Milwaukee Brewers: Top performing 2017 draft picks

Dylan File

Finally, the lone pitcher makes his appearance. The Milwaukee Brewers 21st round selection showed glimpses of promise during his time with the Helena Brewers. File appeared in 12 games, starting seven of them, walking away with a 4.02 ERA. That is pretty impressive from a guy who just last year was playing for a Division II college in Utah.

While the 34 strikeouts in 47 innings isn’t going to blow anyone away, it is worth mentioning he only walked 13 batters. The young righty displayed some excellent command of the strike zone to open up his career.

The hope is that File will only get better with time. He put together a solid first season while adjusting to the new level, but the key is to keep improving. He is certainly worth keeping an eye on moving forward.

Brent Diaz

Another catcher who is performing with the bat. This is a good sign. Diaz is the Milwaukee Brewers 29th round selection out of Louisiana Tech. After a shaky performance with the Helena Brewers, he found himself playing in the Arizona rookie league by the end of the season.

In Helena, Diaz put together a season where he hit .267. He went through a stint where he only hit safely three times in 21 at bats. Following that, he found himself demoted. That possible was the best thing for him at the time.

The young backstop hit .368 in Arizona. His bat came alive. If he can continue to mature as a hitter, he can find that success at higher levels. The interesting tool that is presented by Diaz is his speed. Though his four steals may not seem like a lot, for a catcher he has some wheels. And he is smart about it. He was only thrown out once all year.

Kenny Corey

The Milwaukee Brewers 36th round selection is listed a second baseman on his player profile. However, the draft list more accurately lists him as a utility player. During his lone season with the organization, he has seen time at second base, third base, shortstop, left field, and center field. All with a fair degree of success.

While a guy picked so late may not come with a large degree of excitement, his .371 batting average in Arizona is certainly worth noting. He even found success to the tune of a .286 batting average with Helena, along with walking 24 times across both leagues.

For such a late pick, he is showing some kind of talent so far. Again, it is only one year. But it is good to see him finding a groove so quickly.

Next: Who will replace Jimmy Nelson?

There is a reason he was there in the 36th round, and that could surface as he moves through the minors. But late round pick does not mean he can’t blossom into a professional hitter. His defensive flexibility is a huge plus.