Brewers double down on Tennessee prospects with redundant 2025 first-round pick

A season ago, the Milwaukee Brewers selected slugging first baseman Blake Burke out of the University of Tennessee with the 34th overall pick. This year, they selected slugging first base prospect Andrew Fischer out of the University of Tennessee with the 20th overall pick. However, despite the redundancy, which doesn't stop with Burke, but rather extends to the rest of the Brewers' farm system that is chock-full with corner infield talent, Fischer is an exciting player and one who can flat-out hit.

Though technically drafted as a first and third baseman, Fischer played just five games at third base a season ago and profiles more as a first baseman, especially as he progresses through the upper levels of the minor leagues.

Defensive position aside, Fischer's bat is more than impressive. He started his college career at Duke University, where he set a freshman record for home runs in a single season. Fischer transferred to Ole Miss for his sophomore season and posted a head-turning slash line of .285/.397/.643 with 20 HR in 55 games.

Believe it or not, Fischer took an even bigger step forward in his third college season after transferring to Tennessee; he slashed .341/.497/.760 with 25 HR and 16 doubles. He also showed impressive plate discipline this past year with the Volunteers, walking 63 times and striking out just 42 times.

Milwaukee Brewers draft 1B/3B Andrew Fischer out of the University of Tennessee with first-round pick in 2025 MLB Draft

Fischer is an exciting baseball player, one that possesses 60-grade power (on a 20-80 scouting grade scale) due to a powerful left-handed swing. However, similar to his predecessor at Tennessee, Burke, Fischer is a more well-rounded hitter than he appears at first glance.

That said, Fischer isn't very "toolsy" outside of his bat — meaning he's not an above-average runner or defender. As such, more pressure is put on Fischer's bat as he's unlikely to add much value elsewhere in his game.

The Brewers have a ton of corner infield talent in the farm system, including Burke, Luke Adams, Tyler Black, Eric Bitonti, Mike Boeve, and Brock Wilken. Even still, adding a player like Fischer to the farm system is a good move by Matt Arnold and the Brewers' front office, as he provides a developed college bat with high upside to an organization that is in desperate need of a long-term solution at first base (and third base for that matter).

Additionally, Fischer should sign a contract below slot value, meaning the Brewers will have money to spend on the rest of their draft picks tonight, which could mean some prep arms — a strategy that Matt Arnold and company have utilized in prior drafts.

Despite the redundancy, it's an exciting start to the draft for the Brewers, who add a proven bat that has had an incredible amount of success against some of the best arms in college baseball.