2023 MLB Draft Profile: Brock Wilken
Continuing the profiles on first-round picks, we make our way to Brock Wilken, who was drafted No 18 overall by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Wake Forest. Power is his claim to fame, but will it be enough to get him to the majors? Let’s take a look at his draft profile and find out.
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 65 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50&nbsp;
As previously stated, Brock Wilken is first and foremost a power hitter, and boy oh boy does he have pop in his barrel. He clubbed 17 home runs his freshman year–a program record for a freshman–followed by 23 and 31 in the following two seasons.
He makes use of his big 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame with the ability to seemingly pull balls at will. His tremendous bat speed also helps in this and allows him to elevate balls at a higher rate.
The chase rate is a bit high which led to increased strikeout numbers in 2022. Brock Wilken can sometimes get overly aggressive and work himself out of at-bats early. He has shown improvement in that regard through working more walks this past spring with Wake Forest.
Also playing part in his increased strikeouts was his struggle to hit curveballs in the zone, something that is a little concerning for me, but can also easily be fixed under the right coaching. I fear can be too pull-happy at times, which could be a weakness for him. He’s been able to get away with it in college, but having the power to all parts of the field is a must to be a truly effective power hitter in today’s MLB.
I don’t doubt that he has that power, he just needs to tap into it. Once he does that, he can be one of the better overall hitters in this entire class.
Defensively at third, the glove is pretty average but his larger frame could see him move to first if the glove isn’t up to par for the hot corner. He does have a cannon for an arm which gives hope to his potential to play third.
So if I’m a Brewers fan I would say I like this pick, the raw power is clearly there and that’s always something MLB teams are looking to add more of. The Brewers are one of those teams in need of help offensively.
There is a lot to like with Brock Wilken and I think he is just a few tweaks and adjustments away from being an elite power hitter.
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