Grading the Brewers' first 5 picks from the 2024 MLB Draft

Starting in 2021, MLB decided to hold the MLB Draft on All-Star Weekend, giving fans an additional event to tune in to while their favorite teams are on a much-needed break. As such, the MLB Draft will begin this Sunday, June 13 at 5:00 p.m. CT and will continue on Monday, June 14. Rounds 1-3, including the compensatory rounds, will be held on the first day, and the remaining rounds, 4-20, will take place throughout the second day.

A year ago, the Milwaukee Brewers made 22 selections in the 2024 MLB Draft, highlighted by a high school bat with their first overall selection, a proven college slugger with their second, and then a pair of intriguing high school arms. Let's take a look at how these 2024 draft picks are doing one year into their professional careers.

1. Braylon Payne (No. 17 overall pick)

The Brewers selected Payne with the 17th overall selection in the first round of last year's draft. A speedy outfielder out of Elkins High School in Missouri City, TX, Payne wasn't on many people's radars in terms of first-round talent. He signed well below slot value, which allowed the Brewers to allocate money elsewhere — but more on that later. Following his decision to sign with the organization, he was assigned to the Brewers Low-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats, and played four impressive games with them down the stretch in 2024.

This season has been an up-and-down one for the 18-year-old Payne. After getting off to a hot start with a .823 OPS in April, Payne hit a rough patch in May and June. His batting average plummeted to .231, and his slugging percentage dipped down to .364.

However, in July, as pointed out by prospect expert Spencer Michaelis of BrewerFanatic.com, Payne has made some changes to his stance, and he's seeing big results. In July alone, the Brewers' 2024 first-round pick is slashing .455/.586/.773 and has his season slugging percentage back up to .410.

Still just 18 years old, there's a lot of development still left to go for Payne, but his raw tools are exciting, and the fact that he's holding his own against Low-A pitching at such a young age is encouraging.

Grade: B

2. Blake Burke (No. 34 overall pick)

Burke was taken in the Competitive Balance Round A of last year's draft, with a pick that the Brewers acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in the Corbin Burnes trade. Burke set all kinds of records at the University of Tennessee, including most HRs as a freshman, and the longest hitting streak in school history, while helping the team to a College World Series win just a couple of weeks before being drafted. Burke was assigned to High-A after signing with the Brewers, and has remained there to this day.

The 6'3", 230-pound first baseman has been on an absolute tear in 2025. Though his home run total might look low, his power has still been on full display — all you have to do is listen to one of Burke's home runs to know that he has plus-plus power potential. However, what's been really exciting to see is Burke's versatility at the plate.

Not only is he walking at a high clip, as evidenced by his .399 OBP, but he's flat-out hitting, and hitting the ball to all fields. His .311 batting average ranks third in the Midwest League, and he's paired it with solid defense at first base and opportunistic base-running, stealing 10 bases in 14 attempts.

Burke looks like the real deal. With years of college experience under his belt, and a signing bonus well under slot value, the Brewers' second selection in last year's draft is looking like a great one.

Grade: A

3. Bryce Meccage (No. 57 overall pick)

With their true second-round selection, the Brewers took high school pitcher Bryce Meccage out of Pennington High School in Pennington, NJ. Standing at 6'4" with a fastball that touched 95 mph in high school, there was a lot to like about Meccage's profile, and it was going to take a lot to pry him away from his commitment to the University of Virginia. In the end, Meccage earned a signing bonus nearly $1 million higher than his pick's slot value, and signed with Milwaukee, who assigned him to Low-A Carolina to start the 2025 season.

This season, Meccage has started 14 games for the Carolina Mudcats, going 0-3 with a 4.65 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He's walked 24 batters and struck out 49 in 50.1 innings of work. Despite his pedestrian numbers, Meccage has continued to climb the Brewers' prospect rankings because of his strong fastball and his above-average slider.

There's certainly still some work to be done, as Meccage still needs to hone in his command and add a more effective changeup to his arsenal, as pointed out by MLB Pipeline. Even still, despite the high signing bonus, this looks like another savvy selection from the Brewers' front office.

Grade: B+

4. Jaron Deberry (No. 93 overall pick)

It should first be noted that DeBerry was not technically the Brewers' fourth overall selection in last year's draft. The team selected high school pitcher Chris Levonas with the 67th overall pick, but Levonas decided to honor his commitment to Wake Forest and forego his offer from the Brewers. As such, DeBerry is the fourth Brewers draft pick from last year's draft who signed with the organization.

Taken out of Dallas Baptist College, DeBerry was not a highly touted draft prospect, but rather a high upside selection who the Brewers could save some money on when it came to his signing bonus. After signing for just $25K, DeBerry was assigned to the Low-A Carolina to start the 2025 season, but he earned a promotion to High-A Wisconsin after just three starts with the Mudcats.

For the Mudcats, he started three games and threw 8.2 innings, posting a 1.04 ERA to go along with a 1.04 WHIP and 13 strikeouts. In eight starts for the Timber Rattlers, he has thrown 36 innings and has a 4.25 ERA to go along with a 1.25 WHIP and 38 strikeouts.

Navigating the MLB Draft is a delicate balance between selecting the best possible player and allocating the bonus pool money most effectively. For more on bonus pool money and how the financials of the MLB Draft work, here is a great article from Baseball America.

Therefore, while DeBerry's profile and his performance on the field might suggest a grade in the "B" range, what his signing bonus allowed the Brewers to do in the rest of the draft offers value beyond what he does on the mound. Additionally, for just a $25K signing bonus, DeBerry looks like an intriguing arm who could continue to rise quickly through the Brewers' farm system.

Grade: A-

5. Marco Dinges (No. 123 overall pick)

In the fourth round of last year's draft, the Brewers selected catcher Marco Dinges out of Florida State University. Dinges’ path through college baseball was one filled with toughness and resilience as the now 21-year-old overcame a rare life-threatening illness. That toughness has translated to the diamond, where the Brewers' fourth-round pick currently looks like one of the steals of the draft.

Dinges began the season with the Carolina Mudcats in Low-A, but after slashing a ridiculous .353/.500/.576 in 26 games, he was promoted to High-A, where he joined the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Since his promotion, Dinges has started 32 games and has a .302 BA, an OPS of .864, and six homers to go along with 25 RBI.

Additionally, Dinges has been excellent behind the dish defensively, something that wasn't a sure thing when the Brewers selected him last year. After signing below slot value in fourth round, Dinges has made the Brewers front office look really good with his performance this season.

Grade: A

There you have it. Only "A's" and "B's" for the Brewers' front office in the first four rounds of last year's draft. It truly was an incredible draft for the Brewers in 2024, and that's without signing Levonas, who looked like one of the team's best picks. The way that the front office navigated their bonus money while still adding exciting prospects throughout the first few rounds was masterful, and to this point, those selections have proven to be more than just exciting prospects — they look like clear-cut future big leaguers.