The Brewers took their first pitcher of the draft with the 59th overall selection
The wait for the Milwaukee Brewers to select a pitcher with some elite under-the-hood pitch characteristics wasn't very long.
With their third pick of the draft and No. 59 overall, the Brewers took Vanderbilt left-hander JD Thompson, who struck out 122 with 30 walks and a 4.00 ERA over 90 innings this past season.
Thompson may not blow anyone away at first glance, but he manages to blow hitters away with a sneaky-good fastball – and that will be a key to his development as a pro. A 6-foot-1, athletic southpaw, Thompson releases his fastball from a low height and gets good vertical movement on it, making it a tough pitch for hitters to handle up in the zone despite its 92-94 mph velocity.
He also throws a changeup, curveball and slider, with the change of pace being his best secondary pitch. It generated a 57% whiff rate this past season at Vanderbilt.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers take Vanderbilt's JD Thompson in 2025 MLB draft
Category: Baseball
