Crew round out Day 1 with 1B Burke and RHPs Meccage and Levonas
Tim Stebbins
@tim_stebbinsThe Brewers landed a pair of promising players in Joey Ortiz and DL Hall when they traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles on Feb. 1. That deal also netted Milwaukee another intriguing piece: Baltimore¡¯s Competitive Balance Round A pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
And with that pick (No. 34 overall) the Brewers selected University of Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke on Sunday night.
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The Brewers also selected outfielder Braylon Payne (No. 17 pick), and right-handers Bryce Meccage (No. 57) and Chris Levonas (No. 67, Competitive Balance Round B) on Day 1. Here is a further look at the latter three selections:
? No. 34 pick: 1B Blake Burke
Burke, who turned 21 on June 11, is ranked as the No. 65 prospect by MLB Pipeline in its Top 250 Draft Prospects. The slugger is coming off of a big junior season in which he won the College World Series with the Volunteers.
¡°He was kind of the leader of that team,¡± Brewers VP of domestic scouting Tod Johnson said on Sunday night. ¡°He comes from a winning program."
In 74 games in ¡®24, Burke slashed .379/.449/.702, led Division I players with 30 doubles, hit 20 homers and tallied 61 RBIs, with 35 walks and 48 strikeouts. He had a 31-game hitting streak this past season and also earned SEC Tournament MVP honors.
Burke, who is 6-foot-3, 236 pounds, has power to all fields, according to Pipeline. The Brewers were impressed by not only his power, but his all-around ability at the plate and his work in the field.
¡°He¡¯s a very good defensive first baseman as well, which not everyone talks about,¡± Johnson said. ¡°And then at the plate, it's not just power. We think he's a good hitter as well. He has good strike-zone judgment, awareness. He makes a decent amount of contact for a guy that's a power guy as well.
¡°We think he's a pretty polished hitter, [an] all-around guy who could also play really well at first base and help out. ¡ We really are excited about the combination of the person and the leader that we think he¡¯ll be, and also the skills he brings to the table.¡±
? Nos. 57 and 67 picks: RHPs Bryce Meccage, Chris Levonas
When asked about Meccage and Levonas, the pair of 18-year-old right-handers, Johnson shouted out Steve DiTrolio, a Brewers area scout in the New York City Metropolitan area.
Meccage comes from a Major League family. His dad, Jeremy Meccage, was drafted by the Dodgers twice, out of high school and college. His uncle, Justin Meccage, is the Pirates¡¯ bullpen coach.
Meccage (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) consistently hits the mid-90s with his fastball velocity and pairs it with a hard slider in the 84-86 mph range, per MLB Pipeline. Levonas (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) has touched 96-97 mph with his heater and sits in the 91-96 mph range. He pairs that with a low-80s slider and upper-70s curveball.
¡°We¡¯re really excited by both of them,¡± Johnson said. ¡°Both are obviously younger guys with a lot of projection to come. A lot of strength gain is going to help them. They both already have really good stuff. ¡ I'm really excited to get them both into our system.¡±
Meccage (Virgina) and Levonas (Wake Forest) each have college commitments. Johnson expressed hope the Brewers will be able to sign them.
¡°We always hope to sign everyone we take, at least in the [first] 10 rounds,¡± Johnson said. ¡°So that¡¯s the hope here and the plan. We'll work through that process with them and their representation and their families and all that over the next three weeks or so, and hopefully land on really good spots for both of them and get them out playing.¡±
Johnson said Milwaukee¡¯s plan is to develop Meccage and Levonas as starting pitchers, and the organization sees potential top-of-the-rotation upside in them.
¡°They have the pitch mix,¡± Johnson said. ¡°They have the ability to add the strength and durability to be able to take those roles on, and the strike-throwing [ability] and those kinds of things to see that happen for them.¡±