Coming off their great 1974 campaign, the Brewers didn't have a pick in this draft until the very end of the first round, the 22nd pick overall.
And they took 18-year old Justin Horner out of Rider University. Horner is fairly undeveloped at this point but profiles as a very good hitter with potential to be among the best power hitters in the league. His outfield defense is decent but as a slow 6'1" slugger he might eventually find himself being moved to first base where he should be more than adequate. Horner is known for his great intelligence and this could help him make the best of his good, but not spectacular, skills.
The Brewers second round pick is very similar to their first round choice as they went with 21-year old right fielder Billy Ferguson out of Dallas College. Ferguson is a slightly more advanced version of Horner with poorer defense and even less foot speed. Ferguson could end up a great hitter searching for a defensive position. Even slightly taller than Horner, the 6'2" Ferguson almost surely will need to switch to first base, or at least left field, in order for his bat to keep him in a lineup. But the Brewer scouting staff sees him as profiling as an elite bat so he will be given every chance to develop.
In other second round news, the feeling among WPK insiders is that the Houston Cavaliers are off to a very good start in their first amateur draft as they chose Houston native Morgan Esker with their second round pick. Esker is a starting pitcher out of El Paso College but the feeling is that he will eventually settle into the Houston bullpen. He has two pitches that are already quite advanced- a fastball and sinker combination- and exhibits very good control for a young pitcher. While his stuff and movement only project as being a bit above average, the side-arming groundballer should be a solid middle reliever and should develop rather quickly through the Cavalier farm system. Granted, the Brewers scouting staff is less high on him than the OSA, but even if his ceiling is rather limited, the home-town kid could be helping solidify the Houston bullpen rather soon. This might not have been a great choice for a more established club, but for an expansion club needing some more quality arms sooner rather than later, this seems like a pretty smart pick.
