The Final Milwaukee Brewers 2022 Mock Draft Roundup
By Paul Bretl
The 2022 MLB Draft is just about here, with the first round taking place on Sunday. So that means it is time for one last look at who several draft analysts have the Milwaukee Brewers selecting with their 27th overall pick.
In previous years, the Brewers have favored offense in the first round –specifically, college bats who play an up-the-middle defensive position — with Ethan Small in 2019 being the only pitcher taken in Round 1 of the last eight drafts.
Given the Brewers’ ability to develop pitchers, along with where the strength of this draft is and, of course, the need for more high upside hitters throughout the organization, my guess is that is the route Milwaukee takes once again.
The previous editions of my Mock Draft Roundups have reflected this as well, with a majority of the Brewers’ first-round selections going towards a positional player rather than a pitcher.
With that said, at the end of the day, it’s all about taking who the best available player is.
It’s now time for one last look at who the Milwaukee Brewers are selecting in some of the latest 2022 MLB Mock Drafts.
Mike Axisa – CBS Sports
Pick 27: Jacob Melton, OF, Oregon State
"“Like many others, the Brewers are an analytics model team on draft day, but the most model-friendly prospects (Chase DeLauter, Cooper Hjerpe, Spencer Jones) are off the board in our mock draft. Melton doesn’t have DeLauter’s or Jones’ raw pop, but he has strong contact rates and some believe he’s a swing tweak away from really discovering his power stroke.”"
Melton has 424 career plate appearances with the Beavers and a slash line of .364/.428/.660 with 23 home runs, 34 extra-base hits, 29 stolen bases, and 86 strikeouts to 41 walks. This past season is where 17 of his career home runs, 26 of his extra-base hits, and 21 of his stolen bases occurred.
Jonathan Mayo – MLB.com
Pick 27: Jackson Ferris, LHP, IMG Academy (FL)
"“There’s still a lot of talk about college hitters here, with Thompson or Graham a possibility — or they could look to cut a deal. But I’ll go off the board here and go the high school lefty route with Ferris, whom the Brewers like if the price is right.”"
According to MLB.com’s scouting report of Ferris, he has a low-to-mid 90s fastball, a curveball in the mid-70s that will fall off a table, and he has “excellent feel” for his change-up, which he throws in the mid-80s. He has an overall grade of 55.
Edward Sutelan – Sporting News
Pick 27: Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison
"“Chase DeLauter’s numbers at James Madison are inflated by a stretch against inferior competition, but he has plenty of upside, with the chance for plus skills across the board. The analytics behind his numbers, however, appeal more to how the Brewers scout for the draft, which makes them a solid bet to take him in the first round.”"
DeLauter is a very popular selection for the Milwaukee Brewers in these mock drafts — read more on him here — as he very much fits the mold of the type of player that they covet. This past season with James Madison, DeLauter slashed .437/.576/.828 in 118 plate appearances. He would hit eight home runs, log nine extra-base hits, and draw 28 walks to 21 strikeouts. He also had a .986 OPS in the Cape Cod League in 2021.
Joel Reuter – Bleacher Report
Pick 27: Drew Gilbert, OF, Tennessee
"“Gilbert raised his OPS a whopping 350 points this spring, hitting .362/.455/.673 with 36 extra-base hits and more walks (33) than strikeouts (32) as one of the breakout players of the college season. He is a clean fit in center field defensively, and his bat speed gives him some sneaky power potential despite an unassuming 5’9″, 185-pound frame.”"
Like DeLauter, Gilbert is another popular selection for the Brewers by draft analysts. With nearly 600 collegiate plate appearances, Gilbert posted a .314 average with a .935 OPS–including an OPS of 1.128 this past season. He would also log 22 career home runs, 41 extra-base hits, 16 stolen bases, and 55 walks to 78 swings and misses.
Kiley McDaniel – ESPN ($$)
Pick 27: Jacob Melton, OF, Oregon State
"“I think the Brew Crew will clean up what’s left of this tier of college bats with plenty of prospects left who seem to fit their type. Melton, Chase DeLauter, Dalton Rushing, Brock Jones and Eric Brown all seem to fit the bill. He doesn’t go in this mock, but prep C Brady Neal could be a target here or with the Brewers’ next pick to keep him from going to LSU.”"
Another mock draft with Melton going to the Crew. Among the college bats, there seems to be a consensus four of five players that draft analysts believe will end up as Brewers if available.
Matt Johnson – Sportsnaut
Pick 27: Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Oregon State
"“The Milwaukee Brewers always know how to draft-and-develop pitching, but the organizational depth is getting a bit thin. Cooper Hjerpe won’t blow anyone away with his fastball, but he checks a lot of other boxes Milwaukee likes. This would be a great landing spot for Hjerpe’s long-term outlook and would offer him the highest chance of becoming a mid-rotation starter.”"
Although offense has dominated these mock drafts for the Milwaukee Brewers, when a draft analyst does have them taking a pitcher, Cooper Hjerpe has been a popular pick. In 103.1 innings this past season, Hjerpe logged a 2.53 ERA, allowing just three home runs with 161 strikeouts to only 23 walks.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference