Brewers' 2026 MLB Draft position may cause them to break from recent first-round strategy

For just the second time this decade, the Milwaukee Brewers will make their first-round draft selection at No. 25 or later. This year, their pick lands exactly on No. 25, making this their latest first-round selection since 2022 when they selected shortstop Eric Brown Jr. with the 27th pick.

Over this span, all six of the Brewers' first overall selections have been position players. This trend started with Garrett Mitchell in 2020 and was followed by Sal Frelick (2021), Brown Jr. (2022), Brock Wilken (2023), Braylon Payne (2024), and Andrew Fischer (2026).

This isn't to say that Milwaukee isn't selecting pitchers early in the draft, but it is worth noting that Josh Knoth, drafted 33rd overall in the Competitive Balance Round A in 2023, was the earliest drafted pitcher throughout this time frame. Furthermore, it has been since 2019 that the Brewers have taken a pitcher with their true first-round selection, when Ethan Small was drafted 28th overall.

All that said, could 2026 be the year Milwaukee bucks their trend of drafting a position player in the first round? It's certainly a possibility as at least four high-upside college arms are expected to be available when the Brewers are on the clock.

These four college arms could alter the Brewers' recent first-round draft strategy

1. RHP Tegan Kuhns - University of Tennessee

The Brewers have drafted a player out of Tennessee with one of their first two picks in each of the last two drafts, with Blake Burke going No. 34 in 2024 and Fischer going 20th overall last year. If Tennessee right-hander Tegan Kuhns, who currently checks in as MLB Pipeline's No. 24-ranked draft prospect, is available at No. 25, the Brewers could make it three years in a row in which they add a Volunteer to their organization. The 21-year-old Kuhns would still have some developing to do in the Brewers' farm system, but he has several intangibles that Milwaukee should be intrigued by, and his potential is that of a top-of-the-rotation starter.

At 6'3", Kuhns spins the ball very well and has peaked at 98 mph on his fastball. Between his heater and curveball, he was a big strikeout arm in the SEC, punching out 106 over 81.0 innings this year. However, Kuhns has yet to establish a go-to third pitch and struggled with command issues at times due to some unnecessary movement in his delivery. The Brewers have had success dialing in these issues with others, namely Jacob Misiorowski, and the reward of working through the changes with Kuhns seems well worth it.

2. LHP Cole Carlon - Arizona State University

Earlier this month, MLB.com projected left-hander Cole Carlon to be the fifth southpaw off the board in this year's draft. The Arizona State product has a ton of swing and miss potential, evidenced by a 133 strikeouts over 83.2 innings this year, equating to a 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. The 6'5" lefty already has an established four-pitch mix, highlighted by a fastball that can reach 98 MPH at times, but generally lives in the mid-90s.

Carlon pairs his fastball with a versatile upper-80s slider that often acts more like a slider. An average curveball-changeup combination rounds out his arsenal. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Carlon's profile is his athleticism. The Brewers have been known to bet on "athletes" in the past, generally when it comes to position players, as those types of players typically have more success in the development process. Carlon will certainly need a bit more development in the Brewers' farm system, but the tools are there for him to become an effective big-league starter in the right organization.

3. RHP Cade Townsend - University of Mississippi

Sophomore Cade Townsend has had some inconsistencies throughout his young career, evidenced by an ERA of 4.78 throughout his college career. However, that aggregate ERA is heavily influenced by a poor freshman campaign, and Townsend lowered his ERA significantly during his sophomore year, going from 6.35 to 3.94 while posting stretches where he looked nearly unhittable. For instance, in back-to-back starts this April against LSU and Tennessee, he threw 12.0 innings, gave up seven hits, and struck out 15. Notably, his start against Tennessee was a one-hitter across six shutout innings.

MLB Pipeline's rankings have Townsend as the No. 27 player in this year's draft, as does Baseball America. Contrarily, Kiley McDaniel at ESPN has him at No. 16. It's easy to see why he is getting top 20 attention, so it will be interesting to see if he's available when the Brewers are on the clock with the 25th pick. With a serviceable mid-90s fastball and three above-average secondary offerings, Townsend holds very little reliever risk and could fly through the minor leagues.

4. RHP Logan Reddemann - UCLA

Logan Reddemann has made one of the biggest jumps in draft rankings this year. After starting his collegiate career at the University of San Diego, Reddemann was UCLA's Friday night starter this year and didn't disappoint. Through 10 starts, he posted a 2.87 ERA while averaging 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

What is most impressive about Reddemann is his ability to throw strikes. He's walked just 11 batters over 59.2 innings this year, while increasing his velocity from a season ago, up to 95-96 MPH with his sinker. Paired with a sinker is a changeup, cutter, and sweeper, giving him an arsenal that should stick as a starter in the professional ranks. Another reason to be encouraged by Reddemann is that he already showed impressive development throughout his collegiate career, signaling a receptiveness to and an ability to implement feedback, which is necessary to eventually become an effective big-league arm.

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