Brock Wilken Stats & Scouting Report

AB	350
AVG	.209
OBP	.32
SLG	.366
HR	14

Full name Brock Caleb Wilken
Born 06/17/2002 in Albuquerque, NM
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Wake Forest
Drafted in the 1st round (18th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023 (signed for $3,150,000).

View Draft Report

School: Wake Forest Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.1
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Hit: 45. Power: 65. Run: 30. Field: 40. Arm: 60.

Wilken ranked as the No. 354 prospect in the 2020 class out of high school, when scouts saw him as a power-hitting righthander who had a chance to develop 70-grade power in the future. Those evaluations were prescient, and Wilken made it to Wake Forest where he has become a massive 6-foot-4, 225-pound slugger and one of the preeminent home run hitters in college baseball. Wilken has amassed 71 home runs over three seasons, with a .299/.419/.679 career slash line over 173 games. During his 2023 draft season, he hit over .300 for the first time in his career, set Wake Forest’s single-season home run record with 31, became the career home run leader for the program and finished No. 2 in the country for total home runs. Wilken has 70-grade raw power. He can launch a baseball out of any park, from foul pole to foul pole, and in 2023 he posted a 94.6 mph average exit velocity and 108.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity. That power does come with questions about his pure hitting ability, though Wilken in 2023 attempted to answer those questions by hitting for the highest average of his career, nearly doubling his walk rate from 2022 and significantly improving his contact vs. sliders—which he previously whiffed on at an alarming rate. Wilken has some tools that could play nicely at third base, including fine hands and a 60-grade throwing arm, but his lateral mobility is a question, he struggles to stay low to the ground at times and he’s also a well-below average runner. There’s plenty of first base-only risk here, though he has more than enough power for that slide down the defensive spectrum.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 50/High

Track Record: Wilken was one of the most dangerous sluggers in college baseball. He mashed 31 home runs in 66 games for Wake Forest in 2023, when he hit .345/.506/.807 while setting the school’s single-season record for home runs and walks (69). Wilken’s 71 career home runs are also the most in school history and tied for the Atlantic Coast Conference career record. The Brewers drafted him with their first-round pick at 18th overall and signed him for $3.15 million. He moved quickly upon signing, finishing 2023 at Double-A Biloxi.

Scouting Report: Power is Wilken’s calling card. He has quiet hands, a simple lower-half load and the strength in his 6-foot-4 frame to drive the ball with plus-plus raw power. He’s generally a pull-oriented hitter, but he has the juice to go deep to any part of the park. From 2022 to 2023 at Wake Forest, Wilken cut his strikeout rate from 24% to 18% while increasing his walk rate from 12% to 21%. That helped answer questions scouts had about his pure hitting ability, though he will likely always have a power-over-hit offensive profile with some swing-and-miss to his game. A well below-average runner, Wilken showed better lateral agility than expected at third base after signing. He has a plus-plus arm, though his hands and footwork might restrict him from being better than a fringe-average defender at third base, with a chance he outgrows the position and moves to first base.

The Future: If everything clicks, Wilken has the chance to be a 30-plus home run hitter who draws a lot of walks in the middle of a lineup, though he will have to prove he can keep his contact rate high enough against better pitchers and continue developing defensively to stick at third base. He’s likely ticketed for Double-A to open 2024.

Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 70 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 70

Draft Prospects

School: Wake Forest Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.1
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Hit: 45. Power: 65. Run: 30. Field: 40. Arm: 60.

Wilken ranked as the No. 354 prospect in the 2020 class out of high school, when scouts saw him as a power-hitting righthander who had a chance to develop 70-grade power in the future. Those evaluations were prescient, and Wilken made it to Wake Forest where he has become a massive 6-foot-4, 225-pound slugger and one of the preeminent home run hitters in college baseball. Wilken has amassed 71 home runs over three seasons, with a .299/.419/.679 career slash line over 173 games. During his 2023 draft season, he hit over .300 for the first time in his career, set Wake Forest’s single-season home run record with 31, became the career home run leader for the program and finished No. 2 in the country for total home runs. Wilken has 70-grade raw power. He can launch a baseball out of any park, from foul pole to foul pole, and in 2023 he posted a 94.6 mph average exit velocity and 108.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity. That power does come with questions about his pure hitting ability, though Wilken in 2023 attempted to answer those questions by hitting for the highest average of his career, nearly doubling his walk rate from 2022 and significantly improving his contact vs. sliders—which he previously whiffed on at an alarming rate. Wilken has some tools that could play nicely at third base, including fine hands and a 60-grade throwing arm, but his lateral mobility is a question, he struggles to stay low to the ground at times and he’s also a well-below average runner. There’s plenty of first base-only risk here, though he has more than enough power for that slide down the defensive spectrum.
A physical, 6-foot-4, 217-pound catcher and third baseman, Wilken stands out for his impressive raw power. There are scouts who believe he has the strength to develop plus-plus raw power in the future, though he’s definitely a power over bat hitter at this point. There are questions about how frequently Wilken will be able to tap into his power in the future. Additionally, there are questions about his defensive home, as he lacks the athleticism for a typical backstop or third baseman. Because of that he might be a better fit in an outfield corner or first base at the next level, where there will be increased pressure on his bat and power. Wilken is a Wake Forest commit.