James Zumstein

After around a dozen games played, the OPS leader in the MLB Draft League is Carlos Sanchez, a catcher from Maracaibo, Venezuela, Jackson Chourio's hometown. I looked up some info on him and he was conference player of the year this past season at LSU-Shreveport, where he hit .388 with an 1.167 OPS and also was successful on 37 of 41 SB attempts. Listed as a utility player in college, he could be an interesting target.

Going down late in the year with arm fatigue has definitely caused him to lose a little shine and brought him down into our range. He was almost guaranteed to be gone by #25 if he had stayed healthy, but now he could likely be available, if we were so inclined.

We took Ethan Small at #28 in 2019. I think we'd all like to forget that happened. 😉

I had forgotten that. Thanks for catching it!

While Brick has a lot of qualities the Brewers look for, right-handed hitting HS catchers have probably the lowest success rate of any position in the draft historically. Add in the fact that he would demand slot or higher, I think the risk is greater than the reward. I completely agree with you about needing some fresh blood behind the dish, but guys like Brick and Sean Dunlap, who I was high on earlier, are just too risky IMHO. There are still several HS catchers I feel the Brewers could be looking at, like Dylan Kassab, Kendall Hagedorn, or Maddux Lessard, that fit our profile and would be cheaper and therefore less of a risk. Lots of good college catchers that are possibilities too. Garrett Wright, Robbie Lavey, and Cashel Dugger will all be 21.0 or younger on draft day and are really solid prospects. Even Brady Neal, Alabama's catcher, will only be 21.9 as a SR, so could be a great bargain.

I've mentioned him before as being a possibility, but that was just a "he fits the profile and we have a connection," not having any inside info. If we did, it wouldn't shock me. He's worked out with Turang in the past and played for the Brewers Scout team, for what that's worth. Also remember that his brother signed last year for under slot so that could be something to watch for. Exciting possibility.

I'm really liking the idea of Marchand at #25. I was calling for college arms early, but as things have fluctuated recently, it looks like the guys I would have targeted are either climbing the boards and will likely be gone or, like Reddemann and Carlon, have had some injuries recently and might not be worth the risk at this time. Marchand's game just seems like it fits the Brewers very well. Plus, fun fact, he goes to the same high school that Gorman Thomas went to.

I was checking out some of the Midwest-based HS seniors that I felt could be targets in July and found that Brimfield, IL 3B/OF Kaeden Schatsiek has an 1.843 OPS with 14 HR through his first 83 ABs this season. At 6'4, 215 lbs. and committed to Illinois State, he has well above average bat speed and arm strength, also pitching for his team and hitting 94 with his fastball. He also doesn't turn 18 until next month, another trait the Brewers love. Could be a real hidden gem in the later rounds that would likely be very signable.

I couldn't agree more. I've been waiting for them to use a first-rounder on a corner OF, preferably a RF with a strong arm, for a while, but it never materializes. And looking at the likely top players when we pick at #25, I wouldn't anticipate it this year either. Those of us who really analyze the Brewers drafts and their "type" of player will see there aren't a lot of advanced college hitters that fit that profile this year, especially at the picks we will be selecting. That's why I'm becoming more and more convinced that we break our streak of hitters and go college arms early, including the first round. Which means that is unlikely to happen and we still take a college bat.

I've been scouring scouting reports, etc. for months now of both high school and college players, and I am wholly convinced that the player that most perfectly fits the Brewers profile is Notre Dame RHP Jack Radel. A cold-weather arm (originally from Sioux Falls, SD) at 6' 5", 250 lbs., and he averages almost seven feet of extension, something the Brewers look for in starting pitchers. They also don't mind pitchers who are a little older and Radel will turn 22 two months after the draft. Going into the season, he was expected to go somewhere around the third round, but after throwing a complete game shutout over #19 Clemson on Friday, he's now 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA with a 44/6 K/BB ratio. He would be a solid choice for us at #66, if still available.

There are three players from the Brewers 2026 MLB Scout Team that I think could all be possible targets. SS Trey Ebel, brother of 2025 pick Brady Ebel, will be a few months shy of his 18th birthday come July and is a premiere defensive infielder with good speed and a solid all-around offensive profile. Would likely require an early pick and large bonus to sign him away from his Texas A & M commitment. Florida RHP Ryan Walls will be turning 18 in July, and while not a hard thrower (FB max around 90), he's 6'3 and spins it well, and is known as a guy who knows how to get outs. Could be a target in 11-20 to try to sign away from his Ole Miss commitment. OF and Southern Miss commit Henry Abt could be another possible target in the second half of the draft. Like Walls, he turns 18 in July, fitting the Brewers preferred profile. He features above average bat and foot speed, great bat-to-ball skills, and has a strong enough arm to play all three OF spots. Another well-rounded player that would fit in with the organization quite well.

Luckily we have a ton of depth throughout the system, so maybe we go after one or two big-time prospects at the top and have the rest of the picks be "value" picks. You know, like we used to do 30 years ago. 🙄

I respectfully disagree with your opinion of his defense at a corner OF position. He's played over 2,100 innings in RF in the majors and has a positive DRS and Total Zone rating, including being neutral in 69 games in RF this year. It was the Angels poor decision to try him in CF that made him look like a terrible fielder.

I'd be interested to see if something could be worked out with the Angels for Jo Adell. 37 HR last year, and only made $2.1M in first year of arby. If we included Mitchell to replace him in CF (moving Adell to RF and Frelick to CF for the Brewers), along with DL Hall and Tobias Myers, I think that's a possible win-win for both clubs.

I think a lot of true baseball fans also appreciate that two of the final four teams still alive have never won a championship, and a third hasn't won one in over 30 years. Seeing new teams finally get their chance after a lot of suffering is great for the sport.