Brewers 2021 MLB Mock Draft Roundup 2.0: A Trend Emerges

We’re just over two weeks away from the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The Milwaukee Brewers have the 15th overall pick in the first round.

Here at Reviewing the Brew, we’ve been profiling several possible first round selection candidates. There are a number of different scenarios that could play out with the first round of the Draft, and we’ll take a second look at who the Draft experts at various sites think the Brewers will take to follow up our Mock Draft Roundup 1.0.

Who do Mock Drafts have the Brewers picking in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft?

Prospects Live (June 8th)

Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Ole Miss

Despite undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this season, Hoglund is still a consensus first round pick, although he’s fallen a little bit from the Top 10, where he was initially projected to go. That kind of fall could drop a Top 10 talent right into the laps of the Brewers at 15.

We’ve taken a more in-depth look at Hoglund already and he could be a great value pick.

Prospects Live had a 2 round mock, and they also had Ole Miss RHP Doug Nikhazy going to the Crew in the Comp A round and then South Alabama OF Ethan Wilson to Milwaukee in the 2nd round.

Keith Law, The Athletic (June 24th)

Harry Ford, C, North Cobb (GA) HS

This would be an interesting choice for the Brewers. Stocked full of catching prospects already, the Brewers haven’t shied away from early picks on backstops in recent years, especially high school catchers. Back in 2016, they spent early picks on Mario Feliciano and Payton Henry, both of whom are now in Triple-A.

With Feliciano, Henry, Nick Kahle, Zavier Warren, and Jeferson Quero already in the catching pipeline, they’re not hurting for catchers.

But you don’t draft for need in the MLB Draft. You take the best player available, and that very well could be Ford.

Ford can run, which is unusual for a catcher, but he also has a very good bat and could be used at different positions around the field to make full use of his bat and his speed.

Fangraphs (June 14th)

Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State

A popular choice in recent weeks, Jordan Wicks is firmly in the conversation for the Brewers at 15 overall. He’s in the second tier of college arms, along with Ty Madden, Gunnar Hoglund, and Sam Bachman. The first tier is Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter.

Wicks is the only one of either of these tiers that’s left-handed, which only adds to his value at this point in the draft.

We’ve also taken an in-depth look at Wicks as a Brewers draft target.

ESPN (June 18th)

Harry Ford

Another mock draft with Harry Ford going to the Crew. The Brewers have several catching prospects, but none were first rounders so perhaps they would want a higher ceiling among the group.

Ford could end up playing a number of different positions besides catcher, but the Brewers have shown to be willing to work with young catchers behind the plate, depending on their development staff to turn them into defensive studs.

Jim Callis, MLB Pipeline (June 23rd)

Jordan Wicks

Callis states in his mock that the Brewers are focusing on the second tier of college talent, both bats and arms. All of the bats have been gone to this point in most mocks, but Wicks and some of the pitchers have generally been on the board.

Callis also states that if all the second tier college players are gone, the Brewers could look to a Gunnar Hoglund or Harry Ford. The two other names we’ve seen to this point in our Mock Draft roundup.

CBS Sports (June 11th)

Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest

Here’s a different name. Ryan Cusick has been rising up draft boards recently after a strong season with Wake Forest and a blazing fastball.

Cusick’s been clocked at 102 MPH before and sits in the mid-upper 90s. He also has a nasty curveball. His two other pitches, a slider and changeup, lag a little bit behind. His control needs work, but there’s a lot of interesting traits to develop and work with in Cusick’s 6’6″, 235 pound frame.

He’s a big, hard thrower that the Brewers might need to teach how to be a complete pitcher, but their pitching development program has been extremely successful recently.

The mock drafts don’t have as much variability in this roundup, which could be a sign things are settling in with the draft board.