The Milwaukee Brewers selected Wake Forest third baseman Brock Wilken in the first round of Sunday’s MLB Draft.
Here are some fan reactions to the pick:
Brewers Fans React to MLB Draft Selection of Brock Wilken
RAKE FOREST MEETS THE BREW CREW! Pinch me #GoDeacs #ThisIsMyCrew
— WakeTheBadgers (@WakeBadgers) July 10, 2023
Agreed, it will be good to get a player who flashed big-time power at Wake Forest. Brock Wilken had 31 home runs this past season and tied the ACC career home-run record with 71 in his three seasons with the Demon Deacons.
You guys finally addressed a corner infield position. So proud of you pic.twitter.com/h3r0DhskHn
— Taylor in Franklin (@tfromfranklin) July 10, 2023
Agreed, the talk before the draft was that Milwaukee has to find a first baseman. But the last time I checked, Rowdy Tellez is still on the roster. While he’s having a tough year, he is a better option than most MLB first baseman. The third baseman for Milwaukee has been iffy this year. Luis Urias has had durability concerns and hasn’t been consistent enough throughout his tenure in Milwaukee, and Brian Anderson shouldn’t be considered a long-term option for the position. This was the perfect selection for Milwaukee.
What a Joke! Cheap Owners! Not taking Dylan Crews!! ??
— Shane Gabriel(BLM) (@Mazda6God) July 10, 2023
I might have to check the rules, but since Dylan Crews was selected as the No. 2 overall pick, he cannot be redrafted.
Can he start on Friday ?
— Dr. Jrue Holiday BURNER (PARODY!!!) (@HolidayJrueTime) July 10, 2023
This is almost as possible as the Brewers going back to being named Miller Park.
Welcome to Milwaukee!!
— Nicole Swiderski Wiemer (@NicoleWiemer) July 10, 2023
Big-time support already from Joey Wiemer‘s mom Nicole.
Really enjoyed watching Wake Forest last season, Wilken is a beast. Love the pick
— Andrew Schroeder (@ap_schro) July 10, 2023
I completely agree. Wake Forest was one of the top teams in college baseball last year, so nabbing a player late in the first round to Wilken’s caliber is a shrewd value move for General Manager Matt Arnold.
Good pick IMO. Problem is, if he asks for more than a livable salary, Attanasio will say no
— GPG (@sportstalkwisco) July 10, 2023
Shouldn’t we see how his career pans out first?
why is the draft in the middle of the season??
— Noah God (@NoahGod12) July 10, 2023
This is actually a great question. We know the MLB does a horrible job of marketing their product. However, there’s no fix here. The draft used to take place in June, but the MLB wanted to market the event better, so they pushed it back to July.
The issue with that is it now falls on the last games on the schedule before the All-Star Break. So what used to be a relaxing time for team executives, now they have to think about who to draft and potential moves your team should make at the trade deadline. So now that’s two franchise-altering decisions executives have to make all coming around the same window.
Overall like the pick. Has a HIGH ceiling.
— Brewers Minimum (@BrewersMinimum) July 10, 2023
I agree with this. Via MLB.com, Brock Wilken was the 25th-ranked prospect before the Draft and, compared to other top college players, is underrated. Wilken hit for a high average (.345), but what really stuck out was his massive jump in base-on-balls. In 2022, he walked only 34 times. Fast-forward to 2023, Wilken, with better plate discipline, walked 69 times.
The Brewers are getting a productive college player in Brock Wilken, and they fill a need at third base. While we won’t see Wilken for a couple of years, it’s a positive sign that the Brewers farm system, with all of that young talent, is moving in the right direction.
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