Brewers 5 Round Mock Draft: Finding Guys That Fit The Brewers Mold

Round CB-A: Brewers land a high-upside high school talent

Round CB-A(33): Kevin McGonigle, SS, Monsignor Bonner (PA)

This would almost be a dream scenario for Milwaukee if Kevin McGonigle is available for them at 33 overall. McGonigle receives plus grades for his hit tool and is regarded as one of the elite pure hitters in the high school class this year.

McGonigle has great bat speed, an advanced approach, and doesn't strike out much.

MLB Pipeline had this to say about McGonigle in their report on him:

McGonigle, who also won a gold medal on USA Baseball’s 18u team, might be one of the best pure hitters in the class, at least in terms of bat-to-ball skills. He’s not afraid to be aggressive and attack fastballs early in counts, trusting his innate knack for finding the barrel and his overall approach to not chase pitches out of the zone. If there’s any question about his offensive profile, it’s about his future power, but he showed plenty of extra-base, and over-the-fence, pop to all fields against excellent competition over the summer.

With his natural feel for hit and ability to stick up the middle, even if he needs to move to second base, McGonigle is sure to excite the Brewers scouts if he's on the board at 33 overall.

Round 2: Brewers add to their pitching ranks

Round 2(54): Tanner Witt, RHP, Texas

The Brewers tend to stay away from pitchers in the first round, but they do like to target them in the second round and beyond. Tanner Witt is a first round talent that they can potentially select in the second and he checks a lot of the boxes Milwaukee likes.

Tanner Witt has the prototypical starting pitcher size at 6'5" and 225 pounds. He sits in the mid 90s and can run his fastball up to 97 MPH with plenty of movement and pairs it well with a nasty curveball. Witt has an advanced feel for spin, which is an important box to check for the Brewers. He also has an above average changeup and a solid slider.

Witt's incredibly athletic and he has a clean delivery. He did just return from Tommy John surgery and has only made a few appearances since returning last month, but he's healthy and ready to go and the Brewers have not shied away from pitchers that underwent TJS in the past.

Witt can spin the ball, he's athletic, and doesn't have any big red flags. It's exactly the type of profile Milwaukee likes in a pitcher and the value is excellent if they can nab him in the 2nd round.

Round 3: Brewers stock up on more outfield depth

Round 3(87): Ethan O'Donnell, OF, Virginia

The Brewers love themselves a good college outfielder and Ethan O'Donnell is one of the best remaining on the board to begin the 2nd day of the Draft in this mock.

O'Donnell is a hit over power type that has shown a further improved hit tool this year and the athleticism to stick in centerfield. He has the ability to hit to all fields and burgeoning power. He's a great athlete and his speed has ticked up of late, which will likely put him even more on the Brewers radar.

Round 4: The Brewers love themselves a Junior College pitcher

Round 4(119): Christian Oppor, LHP, Gulf Coast State JC

Every year the Brewers select one or more of the top Junior College pitchers in the Draft and this year will likely be no different. While there's no one in the JuCo crop that will push into the top 2 rounds like Jacob Misiorowski did last year, the Brewers do have a history of taking JuCo arms in the 4th round with Aaron Ashby (2018) and Logan Henderson (2021). I have them continuing that trend in 2023.

On top of being a JuCo arm, Christian Oppor is a Wisconsin native as well, hailing from Columbus HS near Madison. Oppor is incredibly athletic, which the Brewers tend to love, and while he's raw on the mound, there's a lot of talent there they can mold and have shown to be quite good at molding. His fastball sits mid-90s and he can reach back for 98 MPH.

A big, athletic JuCo arm that hails from Wisconsin seems like a great play in the 4th round for the Brewers.

Round 5: Brewers Keep It In The Family

Round 5(155): Gavin Grahovac, OF/C, Villa Park (CA)

The Brewers have selected at least one player from each of their Area Code Games rosters in every Draft since 2005. It stands to reason that trend will continue and it could continue with Gavin Grahovac.

Potentially a tough sign as a high school hitter in the 5th round that may benefit from some college development, what could entice him to sign and what could entice the Brewers to select him is that Grahovac is Garrett Mitchell's cousin. Milwaukee's Opening Day centerfielder isn't the only big time athlete in his family and the genes are clearly good, so why not go back to that well?

Grahovac does break from the Brewers mold slightly in that he's a power-over-hit profile at the moment. But in the 5th round you can afford to take some risks like that and take different types of players. Joey Wiemer has always been a power-over-hit type. They were willing to take a risk on his potential in the 4th round, while they likely wouldn't take someone with that profile in the 1st round.