Checking in on the Milwaukee Brewers' first five picks from the 2025 draft class

One year ago, the Milwaukee Brewers were a part of rare MLB Draft history, having five picks in the top 100 of the draft. They used that draft capital to grab 3B Andrew Fischer (No. 20), SS Brady Ebel (No. 32), LHP J.D. Thompson (No. 59), LHP Frank Cairone (No. 68), and RHP Jacob Morrison (No. 94).

Of those top five picks, all but Cairone have now made their professional debuts. Cairone hass yet to debut after being involved in a serious car accident over the winter and is still progressing back into baseball activities. However, the remainder are in action early on in the 2026 season and, for the most part, they are impressing.

Early returns on the top picks from Brewers' 2025 draft class suggest Milwaukee's draft strategy remains strong

1st Round Draft Pick: 3B Andrew Fischer (No. 20 overall)

After an incredible showing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, Andrew Fischer has put his power on full display early on this season, belting 14 home runs across 42 games for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He also has nine doubles, leading to an otherworldly .621 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.038. Great as this is, cutting down on his 33% strikeout rate will be an area of focus going forward.

Competitive Balance Round-A Pick: SS Brady Ebel (No. 32 overall)

Son of Los Angeles Dodgers' third-base coach Dino Ebel, Brady is picking things up at the plate after a slow start to the season for the Low-A Wilson Warbirds. The 18-year-old was recently named the Carolina League Player of the Week after a stretch of five games that included nine hits where five went for extra bases, he drove in seven, and also stole three bases. On the year, Ebel is now up to a .767 OPS and importantly has almost walked (37) as many times as he has struck out (41).

2nd Round Draft Pick: LHP J.D. Thompson (No. 59 overall)

After posting a 4.28 ERA across three seasons at Vanderbilt, J.D. Thompson worked his way into becoming a second-round pick last year and now enters the season ranked as the Brewers' No. 14 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Milwaukee was clearly intrigued by the left-hander’s command and deceptive delivery during his college career, but the early professional results have been somewhat mixed, as Thompson owns a 5.40 ERA through his first five starts in High-A spanning just 16.2 innings. However, his start to the year was delayed by a hamstring strain sustained during Spring Training, and hope remains high that Thompson's profile will eventually yield strong results in the Brewers' farm system.

Competitive Balance Round-B Pick: LHP Frank Cairone (No. 68 overall)

Stop me if you’ve heard this story before: the Brewers draft a tall pitcher with elite velocity for his age, impressive extension, and a high-spin fastball. Those are the exact traits Milwaukee has successfully bet on in the past, and they are part of what made Cairone so intriguing. However, it will take longer than usual before fans get their first extended look at him, as Cairone first had to relearn basic everyday movements after the car accident before even returning to baseball activities. As of mid-April, he had been cleared to resume baseball work and is currently rehabbing at the Brewers’ Arizona Complex as he continues progressing back toward game action.

3rd Round Draft Pick: RHP Jacob Morrison (No. 94 overall)

Following a breakout sophomore season at Coastal Carolina, Jacob Morrison finds himself back in the Carolinas to begin the 2026 season as a member of the Wilson Warbirds. Through his first four professional starts, Morrison has largely impressed, with his lone rough outing coming on May 24 when he surrendered four earned runs across 2.1 innings. Prior to that, he opened his pro career with back-to-back scoreless appearances and then followed with another strong outing in which he allowed just one earned run. The result is a 3.68 ERA through his first 11.2 innings of professional baseball.

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