The Brewers took a surprising approach, selecting seven pitchers out of eight possible picks on the second day of the 2024 MLB draft.
The Brewers selected three college right-handed pitchers, two college lefty pitchers, two prep right-handers and one college catcher. It comes a day after the Brewers selected three high-upside prep players in their first four picks of the draft.
Here are three of the Brewers’ Day 2 picks that stood out to me:
Round 7, Pick 215: Mason Molina, LHP, Arkansas
Molina was the first left-handed pitcher the Brewers selected in this year’s draft. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound lefty offers intriguing potential and pitched at two quality college baseball programs – Texas Tech and Arkansas. This spring, he was off to a strong start in his first year at Arkansas before suffering an ankle injury. He then wasn’t consistent with his control and command.
Molina relies heavily on his fastball and changeup. His fastball touches 95 mph with movement to generate swings and misses. Scouts believe he has the potential to increase his velocity in pro ball. His changeup is an above-average pitch with plenty of movement that keeps hitters off of his fastball. His slider and curveball flash potential, but he needs to tighten both pitches up so they can become consistent and effective pitches.
Molina has quality size and a deep pitch mix. He needs to refine his pitch mix and tighten his control. Molina seems like a quality upside play for the Brewers. He has the intangibles, and with their pitching development program, the Brewers could get the most out of him. If he can make strides in his development, Molina has the potential to serve as a starter in the major leagues.
Round 9, Pick 275: Griffin Tobias, RHP, Lake Central (Ind.) HS
Tobias is an intriguing prep right-handed pitcher and gives them another high-upside arm. He is a 6-foot, 185-pound righty who throws a fastball, sinker, cutter and slider from a three-quarters arm slot.
His fastball is in the low 90s, but he figures to improve as he continues to mature physically. His sinker also is a low 90s pitch with plenty of movement. The cutter and slider also show plenty of potential to develop into quality-breaking pitches.
Tobias offers tons of potential and the ability to stick as a starting pitcher in pro ball. He will command an overslot deal to keep him from playing collegiately at Indiana. The No. 275 pick has an assigned value of $190,900.
Round 10, Pick 305: Ethan Dorchies, RHP, Cary-Grove (Ill.) HS
Dorchies is a highly intriguing prospect who flew under the radar as a Midwest arm. He is 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, and throws a low 90s fastball from a long arm action and low arm slot. He also leans on his slider as his strikeout pitch.
Dorchies turns 18 on Oct. 22. With his size, pitch mix and age, scouts believe he has tremendous upside as a starter in pro ball. He is a University of Illinois Chicago commit. He will command an over-slot deal, as the No. 305 pick’s assigned slot value is only $180,400.
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.
