Milwaukee Brewers 2024 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: Catcher and outfielder Marco Dinges (4) only spent one year at Florida State after coming from the junior college ranks, but in the 2024 spring season he slashed .323/.415/.583 with more walks than strikeouts and an 84% in-zone contact rate. 

Best Power Hitter: First baseman Blake Burke (1s) was one of college baseball’s most consistent sluggers over the last three years. He has easy plus raw power, homered at least 14 times each season and finished his Tennessee career with 50 home runs and a .652 slugging percentage.

Fastest Runner: Outfielder Braylon Payne (1) is a standout runner who has at least double-plus running ability. It’s not uncommon for him to get out of the box with top-of-the-scale run times from home-to-first. 

Best Defensive Player: Payne (1) can currently outrun routes that are a bit raw and unrefined, but even with that acknowledged he should be able to become an above-average defender in center field with more reps.

Best Fastball: Righthander John Holobetz (5) pitches in the low 90s but will run the pitch up to 95 mph from a lower-than-average release height that helps him create a flat approach angle with the pitch. He also averaged nearly 19 inches of induced vertical break which should help him attack the top of the zone with confidence.

Best Secondary Pitch: Righthander Bryce Meccage (2) has high-spin traits across the board and a pair of breaking balls that have at least above-average potential. Most scouts seem to favor his slider, which is a low-80s breaking ball with spin rates north of 2,800 rpm and consistent late and biting action. It’s an easy plus pitch projection.

Best Pro Debut: Most players don’t get activated after the draft and that’s doubly true for high school draftees, but Payne (1) played 19 games with Low-A Carolina and played well. He slashed .438/.526/.625 with a triple, a double, four stolen bases and as many walks (3) as strikeouts (3) while producing much better top-end exit velocities than expected for a hit-over-power 17-year-old speedster. It’s a tiny sample, but a strong one.

Best Athlete: Payne (1) is the most obvious choice for this category thanks mostly because of his standout straight-line running ability, though there’s also some sneaky electricity and strength in his hands in the batter’s box.

Most Intriguing Background: Dinges (5) was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in 2023 that required multiple trips to the hospital. His standout 2024 season less than a year later with FSU is more impressive because of that scare.

Closest To The Majors: Three of the first four players the Brewers drafted this year came from the high school ranks, so Burke (1s) is the favorite to push through the minors quickly. He has a light bar to clear defensively as a first baseman and can focus on mashing in the lefthanded batter’s box. His contact and power should be more than enough to carry a first base only profile, though he might need to tighten up his swing decisions.

Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): The Brewers weren’t able to sign 67th overall pick Chris Levonas, which led to a flurry of last-minute day three signings including righthander Tyler Renz (18) who agreed to an $850,000 deal and screamed Brewers pick. This is the first line of his pre-draft report: “A 6-foot-4, 190-pound righthander, Renz will appeal to many analytically inclined teams thanks to the combination of his size, age and spin characteristics.”