’s in 2022. Wood punctuated a strong stretch run with a 19-strikeout no-hitter in the College World Series. This is around his range. The Cubs system is bat-heavy, and Wood has an outlandish fastball shape on which to build.

18. Diamondbacks: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS, AL
Hall has some of the best speed and athleticism in the entire class. This might be the low end of his range.

19. Orioles: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
The Orioles won’t be put off by the aggression in Aloy’s approach. This feels like the lower end of his range, but he’s a good fit in Baltimore.

20. Brewers: Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oaks HS, CA
Fien is one of the least talked-about first-round prep profiles, and one of my favorites. He hit everything and everyone last summer. While his early spring was a little uneven, he turned it around down the stretch. He has a chance to be one of the better hit/power combos in this draft class. There’s a good chance he’s taken in the mid-teens. (No, he's not the son of ex-pitcher Casey Fien.)

21. Astros: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest
The Astros love strong athletic traits. Conrad missed time due to injury but was mashing after transferring from Marist.

22. Braves: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama
Quick is a good fit here for the Braves, who often lean toward arms in their usual late first-round range.

23. Royals: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS, OR
The Royals are a pitching organization, now. Schoolcraft has plenty of buzz here to land with them.

24. Tigers: Slater De Brun, OF, Summit HS, OR
Another steam pick here. De Brun is a table-setter type with good strength, outstanding speed and an excellent hit tool.

25. Padres: Brady Ebel, SS, Corona HS, CA
What’s the safest bet in the draft? That the Padres will take a prep player with their first pick. Ebel has a sweet left-handed swing with plenty of projection to grow into a solid hit/power combo. There’s a good defensive infield skill set at play here, too.

26. Phillies: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon HS, WA
Neyens is another profile that has been less talked up this spring. It’s power to rival that of Ethan Holliday.

27. Guardians: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
Summerhill’s range likely starts in the teens. This feels low, and this is great value for the Guardians at 27.

Prospect Promotion Incentive Picks

28. Royals: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS, GA
One of the smoothest defensive profiles at short in this class, but there’s legitimate offensive upside, too.

Compensation Picks
29. Diamondbacks: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
Bodine had a tremendous postseason. It’s a plus hit tool and outstanding receiving skills as a catcher.

30. Orioles: Jace Laviolette, OF, Texas A&M
The preseason consensus number-one player finds a home here. He feels like an ideal candidate for an organization with two or three picks in the top 40.f

31. Orioles: Sean Gamble, SS/OF, IMG Academy, FL
A left-handed hitting power/speed threat with the type of athleticism that could lend itself to the infield or outfield long-term.

32. Brewers: Andrew Fischer, 1B/3B, Tennessee
Fischer feels a little under-ranked to me. He has a patient approach, a track record with wooden bats, and just put up a .760 SLG in the SEC. This offensive profile will play anywhere. He’s a first round-caliber talent, and this represents good value. It would be a nice counterbalance to the Fien pick earlier in the round for the Brewers.

Competitive Balance Round A

33. Red Sox: Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
The Red Sox brain trust has invested in their pitching infrastructure recently. Forbes is a high-octane arm who could develop into a monster with the right development behind him. It’s ace-caliber arm talent that’s a little rough around the edges.

34. Tigers: Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
A ready-made diverse arsenal and a track record of performance in the SEC represent good value for a farm system stacked with talent.

35. Mariners: Cam Appenzeller, Glenwood HS, IL
The Mariners have money to spend in this draft. Appenzeller is one of the best prep pitchability arms in this draft class.

36. Twins: Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
The Twins WILL get their bats in the first few rounds, and Taylor has been a tremendous college performer. It’s not a spectacular profile in terms of speed and defense but he mashes. He had a 169 wRC+ with 18 home runs in 2025. That was buoyed by a 19.3 BB% and a measly 11.2 K%. This is a fast-moving, high-floor college outfield bat.

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[Harold Hutchison]

I'd like the Crew to get Schoolcraft at 20. From what I've read, he seems like a left-handed Misiorowski, and the Crew does very well at developing pitchers.

[patrickgpe]

As someone who has said for years they need to address corner IF early in the draft, I'm good with this. I know they have some guys progressing through but this gives more darts to throw at the dartboard. 

[Spencer Michaelis]

Would be very happy with Fien, though it would hurt my heart to pass on Forbes at 32 (and especially if the Red Sox used the old Brewers pick to take him at 33)

[Harold Hutchison]

27 minutes ago, Spencer Michaelis said:

Would be very happy with Fien, though it would hurt my heart to pass on Forbes at 32 (and especially if the Red Sox used the old Brewers pick to take him at 33)

I'd rather get a left-handed Misiorowski. The good news is Schoolcraft appears to have a smoother delivery and more control.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/kruz-schoolcraft-828244

If he's at 20, he'd be my pick, and it's a no-brainer.

[Jake McKibbin]

4 minutes ago, Harold Hutchison said:

I'd rather get a left-handed Misiorowski. The good news is Schoolcraft appears to have a smoother delivery and more control.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/kruz-schoolcraft-828244

If he's at 20, he'd be my pick, and it's a no-brainer.

It's probably a lot to term anyone as a left handed Jacob Misiorowski given his recent starts, but there is upside there. Schoolcraft has a big frame and a big fastball but Misiorowski is more than just that. A unqiue release point, feel for spin and outrageous arm speed are borderline impossible to replicate

Schoolcraft has the velocity but doesn't have much feel to create that rising effect and I think personally that's a red flag. Apparently the slider has good bite so there's maybe a chance he can work on that fastball shape but it won't be linear and is a risky and, likely, costly first pick. Certainly not a no-brainer for me, but the upside is there and if the Brewers took him you know they'd have a plan ready and waiting.

It seems that the 15-30 list is really up in the air with a lot of preference built in. I think we might see more than a couple of currently projected teen ranked players available at the 20th pick

Also Fien's bat is pretty highly rated but the high hands MLB.com mentioned worries me just a tad on how that will profile against higher velocities.

Given the plethora of corner IF bats the Brewers have I wonder if they'll look to athleticism and to work on the bat from there in t draft. Daniel Pierce/Steele Hall could be interesting and in play on that note

[Spencer Michaelis]

24 minutes ago, Harold Hutchison said:

I'd rather get a left-handed Misiorowski. The good news is Schoolcraft appears to have a smoother delivery and more control.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/kruz-schoolcraft-828244

If he's at 20, he'd be my pick, and it's a no-brainer.

9 minutes ago, Jake McKibbin said:

It's probably a lot to term anyone as a left handed Jacob Misiorowski given his recent starts, but there is upside there. Schoolcraft has a big frame and a big fastball but Misiorowski is more than just that. A unqiue release point, feel for spin and outrageous arm speed are borderline impossible to replicate

Schoolcraft has the velocity but doesn't have much feel to create that rising effect and I think personally that's a red flag. Apparently the slider has good bite so there's maybe a chance he can work on that fastball shape but it won't be linear and is a risky and, likely, costly first pick. Certainly not a no-brainer for me, but the upside is there and if the Brewers took him you know they'd have a plan ready and waiting.

It seems that the 15-30 list is really up in the air with a lot of preference built in. I think we might see more than a couple of currently projected teen ranked players available at the 20th pick

Also Fien's bat is pretty highly rated but the high hands MLB.com mentioned worries me just a tad on how that will profile against higher velocities.

Given the plethora of corner IF bats the Brewers have I wonder if they'll look to athleticism and to work on the bat from there in t draft. Daniel Pierce/Steele Hall could be interesting and in play on that note

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree with Jake here. I don't really think there's much similarity between Miz and Schoolcraft. Schoolcraft's best secondary is a changeup/split and his breaker is a sweeping, upper-70s pitch. Not to mention, Miz's fastball has otherworldly characteristics that you're pretty unlikely to find again.

That said, I still like Schoolcraft, and I'd have no issue with the pick. Just don't really see a Miz comp.

[Turning2]

It's not rocket science. Draft big framed guys who have shown they have power and contact skills relative to their level, and who can put on muscle. Enough with the small, fast, defense first guys with little to no power. That recipe has not worked and will not work. You have to find a balance between the two. You have to have 5 guys capable of reaching 20+ HRs (because all of them probably won't at the same time due to injury, down year or whatever). 

[James Zumstein]

While these wouldn't be the two players I would necessarily take in that situation, I'd be more than happy to have them both join the organization.  I definitely like going bats with the first 2-3 picks as we traditionally don't draft pitchers in the first round very often.  We are probably the best org out there at getting great pitching value in later rounds, so don't fix what ain't broken.

[eklinka]

On 7/1/2025 at 8:56 AM, Jake McKibbin said:

It's probably a lot to term anyone as a left handed Jacob Misiorowski given his recent starts, but there is upside there. Schoolcraft has a big frame and a big fastball but Misiorowski is more than just that. A unqiue release point, feel for spin and outrageous arm speed are borderline impossible to replicate

Schoolcraft has the velocity but doesn't have much feel to create that rising effect and I think personally that's a red flag. Apparently the slider has good bite so there's maybe a chance he can work on that fastball shape but it won't be linear and is a risky and, likely, costly first pick. Certainly not a no-brainer for me, but the upside is there and if the Brewers took him you know they'd have a plan ready and waiting.

It seems that the 15-30 list is really up in the air with a lot of preference built in. I think we might see more than a couple of currently projected teen ranked players available at the 20th pick

Also Fien's bat is pretty highly rated but the high hands MLB.com mentioned worries me just a tad on how that will profile against higher velocities.

Given the plethora of corner IF bats the Brewers have I wonder if they'll look to athleticism and to work on the bat from there in t draft. Daniel Pierce/Steele Hall could be interesting and in play on that note

A lot of IF corners are up in AA and AAA and will be moving soon. I see Burke moving to AA this year and adams moving to AAA with wilkens following soon after he's back. If they draft middle IF i see them drafting college talent, if its corner IF i see them drafting out of HS. Xavier Neyens is a name on my list

[Brock Beauchamp]

36 minutes ago, eklinka said:

A lot of IF corners are up in AA and AAA and will be moving soon. I see Burke moving to AA this year and adams moving to AAA with wilkens following soon after he's back. If they draft middle IF i see them drafting college talent, if its corner IF i see them drafting out of HS. Xavier Neyens is a name on my list

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[Playing Catch]

23 hours ago, Turning2 said:

Enough with the small, fast, defense first guys with little to no power. That recipe has not worked and will not work.

?

I disagree with both points. One, that defense-first is a recipe that won't work, and your implication that the Brewers only draft those guys.

Clearly, the Brewers are in the business of winning on run prevention, so drafting with defense in mind is probably an effective organizational strategy.

And Wilken, Boeve, Adams, Bitonti, Burke, Dinges, and Adamczewski (among others) don't scream "defense-first."

[eklinka]

39 minutes ago, Playing Catch said:

?

I disagree with both points. One, that defense-first is a recipe that won't work, and your implication that the Brewers only draft those guys.

Clearly, the Brewers are in the business of winning on run prevention, so drafting with defense in mind is probably an effective organizational strategy.

And Wilken, Boeve, Adams, Bitonti, Burke, Dinges, and Adamczewski (among others) don't scream "defense-first."

I agree with what you're saying, but Dinges' defense does excite me. Pop times under 1.9 seconds, seen multiple back-picks this year, cannon for an arm. Plenty of stuff to work on, but his defensive ceiling seems really high to me.

[Turning2]

46 minutes ago, Playing Catch said:

?

I disagree with both points. One, that defense-first is a recipe that won't work, and your implication that the Brewers only draft those guys.

Clearly, the Brewers are in the business of winning on run prevention, so drafting with defense in mind is probably an effective organizational strategy.

And Wilken, Boeve, Adams, Bitonti, Burke, Dinges, and Adamczewski (among others) don't scream "defense-first."

But the point is, they aren't "winning" on run prevention. Winning lots of regular season games and division championships, yes.. but that is not the "winning" we're talking about. This franchise needs deep post season success and a WS championship. They need more thumpers to do that. 

Yes, the farm is currently loaded with some big guys (all but Dinges and Adamczewski) who may or may not pan out. Odds are some of them won't cut it at the big league level. So, I'm advocating to keep that pipeline of "big guys" pumping. Need power hitters on the corners both infield and outfield. They currently have a plethora of infielders of that size, so now they need to continue stocking the OF. Braylon Payne at 6'2" was a good start. And of course, you need high contact guys as well, so its a matter of balance as usual. 

[LouisEly]

On 7/1/2025 at 5:38 AM, Jamie Cameron said:

32. Brewers: Andrew Fischer, 1B/3B, Tennessee
Fischer feels a little under-ranked to me. He has a patient approach, a track record with wooden bats, and just put up a .760 SLG in the SEC. This offensive profile will play anywhere. He’s a first round-caliber talent, and this represents good value. It would be a nice counterbalance to the Fien pick earlier in the round for the Brewers.

Do you have his home/road splits?  IIRC, Tennessee has a short porch in the OF.

Field Information:

Capacity: 6,298

Surface: Field Turf with Traditional Dirt Mound

Dimensions: L-320, LC-360, C-390, RC-360, R-320

Fence Height: 10.5 feet

[Jamie Cameron]

14 hours ago, LouisEly said:

Do you have his home/road splits?  IIRC, Tennessee has a short porch in the OF.

Field Information:

Capacity: 6,298

Surface: Field Turf with Traditional Dirt Mound

Dimensions: L-320, LC-360, C-390, RC-360, R-320

Fence Height: 10.5 feet

I don't, and I appreciate that angle. He's played at three different schools in three years, though. He slugged at Duke as a freshman, Ole Miss as a Sophomore, and put up a .827 OPS on the Cape with wood. So despite the field, I think the power will play anywhere.

[MilwaukeeBeers]

Would be over the moon with Fien I have liked him a ton since early in the draft cycle. 

[MattK]

No love for Jaden Fauske? He seems like a Crew type pick, although possibly, with the LSU commit, may be an overslot guy in the 2nd round. Would guess Ginger has been working on him as a ILL high schooler. 

[James Zumstein]

18 hours ago, MattK said:

No love for Jaden Fauske? He seems like a Crew type pick, although possibly, with the LSU commit, may be an overslot guy in the 2nd round. Would guess Ginger has been working on him as a ILL high schooler. 

There's another Illinois HS catcher that I've been monitoring named Zach Bava that has a lot of similar stats (pop times, arm velo, max EV's, etc.) to Fauske, but would be a much easier sign.  Bava doesn't have the projection of Fauske, but could be available in rounds 11-20 for a fraction of the cost as an Illinois State recruit.

[snoogans8056]

5 hours ago, James Zumstein said:

There's another Illinois HS catcher that I've been monitoring named Zach Bava that has a lot of similar stats (pop times, arm velo, max EV's, etc.) to Fauske, but would be a much easier sign.  Bava doesn't have the projection of Fauske, but could be available in rounds 11-20 for a fraction of the cost as an Illinois State recruit.

In that same vein, Joshua Flores is a pitcher that touches 96 who went to the same school as Adamczewski and Griffin Tobias. Kentucky commit.