Nephew of Brewers' coach lands with White Sox after selection in 2026 MLB Draft

The Milwaukee Brewers selected high school shortstop Trey Ebel with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft just moments ago. However, on the board at the time of the Brewers' first-round pick was high school infielder/catcher Cole Prosek, who many linked to Milwaukee for a few reasons.

Prosek, who was the 27th-ranked draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, is the nephew of Brewers' third-base coach Matt Erickson, and has spent time around the team in recent weeks. Additionally, Prosek attended Magnolia Heights high school in Senatobia, MS, which is the same high school that Brewers' shortstop Cooper Pratt attended before he was drafted by the Brewers back in 2023.

The 19-year-old Prosek was one of the best high school bats available in the 2026 MLB Draft, with a quick left-handed swing that many prospect evaluators believe will lead to plus power at the major league level. He is the opposite of Brewers' first-round pick Ebel, who already has developed a refined offensive approach during his high school career. Prosek is more of a free-swinger, but his quick bat speed suggests that his ceiling could be higher than Ebel's.

The Brewers ultimately passed on Prosek at the 25th pick, but the high schooler didn't last long on the draft board. With the 41st pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Chicago White Sox drafted Prosek, adding him to a draft class that already includes No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky and Hall of Famer Jim Thome's son Landon Thome.

White Sox select Matt Erickson's nephew Cole Prosek, who was rumored to be a Brewers' draft target, with 41st pick in 2026 MLB Draft

Prosek is likely to command a higher signing bonus than Ebel, which could certainly be a contributing factor to the Brewers' electing to draft the latter in the first round of this year's draft. The Brewers have fewer draft picks than normal this year, and therefore less bonus pool money to work with, meaning that, if they want to follow their typical draft strategy of signing over-slot high school pitchers in the latter rounds of the draft, they needed to draft an under-slot player with their first-round selection.

Ebel is certainly a very "Brewersy" pick, as he not only brings high baseball IQ and strong defensive skills, but also possesses the work ethic that Milwaukee targets in their draft picks. The brother of 2025 Brewers draft pick, Brady Ebel, Trey is certainly set up for success in the Brewers' farm system. However, Prosek, who had multiple connections to the Brewers' organization, could end up making Milwaukee regret passing on him with the 25th overall pick in this year's draft.

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