5 players Brewers could take with first-round pick
By Todd Welter
The Milwaukee Brewers could take this first baseman.
The Athletic’s Keith Law has the Brew Crew selecting Florida Atlantic first baseman Nolan Schanuel.
Schanuel is MLB Pipeline’s 26th-best prospect in the draft. He was the Conference USA Player of the Year last season. Schanuel has no trouble getting on base as he set a single-season C-USA record with a .615 on-base percentage.
The left-handed hitter’s career slash line for the Owls was .385/.516/.698. He hit .447 last season with a .868 slugging percentage. Those were the second-best numbers in the NCAA.
Schanuel smashed 46 home runs in three seasons for Florida Atlantic. Although, he projects to be more of a hit-for-average batter than a power hitter. The Brewers got a couple of good seasons out of Lyle Overbay in the 2000s with that hitter profile.
Monday is the FINAL DAY to vote for @NSchanuel to become a @USAGoldenSpikes finalist! Gather up all of your devices (phone, laptop, tablet etc.) and vote 25x a times day from each! #WinningInParadise #VoteNolan
— Florida Atlantic Baseball (@FAUBaseball) June 4, 2023
🔗: https://t.co/7pvnSNq7d0 pic.twitter.com/Y1wd902sQ5
He played a lot of first base, but scouts think he can play left or right field. Having the kind of positional versatility would make sense for the Brewers to consider taking him.
If Schanuel stays at first base permanently, he would be the first player at that position the Brewers have taken in the first round since 2007 when they selected Matt LaPorta–the main prospect the team traded for CC Sabathia in 2008.
A first baseman needs to rake to be taken with a first-round selection since the position has been devalued in the draft in recent years. Schanuel might be worth taking since the guy can hit and has a good approach at the plate.
The Milwaukee Brewers could take a third baseman out of Miami.
CBS Sports.com’s Mike Axisa thinks the Brewers will select Yohandy Morales out of Miami.
He is the 20th-best prospect on MLB Pipeline’s big board.
Morales is a former shortstop who moved over to third base. The guy can hit with some serious power. He might be the best power hitter in the draft.
He slugged 20 home runs for the Hurricanes last season and has belted 49 in his three seasons at Coral Gables.
Yohandy Morales 𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏’ like a Hurricane early with a 3-run blast for @CanesBaseball#NCAABaseball x 🎥 ESPNpic.twitter.com/nogtVQLkMj
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) March 3, 2023
He posted a .713 slugging percentage during his junior year and an insane 1.187 OPS. The Brewers’ front office likes hitters with a high OPS.
Morales is an aggressive swinger as evidenced by his 164 career strikeouts.
He also has a good arm at third.
https://twitter.com/NCAABaseball/status/1650193557569798151?s=20
He would probably make more sense than Schanuel because of his power-hitting profile. Plus, the Brewers could use their third baseman of the future in the organization.
Black could potentially play third, but he can also play second and the outfield. The Crew’s 26-man roster does not have a long-term solution at third.