The 2022 MLB draft is underway. In the first round a lot of college players fell and the Brewers had plenty of pitching and hitting options to choose from. They ended up selecting shortstop Eric Brown Jr with the 27th pick.
1 (27): @Brewers select Coastal Carolina (SC) SS Eric Brown Jr. https://t.co/aT1FhvDPMW #MLBDraft
— MLB Draft Tracker (@MLBDraftTracker) July 18, 2022
Eric Brown Jr played college baseball at Coastal Carolina University. He was ranked 63rd on MLB’s draft board, but is one of the top shortstops in the draft. His biggest strength is his defense. Offensively, he makes very good contact, knows the strikezone well, and advanced stats show he frequently barrells up the baseball.
Even though the Sun Belt is good, you can’t hold that against Eric Brown, here’s what he did against power five schools:
– Hit 61% of his batted balls > 95 mph.
– Whiffed on just 6% of his swings.
– Chased just 9% of pitches out of zone. pic.twitter.com/ZcARaivilO— 📊 (@mason_mcrae) June 27, 2022
As a defender, Brown can cover a lot of ground and looks smooth while playing the field. He does have experience playing second and third base, but long term he should be able to stick at shortstop.
Another interesting aspect of Brown’s game is his batting stance. At first glance there is a lot of similaritious to the Brewers current manager and former player Craig Counsell.
Also: pic.twitter.com/PYgBssMoKD
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) July 18, 2022
Over the past two MLB drafts the Brewers selected college outfielders. This year they went with a college infielder. The last infielder, excluding Tyler Black who was taken in the competitive balance round last year, taken in the first round was Brice Turang in 2018.
The MLB draft does not conclude until Tuesday, July 19. Be sure to check back to WI Sports Heroics as we will cover the Brewers selections.
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