It might be time for the Brewers to give up on this former first-round pick

Baseball is a game full of unpredictability, and that extends to the MLB Draft, where even first-round picks are far from guaranteed success. The Milwaukee Brewers currently have three of their own recent first-round selections contributing at the major league level: Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell (currently sidelined with an injury). Still, like many teams, the Brewers have also seen their share of early picks who didn’t quite live up to expectations.

The Brewers have had mixed results with recent first-round picks. Corey Ray, taken fifth overall in 2016, never panned out. Keston Hiura, the ninth pick in 2017, had a brief flash of success before fading. Ethan Small, the 2019 selection, struggled to make an impact at the MLB level. And now, it appears the shine may be wearing off 2022 first-rounder Eric Brown Jr. as well.

It might be time for the Milwaukee Brewers to give up on former first-round pick Eric Brown Jr

Injuries have plagued Brown Jr.'s professional career from the start. Within his first year in the organization, he dealt with a hip injury, a head injury from a hit-by-pitch, and fractures to both his right thumb and left scapula. Despite managing to play 105 games the following season, he was sidelined for a large chunk of this year, missing action from April 24 to August 12 due to an undisclosed injury.

When healthy, Eric Brown Jr.’s athleticism stands out as one of the key reasons the Brewers selected him 27th overall out of Coastal Carolina. He’s shown great range, an exceptional glove, and an incredible throwing arm, with the tools to stick at shortstop long-term. However, with other shortstop prospects like Cooper Pratt rising through the system, Brown has recently shifted to playing more second base, taking a bit of a back seat in the organizational depth chart.

On the bases, Brown Jr. makes full use of his speed, stealing 19 bases in just 27 games in 2022, swiping 39 bags the following year, and adding 20 more in 2024. The challenge, however, has been getting on base consistently. He owns a career batting average of just .216 and a .311 on-base percentage, numbers that limit his ability to fully capitalize on his standout speed.

With shortstop prospects Jesús Made and Luis Peña quickly approaching Double-A, Brown Jr.’s time as one of the Brewers’ top infield prospects may already be fading. His speed and defensive ability give him a solid floor, but until he makes meaningful strides at the plate, it’s tough to justify giving him playing time over others who are performing at a higher level across the board.

It will be interesting to see how the Brewers handle Brown Jr. moving forward. Since players don’t qualify for minor league free agency until reaching six years of service time, his options are somewhat limited. Finding a trade partner could be challenging given his struggles at the plate, but with other prospects emerging, the organization may soon face a tough decision about whether to clear space for others to continue their development.