Brewers Select Power-Hitting Catcher In Latest MLB Mock Draft

We’re just a few months away from the 2021 MLB Draft, which has been pushed back to early July this year to line up with the All-Star break. Who do the experts have the Brewers selecting in the first round in 2021?

The Brewers have the 15th overall pick in the Draft this year. They also have selections at 33 and 51 overall, giving them a couple of opportunities to add to an improving farm system.

Naturally, most of the focus for Brewers fans will be on who gets selected 15th overall. MLB Pipeline has just released their latest Mock Draft of the first 20 selections.

With the 15th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, MLB Pipeline has the Milwaukee Brewers selecting: C Adrian Del Castillo, Miami.

This would be a massive steal. One that could be on the level of the Garrett Mitchell selection last year.

Miami catcher Adrian del Castillo is a left-handed hitter that MLB Pipeline currently has as their 4th-best Draft prospect. Pipeline gives him a 60-grade hit tool, which is well above-average and 55-grade power. There are not many players in any draft that have that kind of offensive potential and there usually aren’t any left by the time you get to the 15th pick.

Here’s what Pipeline had to say about the Del Castillo selection.

"His numbers may be down a bit, but he still combines power and patience like few players can in this crop and he has a chance to catch."

So far this season for Miami, Del Castillo is hitting .303/.408/.462 with three home runs, 17 walks, and 15 strikeouts. That’s a down season for del Castillo.

Del Castillo isn’t a great defensive catcher at the moment, struggling with framing and receiving, but that won’t scare off the Brewers. They have shown a willingness to draft players at catcher despite their lackluster defensive skills and rely on their player development program to turn them into solid defensive catchers.

The Brewers have one of the best catching instructors in the game of baseball in Charlie Greene. Greene has orchestrated the immediate defensive turnaround of Omar Narvaez, making him one of the best framing catchers in baseball after being one of the worst the first few years of his career.

Also in recent years, the Brewers have drafted players with a great bat and a history of catching but with poor defense, and trying to develop them as catchers. 2020 3rd round pick Zavier Warren is the latest example, and 2019 5th round pick Thomas Dillard is another. Neither were primary catchers, but the Brewers are developing them that way and Greene is at the center of it.

The defensive concerns likely aren’t going to scare the Brewers off Del Castillo in the draft, especially considering his immense offensive upside.

The only concern about this mock draft selection of Del Castillo, is if he’ll actually be there for the Brewers to take. He has been in consideration as high as the No. 1 overall pick in earlier mock drafts. Catchers with his kind of offensive upside are extremely rare, so it’s unlikely he would fall to 15th in the draft. If he’s there, the Brewers should be running to the podium to make the selection.

The Brewers already have a strong pipeline of catching talent with Mario Feliciano, Payton Henry, Nick Kahle, Warren, Dillard, and Jeferson Quero. The MLB Draft is not about positional need, but about the best player available. If Del Castillo is there at 15 overall, he’s most likely going to be the best player available.

As we get closer to the 2021 MLB Draft, be sure to stay tuned to Reviewing the Brew as we’ll provide the best in Brewers Draft coverage.

Perhaps he’s fallen a bit down the board for some with his “down” season this spring, but there’s still a long way to go until the Draft.