Brewers add a pair of proven college bats in middle rounds of 2025 MLB Draft

The MLB Draft used to be three days long, with the third day covering rounds 11-20. However, this season, MLB decided to combine days two and three into one 17-round day. It makes for a hectic day for MLB front offices who used to have an entire night to regroup and reevaluate their position before round 11, but are now forced to have late-round strategy in place as the second day commences.

After taking a pitcher in five straight selections, spanning from the second round to the fifth (and including a compensation pick), the Milwaukee Brewers selected their third position player of the draft in the sixth round. The selection, shortstop Daniel Dickinson out of LSU, was followed by another position player in the seventh round: Boston College outfielder Josiah Ragsdale. Let's take a closer look at each of these two college bats and how they performed for their respective schools this past spring.

Sixth round: 2B/SS Daniel Dickinson (No. 185 overall pick) - Louisiana State University

Beginning his career as a walk-on at Utah Valley University, Dickinson has had to prove himself at nearly every stage of his baseball career. After doing just that, with two first-team all-WAC seasons that included numerous school records and a career OPS north of 1.000, Dickinson earned a spot on LSU's baseball team, where he played his final collegiate season this spring.

As the starting second baseman for the Tigers' College World Series-winning squad this season, Dickinson showcased his above-average hit tool, slashing .315/.458/.525 with 12 HR and 14 doubles. Despite being drafted as a shortstop, Dickinson will likely end up at second base, where his average arm strength and range aren't as much of a concern, as explained by MLB Pipeline.

Questions exist about how Dickinson's game will translate to the professional level, as the 21-year-old out of Kennewick HS in Washington struggled in the Cape Cod League a summer ago. The Cape Cod League, in which players use wood bats, is a summer league for the best college players and generally serves as a strong indicator of how successful a player will be at the professional level. In 2024, playing for the Harwich Mariners, Dickinson slashed just .205/.350/.253 with only three extra-base hits in 24 games.

That said, Dickinson has displayed consistent power throughout his college career and could get by on his hit tool alone. He could move somewhat quickly through the Brewers farm system after acquiring experience against some of the best college talent in the country this past season, but if he does so, it will almost certainly be as a second baseman given the Brewers’ crowded shortstop picture in their minor league system.

Seventh round: OF Josiah Ragsdale (No. 215 overall pick) - Boston College

The Brewers have had past success drafting outfielders out of Boston College, so why not try it again? In 2021, Milwaukee drafted outfielder Sal Frelick in the first round, and just four years later, Frelick is already a Gold Glover and a mainstay in the big-league lineup. This morning, Matt Arnold and company drafted Josiah Ragsdale out of Frelick's alma mater with the 215th overall pick in the seventh round.

Isaiah Burrows of Perfect Game called Ragsdale a "near 70-grade runner" in a scouting report he conducted last December. While speed is largely considered his best tool, Ragsdale is more than just an elite runner. After starting his college career with two seasons at Iona, Ragsdale transferred to Boston College for the 2025 season, where he encountered better pitching. However, Ragsdale didn't skip a beat at the plate, posting an impressive slash line of .319/.418/.498 with 30 stolen bases for the Eagles this past spring.

Additionally, Ragsdale played in the Cape Cod League this summer and showed an ability to maintain his production despite hitting against even better competition with a wood bat. He slashed .373/.467/.451 in 16 games for the Brewster Whitecaps.

At 21 years old, Ragsdale has a chance to move quickly through the Brewers farm system, especially considering the lack of upper-level minor league depth that Milwaukee will have after this season, with many of their options becoming minor league free agents at season's end.

As the afternoon turns into early evening, the Brewers still have 10 picks, and therefore 10 opportunities to add some intriguing talent to their farm system, before the end of the day. As things stand, they should have some money to perhaps sign one or two players above slot value, but in the later rounds the question of whether or not those players will sign with the organization that drafts them becomes more common.