Brewers 2021 MLB Mock Draft Roundup 3.0: Very Little Consensus

The 2021 MLB Draft is finally about to begin. Who do the experts have the Milwaukee Brewers selecting in the first round?

There’s no shortage of mock drafts this time of year, with the Draft beginning on Sunday night. The Brewers have the 15th overall selection, right in the middle of the first round. It’s been a while since our last mock draft roundup and things have changed a little since then.

Who do the mock drafts have the Brewers selecting in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft?

Prospects Live 

Will Bednar, RHP, Mississippi State

The Brewers have been prolific at developing right-handed arms over the past few years, so the reluctancy to draft any of them really surprises us. There was a time where Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta were all deemed potential relievers. Those days are gone and all three are front-of-the-rotation talents. With such roaring success, Milwaukee should target pitchers with riding fastballs and a dynamic breaking ball. That’s Bednar to a T. A show-time performer, Bednar is a changeup away from being a dynamic rotation piece at the next level. Should Milwaukee land him at 15, there’s a pretty reasonable chance he’s pitching behind their three-headed monster as early as 2023. – Prospects Live

The Brewers pitching pipeline needs a little replenishing, and the College World Series Most Outstanding Player, Will Bednar, would be an excellent choice.

Baseball America

Matt McLain, SS, UCLA

We’re in the range where the board should open up pretty quickly, and the Brewers have been consistently hard to pin down to a specific player. That’s partially due to the fact that most teams in this range are dealing with a very large group of players thanks to the uncertainty at the top of this year’s class. – Baseball America

Why not go back to UCLA and take another Bruin? Garrett Mitchell seems to be working out pretty well. Bringing in his former teammate in McLain would make tons of sense and you can never have enough shortstops.

ESPN

Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State

Wicks has some similarities with Ethan Small, a recent Brewers first-round pick. This is also a pretty open mix, with Hoglund, Will Bednar, Jay Allen, Madden, Harry Ford and Cowser all mentioned. – Kiley McDaniel

Wicks has been a popular name to the Brewers in mock drafts, and as the clear best LHP in this draft, it makes sense. Brewers fans certainly can’t complain about adding the best lefty in the class with the consensus best changeup in the draft as well.

This is the first time we’ve seen Jay Allen’s name connected with the Brewers at all this draft season. He’s a high school outfielder with some swing and miss concerns. If a team believes in his bat, he could go first round, but 15 overall would be a reach.

The Athletic

Harry Ford, C, North Cobb (GA) HS

This name has come up a few times with the Brewers already, as they’ve scouted him heavily and seem to buy into his bat, even with questions about his ultimate position. – Keith Law

All the conversation around Harry Ford is around his bat and his unusual speed from the catcher position. He should hit for a good average and has some decent power, which would make him extremely valuable behind the plate, but he’s athletic enough to fit almost anywhere else in the field.

If the Brewers do take Ford, trying to send him out behind the plate would probably be the worst thing they could do. The team that drafts Fords wants the bat and wants it to move quickly. High school catchers don’t move quickly up the system.

The Score

Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston

If the Phillies draft Montgomery like many are predicting, the Brewers might wind up with the top outfielder in this year’s draft at No. 15. If Cowser is gone, look for the Brewers to shift to Plan B and draft pitcher Jordan Wicks or catcher Harry Ford.

Colton Cowser might have one of the best hit tools in this draft, and the Brewers love their sweet swinging outfielders.

Sporting News

Will Bednar, RHP, Mississippi State

Bednar did his draft stock plenty of good by helping propel the Bulldogs to a College World Series win. The Brewers have been linked to other college talents like Cowser, Frelick, Kansas State lefty Jordan Wicks and Miami (Ohio) right-hander Sam Bachman, but here they’re grabbing the fast-rising Bednar, who offers them a polished right-hander with an explosive repertoire with three plus or better pitches.

Another mock with the Bednar selection.

Fangraphs

Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State

Like San Francisco, Milwaukee is believed to be lining up the second tier of college arms. This could be the floor for Hoglund. If their board gets blown up by a run on college pitching, then they might cut a deep deal with a college bat like ECU’s Connor Norby or Trey Sweeney of Eastern Illinois. Sweeney’s name is getting peppered throughout the rest of the first round starting here.

Another report the Brewers are looking at pitching and another selection of the best LHP in the class. These are the first mentions of Connor Norby or Trey Sweeney to the Brewers at 15, but that seems an extreme scenario only and they’re more likely to go around the Comp A round.

If Wicks/Bednar/Madden are all gone by 15, they mention Gunnar Hoglund as a possibility.

FanSided MLB

Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Ole Miss

Hoglund has great command and his stuff could tick up if the Brewers pitching development staff gets their hands on him. He’s a near lock to remain in the rotation and when he does start pitching in games again, he could move quickly through the farm system.

Speaking of Gunnar Hoglund, in our FanSided MLB Mock Draft, Reviewing the Brew selected Hoglund to the Brewers because the trio of Wicks/Bednar/Madden had gone off the board already.

Which mock draft will be right? We’ll find out Sunday night.