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

The Milwaukee Brewers find themselves with the 18th overall selection in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. They also have a Competitive Balance Round A selection at 33rd overall, putting the Brewers in a great position to add elite talent to the organization.

Brewers scouting director Tod Johnson has been in charge of Milwaukee's draft for several years now. He's shown some tendencies with what he likes to draft when it comes to both hitters and pitchers.

Using Prospects Live's Mock Draft Simulator, I created a 5 round mock draft to see which players might be on the board for the Brewers and tried to identify players that fit Milwaukee's mold that they could select.

Round 1: The Brewers grab another college hitter

Round 1(18): SS Matt Shaw, Maryland

The Brewers have selected a college hitter with their first round pick for three years in a row and we're going to make it a fourth. Several quality high school hitters were on the board while the college demographic was largely run through, at least among the players that play up the middle, but Matt Shaw remained for Milwaukee to snatch.

Matt Shaw is above average with both his hit tool and his power, along with providing plus speed. He's one of the top pure hitters in this class and that's the primary tool the Brewers love to target. He's also athletic enough to stick at shortstop and can handle a variety of positions. Shaw walks more than he strikes out and steals a lot of bases, falling into a similar mold to the Crew's recent draft picks.

If Matt Shaw is on the board for the Brewers at 18, don't be surprised if he's the pick.

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.