Chicago Cubs Draft: Ranking the NL Central draft hauls

5. Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers benefited from the Orioles taking Heston Kjerstad taking with the second overall pick. That move created a ripple effect, allowing teams to get better talent one pick later. And that’s exactly what happened for the Brewers with Garrett Mitchell.

The UCLA product was a guy I wanted on the Cubs, but at least we’ll be able to see him at Wrigley North shortly. But seriously, he’s a toolsy outfielder with power, speed, and ability to make contact. This was an excellent choice for the Brewers.

But in the second round, they went with Freddy Zamora. He may have just been starting to tap into his power, but I’m not convinced that he’ll ever hit more than ten homers per year at the big league level. Last year, he hit .296 with 12 doubles while knocking in 46 runs and stealing 13 batters. He’s your classic slap hitter, but I’m not sure he’s a great fit for the Brewers here. He also didn’t play this year due to injury, so who knows how he returns from it.

In the third round, the Brewers addressed the catching situation, taking Central Michigan’s Zavier Warren. In 2019, he posted a 1.080 OPS with eight home runs and 70 RBI. He was off to a strong start this year, hitting .328 with two doubles, one home run, and nine RBI in 17 games. He’s proven himself in wood-bat leagues, and this one of their better picks.

I wasn’t a fan of the Joey Wiemer pick in the fourth round. He should have more power than he displayed. At 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, he hit just six last year while posting a .768 OPS. He stole 21 bags, which is impressive for a guy his size, but he’ll need to do more for the Brewers.