Article: Brewer Drafts From the Past: Rounds 2-5

[Caswell]

This is where choices get way too tough, as there are so many great players drafted by the Brewers between round 2 and round 5. The signed player ends up being a current star of the MLB, while the player who Milwaukee couldn’t secure should’ve been the best shortstop of all time, but injuries cut that short.

There have been so many all-time greats drafted in these rounds, such as Tony Gwynn or Rickey Henderson, but there are also so many really freaking good players. There’s quite a few Brewers all time greats found here too, leading to some tough choices.

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The 17th of July is the beginning of this year’s edition of the MLB amateur draft. I’ve already checked out picks by the Brewers after round 31, those made between rounds 21-30, rounds 16-20, 11-15, and 6-10. Be sure to check those out before getting started here, and come back tomorrow for round 1!

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Best Player Who Signed
The 2021 N.L. Cy Young Award winner has to be the best player to have signed. Corbin Burnes was drafted in the fourth round in 2016 with the 111st overall pick. He was an All-Star in 2021, and has been named to this year’s midsummer classic as well. Burnes made a huge jump in prospect rankings, up to second in the Brewers system before the 2018 season. That season would be his debut, recording a two-inning save in Miami against the Marlins on July 18th, 2018, retiring all six he faced perfectly with one strikeout. 

The first two years of Burnes’ career were primarily out of the bullpen, with his first starts coming in 2019. He struggled starting games, with 43.75% of his earned runs coming in those 4 games, the rest coming in the remaining 28 where he was pitching in relief. 2020 was his first year of success as a starter, and he would finish 6th in the Cy Young voting. 

Today, Burnes is one of the most feared pitchers in the game, owning a career ERA of 3.09, with only one of his five seasons ending with an ERA above 2.61. He has a dominant cutter, which was used very sparingly until he finally took control of it in 2020, throwing it over half of the time now. His career WHIP is an incredible 1.050, while striking out 561 batters, and has recorded 30 wins and 15 loses. Corbin has earned 9.7 WAR.

Best Unsigned Player
Initially drafted in the 5th round, 130th overall in 1991, Nomar Garciaparra opted not to sign, enrolling in Georgia Institute of Technology to play baseball instead. This would pay off, as in the 1994 draft he was taken 12th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the first round. The shortstop made his debut in 1996, and won the A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1997, along with winning a Silver Slugger and named an All-Star. Garciaparra was a perennial MVP candidate and was an All-Star five of his nine seasons with Boston.

Injuries derailed his career, unfortunately, and he would have been the best shortstop of all time if they would not have been so detrimental. There were multiple seasons winning the batting title and racing to the seemingly impossible 0.400 batting average, but never quite making it, with a career high of 0.372 in 2000, and overall career batting average of 0.313.

An excellent defensive player, Nomar shifted to playing in either corner infield spot, favoring first base after leaving Boston in the 2004 deadline. The Chicago Cubs acquired him in a four-team deal at the trade deadline. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series that year, and Nomar would still be given a ring, as well as a portion of the playoff earnings. 

When Garciaparra left the Cubs, he signed with his hometown, Los Angeles Dodgers, playing for them for three seasons, and had one short season with the Oakland Athletics before ending his 14 year career in 2009. He earned 44.3 WAR, had 229 home runs, and just missed the 1,000 mark for RBIs, ending with 936. His career OPS is an amazing 0.882, and is definitely a player the Brewers missed out on, even with those injuries.

Honorable Mentions
There are just so many options for these rounds, and so many things that could be discussed for all the players previously mentioned, and those missing out on the top spot.

Some major Brewer legends of the 2000s such as the second round picks J.J. Hardy 56th overall in 2001 or Yovani Gallardo 46th overall in 2004, third rounder Jonathan Lucroy, drafted 101st overall in 2007. I could go into a ramble about a couple guys who have recently reinvented themselves, like Jorge López, drafted 70th overall in the second round of the 2011 draft, or Tyler Thornburg, drafted 96th overall in the third round of the 2010 draft. This is before mentioning the old guys from back in the day like most recently Bill Wegman, taken in the fifth round, 124th overall in 1981, or two guys taken in the second round by the names of Kevin Bass, 29th overall in 1977, or Moose Hass, 30th overall in 1974. And there are still those young guys who haven’t made a lasting mark yet such as second rounders Tyrone Taylor in 2012, 92nd overall, and Mario Feliciano in 2016, 75th overall or fourth rounders Aaron Ashby in 2018, 125th overall, and Joey Wiemer in 2020, 121st overall.

Oh and wait!

The 2020 N.L. Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year, Devin Williams was drafted in the second round back in 2013 with the 54th overall pick. All of these players were great, or might become great, but Devin Williams is currently great. After Tommy John surgery back in 2017, sidelining him that year, he bounced back and earned his debut in 2019, pitching 1.2 innings of relief while allowing two runs, neither earned, off three hits and a walk, striking out three. 

Williams’ 2020 season was the year people knew about him and his airbender, what he calls his changeup. In that season, he allowed only one earned run in 22 appearances across 27 innings for an ERA of 0.33 and a seemingly impossible 1375 ERA+. 2021 and thus far in 2022 have been up to standard as well, having some early season control struggles, and he owns a career ERA of 2.05 in 129 games (127.1 innings) across his four seasons, allowing only eight home runs total.

His bat does need to improve though, as he struck out in his only plate appearance, which happened to be on his debut. Despite this, he has earned 4.0 WAR, and has a record of 14 wins and 3 loses, along with a WHIP of 1.107 and eight saves.

Be sure to tell me what you think of the list! Do any of those players deserve higher praises? Is Garciaparra the best shortstop of all time in those first years before injuries? Do any of those young guns have a shot at discussion for best ever Brewer draft pick or will Williams or Burnes duke it out at the top? Keep an eye out next time where I look at the first round!

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