Brewers draft high-upside prep players on Day 1

The Brewers targeted high-upside high school players on Day 1 of the 2024 MLB draft. Typically known as a team that prefers college up-the-middle position players in the draft, the Brewers went in a completely different direction, with three of their four picks coming from the high school ranks on Sunday.

Here is a look at the Brewers selections on Day 1 of the MLB draft:

Round 1, Pick 17: Braylon Payne, OF, Elkins (Texas) HS

Payne is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitting center fielder who projects as a top-of-the-order hitter at the next level. He uses a short, compact swing to make consistent contact. He has emerging power, with scouts confident he will impact the baseball more consistently as he matures physically.

Payne’s speed is also an elite tool that plays a significant role in his offensive profile. In June 2023, he posted a 60-yard dash of 6.28 seconds at the Twelve Baseball Scout League. A quality 60-yard dash time typically is between 6.7 and 7.0 seconds.

Defensively, Payne is a quality center-field defender. He has strong instincts and can cover plenty of ground due to his speed. His arm strength continues to improve, and he profiles as a center fielder in pro ball.

Payne is the first high school position player the Brewers drafted in the first round since they selected California prep shortstop Brice Turang with the 21st overall pick in 2018. The slot value for the No. 17 pick is $4.53 million, and Payne will likely sign for below slot value, as he was a projected second-round pick.

Read a detailed feature story on Payne and his skill set here.

Comp. Balance A Round, Pick 34: Blake Burke, 1B, Tennessee 

Burke is a talented 6-foot-3, 236-pound left-handed hitting power hitter who consistently squares up pitches and drives it to all fields with authority. He boasts above-average power and has improved his plate discipline throughout his time at Tennessee. He sometimes chases breaking pitches out of the zone but has made strides in that area and is a dangerous hitter when he connects on a pitch.

Defensively, Burke made some really nice plays at first base when I scouted him at the College World Series, whether handling errant throws or stretching out to field a ground ball. In terms of his size, he shows some athleticism.  

The Brewers are getting an offensive-first player who projects as a middle-of-the-order in pro ball. The slot value for the No. 34 pick is $2.7 million.

Read a scouting report on Burke from the College World Series here.

Round 2, Pick 57: Bryce Meccage, RHP, The Pennington School (NJ) HS

Meccage is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-handed pitcher who throws a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup from an athletic and repeatable delivery and over-the-top arm slot. 

The righty boasts a quality fastball and slider combination. Meccage sat 94-97 mph and touched 98 mph this spring. His fastball features induced vertical movement, and he locates it well in all quadrants of the strike zone. His slider is a strikeout pitch that he locates well. He mixes in a 12-to-6 curveball and worked on its shape in the offseason, so it is a distinctly different pitch than his slider. Both pitches feature high spin rates.

Meccage attacks the strike zone with his pitch mix and boasts a ton of projection due to his size, increasing velocity and overall quality of his pitch repertoire. 

The slot value for the pick is $1.56 million, but Meccage will likely command an over-slot deal to forgo his Virginia commitment.

Read a detailed feature story on Meccage and his skill set here.

Comp. Balance B Round, Pick 67: Chris Levonas, RHP, Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) HS

Levonas is a 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-handed pitcher with a ton of upside. He was up to 97 mph this spring and showed notable feel for his slider and curveball. He also mixes in a high 80s changeup that flashes plenty of potential.

Levonas throws from a three-quarters arm slot with an up-tempo delivery and a big leg kick. The ball jumps out of his hand. Besides his above-average fastball, Levonas’ two breaking pitches are quality metric pitches, with high spin rates and late movement. The slider shows quality sweeping action, while the curveball gives him a pitch with a different movement profile. The pitches overlap at times but should become two consistently distinctly different pitches in a pro-development system.

Levonas boasts a lot of potential, especially if he can continue to add strength to his frame, refine his pitch mix andtighten up his control.

The slot value for the pick is $1.23 million, but Levonas will likely command an over-slot deal to forgo his Wake Forest commitment.

Read in-depth stories on top 2024 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.

Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for nine years. He has interviewed 518 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.