The Milwaukee Brewers have a knack for selecting polished college bats early in drafts, with players Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Tyler Black, Brock Wilken, Mike Boeve, and Blake Burke all being recent additions selected with a high draft pick.
This year, Matt Arnold and company may look to do the same. In a recent MLB mock draft, a power hitting catcher/outfielder was predicted to go to the Brewers 20th overall.
MLB reporter predicts the Milwaukee Brewers selecting Ike Irish 20th overall
At USA Today, MLB reporter Gabe Lacques did a mock draft. At 20th overall he had Milwaukee selecting the 21st ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Ike Irish. Irish is a left-handed power hitting catcher/outfielder from Auburn University. He has 20 home run potential as a catcher, but has not yet hit that mark throughout his collegiate career.
Another club that tends to lean college bat, the Brewers get a nice piece in Irish, whose .364, 19-homer platform season looks even better if he sticks at catcher professionally. But Irish caught just 12 games for the Tigers this year, spending 45 games in the outfield
-Gabe Lacques
Where will Ike Irish play long term?
As mentioned, Irish spent more time in the outfield this year than behind home plate. MLB.com wrote that he is improving defensively as a catcher and has the hands to become an average receiver and framer, though a long release undermines his plus arm strength a bit. Also mentioned is that Irish is athletic enough to handle a transition to a corner outfield position, which gives him flexibility as a professional as to where he could potentially play and further develop.
The 2025 MLB Draft starts on July 13 this year, so it will be interesting to see if the Brewers select Irish 20th overall, if he is still available.
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