Complete Breakdown of Brewers' 2026 Day 1 draft picks

Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft is in the books, and despite the Milwaukee Brewers not having as much early-round draft capital as fans have grown accustomed to in recent years, the front office is off to a strong start with their first four selections.

Milwaukee will add 16 more players to their 2026 draft class tomorrow as rounds 5-20 take place starting at 10:30 a.m. CT. The MLB Draft is unique in that the later rounds can mean just as much as the early rounds because teams like the Brewers will save bonus pool money on their early-round selections and use those spare funds to sign more intriguing prospects in the later rounds of the draft.

However, before the Day 2 marathon of the MLB Draft kicks off tomorrow morning, let's first take a more detailed look at the four selections that the Brewers made on Day 1.

Complete breakdown of the Milwaukee Brewers' first four selections of the 2026 MLB Draft

Round 1 (25th overall pick) -- SS Trey Ebel, Corona HS (CA)

With their first-round selection in the 2026 MLB Draft, theBrewers selected high school shortstop Trey Ebel out of Corona HS in Corona, California. A season ago, three players from Corona HS made history as they were each selected in the first 32 picks of the MLB Draft, and one of them was Trey's brother Brady, who the Brewers selected with their compensatory pick that they earned for losing Willy Adames to free agency after extending him the qualifying offer. That's right, for the second consecutive year, the Brewers have selected an Ebel brother, and there's a good reason they did so.

The Brewers love prospects who have a unique work ethic, baseball IQ, and dedication towards improving themselves as baseball players. Both Brady and Trey, who are the sons of Los Angeles Dodgers' third-base coach Dino Ebel, certainly have those attributes. Neither will blow scouts away with their athleticism or power, but they both have high floors as baseball players brought on by their knowledge of their game and their dedication to success.

However, to limit Trey's, and Brady's for that matter, value to simply work ethic and baseball IQ is selling them short. After all, these are first-round caliber players. Trey, like his older brother, has excellent bat-to-ball skills, a strong glove in the infield, and a mature approach at the plate. However, unlike his brother, evaluators believe there's a bit more power that Trey can tap into, despite him being three inches shorter than Brady. Trey did hit nine homers in 31 games in his senior season at Corona, which is backed up by his above-average bat speed. In other words, Ebel is a high-floor player, whose ceiling is slightly higher than his older brother's.

With a normal development path, there's reason to believe Ebel would turn into an above-average defender at the major league level with serviceable offensive skills that still make him a valuable player overall. However, the Brewers are betting on Ebel using his strong work ethic to tap into his complete potential and be more than a league-average big-leaguer. Ebel is committed to Texas A&M, but it should take a signing bonus well below the $3.70 million value of the 25th pick to lure him away from college ball.

Round 2 (66th overall pick) -- OF Sawyer Strosnider, TCU

Many expected Sawyer Strosnider to be selected in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. The No. 22-ranked draft prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, was cited as a potential target for the Brewers in the first round, but much to the delight of Milwaukee, Strosnider fell to the second round. The 21-year-old outfielder played each of the last two seasons with TCU, and posted similar numbers in each campaign.

Spencer Strosnider college stats at TCU:

2025: 56 G, .350 AVG, .420 OBP, .650 SLG, 1.070 OPS, 11 HR, 51 RBI, 10 SB, 20 BB, 47 K

2026: 50 G, .273 AVG, .415 OBP, .590 SLG, 1.005 OPS, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 12 SB, 43 BB, 43 K

Strosnider's calling card is a unique blend of power and speed -- a coveted skillset in today's game. He has a smooth swing from the left side of the plate that led to impressive power numbers in college and earned him 60-grade power tool according to MLB Pipeline. With a 60-grade run tool as well, which shines through on the basepaths and in the outfield, where some believe he could play center field at the pro level, Strosnider is clearly an excellent athlete, and knows how to translate that athleticism to the baseball field.

Where concerns lie in Strosnider's profile, and the reason many believe he slipped to the second round, is his approach at the plate. The 6'2" lefty swings a lot, and as a result, chases plenty of pitches out of the zone. Though his strikeout numbers aren't too severe, it's an issue that Strosnider will need to rein in at the professional level while not sacrificing any of his power potential. Thankfully, he's landed in the right organization as the Brewers are one of the least aggressive organizations at the plate and try to instill this approach in their hitters throughout the minor leagues. With a more disciplined approach at the plate, Strosnider's struggles against left-handed pitching, which was another reason cited for his slip in the draft, should also decrease.

Overall, Strosnider is a unique athlete and one that the Brewers were lucky to acquire in the second round of the draft. It shouldn't take an over-slot deal to sign the college outfielder, but after expecting to go in the first round, a signing bonus pretty close to the $1.35 million value of the 66th pick feels about right.

Round 3 (102nd overall pick) -- OF Kyle Jones, University of Florida

The Brewers took a college outfielder with two consecutive picks, selecting 21-year-old outfielder Kyle Jones out of the University of Florida with their third-round selection. Jones, who spent the last two seasons at Florida, began his collegiate career as a standout at Stetson University, earning the Freshman of the Year Award in the Atlantic Sun Conference during his lone season with the "Hatters." During that freshman campaign, Jones slashed .355/.459/.476 with 15 doubles and 23 stolen bases in 62 games. Shoulder surgery limited him to just four games in his first season at Florida, but in 2026, he slashed .317/.418/.478 with 16 homers and 17 stolen bases in 58 games with the Gators.

Like Strosnider, and many other prospects in the Brewers' farm system, Jones is an excellent athlete -- one who possesses a 55-grade run tool. However, unlike Strosnider, the right-handed Jones doesn't possess much raw power. He hit just 11 total homers in 124 games in college, and earned a below-average grade of 40 for his power tool from MLB Pipeline. However, at 6'3" and already with solid gap-to-gap power, there's belief Jones could grow into more power throughout his career in the minor leagues.

Where Jones does excel is just about every other aspect of the game. He has strong bat-to-ball skills, as evidenced by his high batting average. He has a great understanding of the strikezone, as evidenced by the fact that he drew nearly as many walks (67) as strikeouts (72) in college, and he's a speedy baserunner who plays an excellent center field.

The Brewers love betting on "athletes" in the draft, and Jones certainly falls under that category. The former Gator should have plenty of value as a baserunner and a defender, and if more power develops at the plate, could turn into a legit five-tool player. Expect Jones to sign for an under-slot deal, giving the Brewers more flexibility in the later-round picks.

Round 4 (130th overall pick) -- RHP Julian Garcia, St. John Bosco HS (CA)

You may have noticed that up to this point all three of the Brewers' 2026 draft picks project to agree to under-slot signing bonuses, begging the question: where will the Brewers spend the money saved by selecting these three players? Fourth-round pick Julian Garcia will certainly command a signing bonus above the $585k value of the pick Milwaukee used to select him.

Garcia, who turned 18 years old in mid-April, was MLB Pipeline's No. 109-ranked prospect in the 2026 draft class, but that placement was hurt by the fact that the high schooler has already undergone Tommy John surgery. Garcia has the type of arsenal that could have landed him in the second or third round, did he not have the injury history tied to his name.

According to MLB Pipeline, Garcia has two plus pitches -- his mid-90s fastball that averages nearly 20 inches of ride, and his 12-6 curveball that has registered more than 3,000 rpm. However, he also has good feel for his changeup, which reduces concerns that he could end up as a reliever.

Garcia is a very interesting arm, who easily could have gone higher than the 133rd pick in this year's draft. The Brewers will almost certainly have to offer Garcia an above-slot signing bonus to keep him from honoring his college commitment to Long Beach State, but they should certainly have the funds, and then some, from their first three selections to do so.

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