The Brewers got a break in the 2026 MLB Draft, and they made it count.
Milwaukee opened the draft by taking MLB Pipeline’s No. 107-ranked prospect, Trey Ebel, with the 25th pick. Then came the bigger surprise: with the 66th pick, the Brewers landed Sawyer Strosnider, a player Pipeline ranked No. 22 overall and one many around the draft expected to come off the board much earlier.
That’s the part of MLB Draft season that still catches people off guard. Unlike the drafts in other sports, this one isn’t just about grabbing the best name left.
Teams have to work within a fixed bonus pool, and that money has to be managed carefully if they want to sign everyone they pick. When clubs start balancing talent against bonus demands, highly rated players can slide farther than anyone expected.
Strosnider was one of those players.
In fact, some had the Brewers taking the TCU outfielder at No. 25. Instead, he was still there in Round 2, and Milwaukee pounced.
Strosnider came into the draft with a strong reputation across the industry. Baseball America had him at No. 13, while MLB Pipeline slotted him at No.
- The 21-year-old left-handed hitter brings a rare blend of power and speed, with 60-grade marks in both tools on the 30-80 scouting scale.
The production backed that up. In 50 games last year, Strosnider hit 13 home runs, stole 12 bases, and put together a .273/.415/.590 line.
His swing stands out, especially from the left side, and the power is expected to carry into pro ball. The question marks are more about how he attacks pitches.
Strosnider is aggressive, and that leads to chase. Even so, he usually makes contact when he expands the zone, which helps explain why the strikeout totals stayed manageable.
He finished his 2026 season at TCU with 43 walks and 43 strikeouts.
For Milwaukee, it’s the kind of second-round swing that can change the feel of a draft class in a hurry. The Brewers didn’t expect Strosnider to be there at 66, but they came away with him anyway. After adding Ebel and then Strosnider, they’ve put together a strong start to the 2026 draft.
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Jones college line, built around a .317 average, six homers, 46 RBIs and 17 stolen bases, fits the kind of all-around package that can make a pick like this look smart in a hurry. It also stands out for another reason around here, because Milwaukee has not taken a collegiate outfielder this high in the draft in a while, which is the sort of detail that tends to get fans talking about both the player and the direction of the draft room. [Read more 🡒]