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With the 92nd overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, the Milwaukee Brewers have selected Central Michigan standout Zavier Warren. He becomes the fifth Chippewa drafted in the last three years.
With the 92nd selection of the 2020 #MLBDraft, the Brewers select catcher Zavier Warren from @CMUAthletics. pic.twitter.com/JmFZPUPpo9
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 12, 2020
Warren played shortstop at Central Michigan over the last two seasons, but was selected as a catcher by Milwaukee.
The first CMU All-American honoree since 2007, Warren was a pivotal piece to the Chippewa’s offense and 2019 run, hitting .369 with an astronomical .502 on-base percentage across 61 games that season.
Warren entered the 2020 draft with one of the higher ceilings of any MAC prospect, thanks to his ability to play multiple positions, an above-average hit tool, and the ability to find the gaps and get on base.
He cemented his place as a legitimate early round draft pick with a successful summer in the Cape Cod League, showing his ability to get on base at a high clip and pile up the base hits. That success continued into 2020, with Warren averaging .328 at the plate to go along with a .469 OBP through 17 games this year before COVID-19 forced an end to another promising season.
Warren was ranked 106th on MLB Pipeline’s list of top draft prospects and as high as 84th on Keith Law’s list at The Athletic. His experience at third base, shortstop, first base, and catcher give him an opportunity to climb the ranks as a utility player if catching doesn’t work out and make an impact at the major league level.
His offensive skillset profiles well if Milwaukee believes he can stick behind the plate. Announcing him as a catcher means the Brewers plan to let Warren prove himself there, at least for now.
The switch-hitter with average to above-average tools across the board is a solid pick up for the Brew Crew.