Two Top 10 Brewers Draft Picks Among "Best Value" According to MLB Pipeline

One of the fun things about the MLB Draft is looking back and analyzing it after the dust has settled. Who had the best draft? The worst? What were the biggest surprises? Who will be the fastest to the majors?

For the good people over at MLB Pipeline, their question was who got the "best value" in each of the first 10 rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo took a look at each round and picked one selection that felt like more of a bargain than the rest.

The Brewers ended up selecting four infielders and seven pitchers in the first 10 rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft. And in the opinion of Callis and Mayo, two of them were very good choices for the round in which they were selected.

These two Top 10 2023 Brewers draft picks were considered by MLB Pipeline to be the "best value" in the round they were selected.

#1 Brewers "best value" pick: 3rd rounder Eric Bitonti, 3B/SS, Aquinas (CA) HS

After going against recent trends and taking a high school pitcher with their Competitive Balance A pick, the Brewers dipped into the high school ranks again when they selected 3B/SS Eric Bitonti with the 87th overall pick in the 3rd round. MLB Pipeline saw that as the best value pick out of that round.

Pipeline had Bitonti rated as the 68th best prospect on the board in their final pre-draft rankings, so grabbing him at No. 87 is a great get. Based on the size, power, and athleticism, there's a lot to like with the pick.

"Six-foot-four, left-handed-hitting infielder, a ton of raw power, very athletic. I doubt he plays shortstop in the long run -- although he occasionally showed very good body control there -- I think he moves over to third base, but I like what the Brewers did with some of their high-end high schoolers. … For the third round, the upside and the ceiling was considerable."

Jonathan Mayo

#2 Brewers "best value" pick: 6th rounder - Cooper Pratt, SS, Magnolia Heights (MS) HS

As good as the Bitonti pick was, they may have done even better when they selected another high school hitter in Cooper Pratt in the 6th round. He was ranked No. 45 in Pipeline's pre-draft ranking, so it's amazing that Milwaukee was able to get him with the 182nd overall pick.

Pratt has the potential to be a five-tool player, which is rare to get in such a late round. Callis and Mayo compare him to a right-handed Gunnar Henderson, the extremely talented Orioles prospect, which is high praise. Callis even goes so far as to say:

"I’m calling it right now -- that’s the steal of the Draft. Cooper Pratt will be in the Futures Game in a couple of years."

Jim Callis

Having this type of praise come out of a draft feels a little out of the ordinary as Brewers fans. Hopefully that's a sign of a positive future for this team.