On the second day of the MLB draft, Brewers select more middle position players with strong contact skills

The Milwaukee Brewers went to the well, then went back again and again.

Over the first two days of the Major League Baseball draft, it has become rather apparent that the Brewers value a specific set of traits when targeted hitting prospects.

They want players whose defensive positions are up the middle. And they want excellent contact skills and the ability to get on base at a steady clip.

Those patterns formed over the course of the 2021 draft and have become even more clear and obvious through the second day of this year's draft, which wrapped up Monday.

Through 10 rounds, the Brewers have selected 11 players, six of whom have been hitters. Each one has displayed excellent bat-to-ball ability. Five of those batters were taken from college and walked more than they struck out this past season; the other, Canadian third-rounder Dylan O'Rae, doesn't have publicly available stats but is cut from the same cloth.

Five are up-the-middle defenders, with the lone exception being college third baseman Ben Metzinger, who can play a multitude of positions.

"It's not concerted this year," Brewers vice president of domestic scouting Tod Johnson said of the team's proclivity to go after certain traits. "Certainly, it's a been a big factor in our decision process for a number of years now. Our guys we drafted last year were all high-contact, low-strikeout guys as well

"It is something that we take into account in our decision process and look at. The guys we took yesterday and today as far as bats go fit into that mold, as well."

The Brewers added four more arms Monday, as well, predominantly pitchers with large, projectable frames a day after taking 6-foot-7 right-hander Jacob Misiorowski in the second round.

"We got a good frontline for a basketball team," Johnson joked.

Here are reports and comments from Johnson on each of the eight players selected by the Brewers on Tuesday.

More: Brewers pick a college shortstop in the first round of the MLB draft, Eric Brown out of Coastal Carolina

More: Two Wisconsin players taken in first two rounds of Major League Baseball draft (and more Wisconsinites taken thereafter)

Third round: Dylan O'Rae, IF

The prep infielder out of Sarnia, Ontario, was named the Canadian high school player of the year this season by Prep Baseball Report and played in higher-profile games at the youth level with Team Canada, but he still managed to fly somewhat under the radar for many analysts and teams.

"It's a little surprising to me that he stayed off most people's radar this year because he's with the Canadian national team," Johnson said. "Those kids do a lot of travel and they go to Florida and play down there at spring training complexes, then they go to the Dominican and play at Dominican academies.

"The fact that a lot of other people didn't seem to know who he was or didn't seem very interested in him was a little surprising."

An undersized middle infielder at 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds, O'Rae was the first Canadian player off the board.

He has strong contact skills and barrels the ball up well. O'Rae bats left-handed and runs well with a chance to stick at shortstop, as well. If that doesn't work, he would make for a natural centerfielder.

"He's somebody that we see potential physical development with," Johnson said. "He's not a big kid but he's pretty young. He's got a chance to get stronger. He's a well above-average runner. He has good instincts and good hands in the field."

He has a college commitment to Illinois, but Milwaukee selecting him in the third round indicates confidence in its ability to sign him.

Fourth round: Matt Wood, C

Wood had a big season at Penn State this spring to put himself on draft boards.

The 21-year-old won the Big Ten batting title by hitting .395 and was even better in conference play at .413. He was second in the conference in OPS (1.175) and third in on-base percentage (.494).

Wood's power is arguably his best tool. He hit 12 homers and 15 doubles in 54 games as a junior. There also is some strong contact and on-base potential, as he struck out just 26 times while walking 36 times and had a 26-game hitting streak.

Scouts indicate Wood has a strong arm but will need to work on refining his receiving skills.

"We think he has a pretty good chance to stick behind the plate," Johnson said. "And we think the bat definitely plays there and would play if we have to move him, even."

Fifth round: Will Rudy, RHP

At Cal Poly Pomona, Rudy was one of the top pitchers in Division II. Rudy had a 3.10 earned run average with 96 strikeouts to 15 walks in 87 innings en route to being named an All-American.

And that was as a newly-minted pitcher.

"He's new to pitching this year, a conversion guy," Johnson said. "He's really athletic and hasn't been on the mound a lot. So we feel like there's significant upside. There's low mileage on the arm, it works nice and easy. He hasn't had a ton of instruction, either."

Sixth round: Tyler Woessner, RHP

For the second time in the draft, the Brewers reached into the junior college ranks to pull a physical right-handed pitcher with plenty of upside.

Woessner is a 6-4 and 230-pound 22-year-old who helped lead Central Arizona to the Division 1 JUCO World Series championship this spring. He had a 3.55 ERA in 19 games, striking out 122 while walking 34 in 96⅓ innings. He even started a game at the World Series opposite the Brewers' second-round pick, Jacob Misiorowski of Crowder College.

Woessner features a fastball that reaches the mid-90s regularly and has a sharp slider that works as an excellent out-getting pitch.

"He's different than Rudy, certainly," Johnson said. "He's a bigger dude already. We think he's already got the physical size and strength he's going to need to be a potential big-league pitcher. We like the stuff, the compete factor for him.

"Our area scout down there, Adam Hayes, did a really good job, knowing this kid, knowing he wanted to sign, as well."

Seventh round: Ben Metzinger, 3B

The Brewers selected one of the youngest four-year college players available on Day 1 of the draft in Robert Moore and then went with an older fourth-year senior with Metzinger on Day 2.

Metzinger was a part-time player for much of his time at Louisville before breaking out in 2022, batting .312/.427/.591 with 19 homers in 62 games.

At 23, he is physically advanced and the Brewers likely will look to move him up the system quickly. Metzinger has versatility defensively but third base was his primary home with the Cardinals after starting out as a catcher.

The right-handed hitter is the second Louisville third baseman taken by Milwaukee in two years; the team selected Alex Binelas in the third round last year before trading him to Boston in the Hunter Renfroe deal.

Eighth round: Nate Peterson, LHP

The hard-throwing lefty out of the Illinois-Chicago was a favorite of many in the scouting world.

After coming out of the bullpen for two seasons at Oklahoma State, Peterson transferred to UIC, where he had a 3.89 ERA with 102 strikeouts and 21 walks in 88 innings in 2022. He generates plenty of swings and misses with his fastball that can get up to 90, a sweeping slider and a changeup.

Another senior sign, Peterson will be 23 at the start of next season and offers the Brewers an opportunity for an under-slot signing.

Ninth round: Tayden Hall, C

Hall, the son of nine-year big-league catcher Toby Hall, exhibited those skills the Brewers have shown to value highly.

In one year of junior college at State College of Florida, the 19-year-old walked 40 times and struck out only 22 as he posted an OPS of 1.120.

In the MLB Draft League this summer, Hall elevated his stock by posting a .511 OBP and walking 27 times in 94 plate appearances. He posted strong exit velocity numbers, as well, despite having no homers and just six doubles in 22 games.

Hall was the ninth college player, third junior college player and second catcher selected by the Brewers through their first 10 picks. He has a verbal commitment to South Florida, which may require Milwaukee to go over-slot to sign him.

"He needs a little more work, a little more development behind the plate, but we'll give him a chance," Johnson said. "He's a pretty athletic kid and we like that. It's high-contact and we think there's some juice in there."

Tenth round: Brian Fitzpatrick, LHP

The Brewers closed out Day 2 by selecting another experienced college arm.

Fitzpatrick is a 6-foot-7 lefty who has pitched in just 23 games with 10 starts across four years at Rutgers, including battling through a foot injury this spring, but has dazzled this summer in the Cape Cod League. Fitzpatrick has made four starts in the premier college summer league and hasn't allowed a run in 19 innings over four starts while striking out 19 and walking just two.

"It certainly felt good that he was back and pitching now on the Cape and doing well," Johnson said.

Fitzpatrick is a player draft models liked and has the ability to pitch in a variety of roles at the pro level.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers 2022 MLB draft tracker: Every pick on day 2