Milwaukee Brewers select second baseman Zack Raabe in Round 8 of 2021 MLB Draft

Being undersized didn’t scare the Milwaukee Brewers away from taking Sal Frelick with their first round draft pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, and it didn’t stop them from taking second baseman Zack Raabe in Round 8, either. The junior had been playing for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers before getting popped by the Brewers at #237 overall.

Raabe, a native of Minnesota who turns 22 later this summer, hit .324/.399/.451 during his three seasons with the Gophers, accruing 399 plate appearances across 104 games. He shone last year during the pandemic-shortened campaign then followed it up with a .315/.407/.532 slash line and six homers and a lone stolen base in 146 plate appearances.

Ranked as the #277 prospect before the draft, here’s what Baseball America had to say about Raabe:

(277) 2B Zack Raabe

Raabe is an undersized second baseman with big league bloodlines who has carried the lineup at Minnesota...has an unbelievable approach at the plate with a hitter’s vision, incredible bat-to-ball skills, and solid strike zone awareness. He carried the incredible start he was off to last season into this year until running into a slump down the stretch...some scouts surmise that the pressure of hitting over .400 for half the year with little help from the rest of the lineup caused his dropoff. His tools are limited, but he flashed some more power this year. He’s defensively average and limited to second base, with an OK arm and a below-average run tool. The 21-year-old has a tough profile but he can really rake.

The slot value for pick #237 is $175,000.