List of Milwaukee Brewers first-round draft picks

The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They play in the National League Central division. Established in Seattle, Washington, as the Seattle Pilots in 1969,[1] the team became the Milwaukee Brewers after relocating to Milwaukee in 1970.[2] The franchise played in the American League until 1998, when it moved to the National League in conjunction with a major league realignment.[3] Since the institution of MLB's Rule 4 draft, the Brewers have selected 69 players in the first round.[4] Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[5] the Rule 4 draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur clubs to its franchises. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.[5] In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks.[6]

A man in a navy blue baseball jersey with "Brewers" written across the chest
Robin Yount (1973) is one of two Brewers first-round picks to be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Of the 69 players picked in the first round by Milwaukee, 28 have been pitchers, the most of any position; 18 of these were right-handed, while 10 were left-handed. Fourteen outfielders, 13 shortstops, 5 third basemen, 3 first basemen, 3 catchers, and 3 second basemen were also taken.[4] Fifteen of the players came from high schools or universities in the state of California, and Florida follows with ten players.

Two Brewers first-round picks have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Robin Yount (1973) was inducted in 1999 and Paul Molitor (1977) in 2004.[7][8] The Brewers have retired Yount's jersey number 19 and Molitor's jersey number 4.[9] Yount was named the American League Most Valuable Player in 1982 and 1989.[7] Ryan Braun (2005) won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2007.[10]

The Brewers have made 17 supplemental selections and have made one first overall selection in the draft.[4] Three of these have been compensatory picks.[4] These additional selections are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the prior off-season,[6][11][A] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[12] They have made five Competitive Balance picks.[4] Since 2013, these selections have been granted to the 10 lowest-revenue clubs and the clubs from the 10 smallest markets and are made between the first and second rounds.[15] The Brewers have failed to sign four of their first-round picks: Bill Bordley (1976),[16] Alex Fernandez (1988),[17] Kenny Henderson (1991),[18] and Dylan Covey (2010).[19]

Key

YearEach year links to an article about that year's Major League Baseball draft.
PositionIndicates the secondary/collegiate position at which the player was drafted, rather than the professional position the player may have gone on to play
PickIndicates the number of the pick
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
*Player did not sign with the Brewers
§Indicates a supplemental pick

Picks

Paul Molitor (1977) is one of two Brewers first-round picks to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dion James was the Brewers' first-round pick in 1980.
Dan Plesac was the Brewers' first-round pick in 1983.
Gary Sheffield (1986) is one of ten Brewers first-round picks to come from high schools or universities in Florida.
Ben Sheets (1999) is 1 of 17 right-handed pitchers selected by the Brewers in the first round.
Prince Fielder (2002) led the National League with 50 home runs in 2007.[20]
Rickie Weeks (2003) was the first second baseman selected by the Brewers in the first round.
Ryan Braun (2005) is the only Brewers first-round pick to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
Jeremy Jeffress was the Brewers' first-round pick in 2006.
YearNamePositionSchool (location)PickRef.
1968No first-round pick[a][21]
1969Gorman ThomasShortstopJames Island High School
(Charleston, South Carolina)
21[23]
1970Darrell PorterCatcherSoutheast High School
(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
4[24]
1971Tommy BiancoShortstopSewanhaka High School
(Elmont, New York)
3[25]
1972Dan ThomasFirst basemanSouthern Illinois University Carbondale
(Carbondale, Illinois)
6[26]
1973Robin YountShortstopWilliam Howard Taft High School
(Woodland Hills, California)
3[27]
1974Butch EdgeRight-handed pitcherEl Camino Fundamental High School
(Sacramento, California)
6[28]
1975Richard O'KeefeLeft-handed pitcherYorktown High School
(Yorktown Heights, New York)
5[29]
1976Bill Bordley*Left-handed pitcherBishop Montgomery High School
(Hermosa Beach, California)
4[30]
1977Paul MolitorShortstopUniversity of Minnesota
(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
3[31]
1978Nick HernandezCatcherHialeah High School
(Hialeah, Florida)
8[32]
1979No first-round pick[b][33]
1980Dion JamesOutfielderC. K. McClatchy High School
(Sacramento, California)
25[34]
1981No first-round pick[c][35]
1982Dale SveumShortstopPinole Valley High School
(Pinole, California)
25[36]
1983Dan PlesacLeft-handed pitcherNorth Carolina State University
(Raleigh, North Carolina)
26[37]
1984Isaiah ClarkShortstopCrockett High School
(Crockett, Texas)
18[38]
1985B. J. SurhoffShortstopUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
(Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
1[39]
1986Gary SheffieldShortstopHillsborough High School
(Tampa, Florida)
6[40]
1987Bill SpiersShortstopClemson University
(Clemson, South Carolina)
13[41]
1988Alex Fernandez*Right-handed pitcherMonsignor Edward Pace High School
(Opa-locka, Florida)
24[42]
1989Cal EldredRight-handed pitcherUniversity of Iowa
(Iowa City, Iowa)
17[43]
1989Gordon PowellThird basemanHughes Center High School
(Cincinnati, Ohio)
30§[d][43]
1990No first-round pick[e][44]
1991Kenny Henderson*Right-handed pitcherRinggold High School
(Ringgold, Georgia)
5[45]
1991Tyrone HillLeft-handed pitcherYucaipa High School
(Yucaipa, California)
15§[f][45]
1992Kenny FelderOutfielderFlorida State University
(Tallahassee, Florida)
12[46]
1992Gabby MartinezShortstopLuchetti High School
(Santurce, Puerto Rico)
38§[g][46]
1993Jeff D'AmicoRight-handed pitcherNortheast High School
(St. Petersburg, Florida)
23[47]
1993Kelly WunschLeft-handed pitcherTexas A&M University
(College Station, Texas)
26§[h][47]
1993Todd DunnOutfielderUniversity of North Florida
(Jacksonville, Florida)
35§[i][47]
1993Joe WagnerRight-handed pitcherUniversity of Central Florida
(Orlando, Florida)
39§[j][47]
1994Anthony WilliamsonThird basemanArizona State University
(Tempe, Arizona)
4[48]
1995Geoff JenkinsOutfielderUniversity of Southern California
(Los Angeles, California)
9[49]
1996Chad GreenOutfielderUniversity of Kentucky
(Lexington, Kentucky)
8[50]
1997Kyle PetersonRight-handed pitcherStanford University
(Stanford, California)
13[51]
1998J. M. GoldRight-handed pitcherToms River High School North
(Toms River, New Jersey)
13[52]
1999Ben SheetsRight-handed pitcherNortheast Louisiana University
(Monroe, Louisiana)
10[53]
2000Dave KrynzelOutfielderGreen Valley High School
(Henderson, Nevada)
11[54]
2001Mike JonesRight-handed pitcherThunderbird High School
(Phoenix, Arizona)
12[55]
2002Prince FielderFirst basemanEau Gallie High School
(Melbourne, Florida)
7[56]
2003Rickie WeeksSecond basemanSouthern University
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
2[57]
2004Mark RogersRight-handed pitcherMt. Ararat High School
(Topsham, Maine)
5[58]
2005Ryan BraunThird basemanUniversity of Miami
(Coral Gables, Florida)
5[59]
2006Jeremy JeffressRight-handed pitcherHalifax County High School
(South Boston, Virginia)
16[60]
2007Matt LaPortaFirst basemanUniversity of Florida
(Gainesville, Florida)
7[61]
2008Brett LawrieThird basemanBrookswood Secondary School
(Langley, British Columbia)
16[62]
2008Jake OdorizziRight-handed pitcherHighland High School
(New Douglas, Illinois)
32§[k][62]
2008Evan FredericksonLeft-handed pitcherUniversity of San Francisco
(San Francisco, California)
35§[l][62]
2009Eric ArnettRight-handed pitcherIndiana University Bloomington
(Bloomington, Indiana)
26[63]
2009Kentrail DavisOutfielderUniversity of Tennessee
(Knoxville, Tennessee)
39§[m][63]
2009Kyle HeckathornRight-handed pitcherKennesaw State University
(Kennesaw, Georgia)
47§[n][63]
2010Dylan Covey*Right-handed pitcherMaranatha High School
(Pasadena, California)
14[64]
2011Taylor JungmannRight-handed pitcherUniversity of Texas at Austin
(Austin, Texas)
12[65]
2011Jed BradleyLeft-handed pitcherGeorgia Institute of Technology
(Atlanta, Georgia)
15§[o][65]
2012Clint CoulterCatcherUnion High School
(Camas, Washington)
27[p][66]
2012Victor RoacheOutfielderGeorgia Southern University
(Statesboro, Georgia)
28[66]
2012Mitch HanigerOutfielderCalifornia Polytechnic State University
(San Luis Obispo, California)
38§[q][66]
2013No first-round pick[r][67]
2014Kodi MedeirosLeft-handed pitcherWaiakea High School
(Hilo, Hawaii)
12[68]
2014Jake GatewoodShortstopClovis High School
(Clovis, California)
41§[s][68]
2015Trent ClarkOutfielderRichland High School
(North Richland Hills, Texas)
15[69]
2015Nathan KirbyLeft-handed pitcherUniversity of Virginia
(Charlottesville, Virginia)
40§[t][69]
2016Corey RayOutfielderUniversity of Louisville
(Louisville, Kentucky)
5[70]
2017Keston HiuraSecond basemanUC Irvine
(Valencia, California)
9[71]
2017Tristen LutzOutfielderMartin High School
(Arlington, Texas)
34§[u][71]
2018Brice TurangShortstopSantiago High School
(Corona, California)
21[72]
2019Ethan SmallLeft-handed pitcherMississippi State University
(Starkville, Mississippi)
28[73]
2020Garrett MitchellOutfielderUniversity of California, Los Angeles
(Los Angeles, California)
20[74]
2021Sal FrelickOutfielderBoston College
(Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts)
15[75]
2021Tyler BlackSecond basemanWright State University
(Dayton, Ohio)
33§[v][75]
2022Eric BrownShortstopCoastal Carolina University
(Conway, South Carolina)
27[76]
2023Brock WilkenThird basemanWake Forest University
(Wake Forest, North Carolina)
18[77]
2023Josh KnothPitcherPatchogue-Medford High School
(Medford, New York)
33§[w][77]

See also

Footnotes

References

Specific
General