USA TODAY Sports pairs Ike Irish with National League Central squad in latest mock draft
Ike Irish has had a phenomenal college career at Auburn. However, Tiger fans more than likely watched his final game in orange and blue last weekend as Auburn fell to Coastal Carolina in the Auburn Super Regional at Plainsman Park.
Several outlets project the Tigers' slugger to be taken in the first round of the MLB First Year Player Draft next month, including USA TODAY Sports. In the latest mock draft from Gabe Lacques of USA TODAY Sports, the Milwaukee Brewers are projected to take Irish with the No. 20 overall pick. Lacques feels that Irish will be a good fit in the organization if the Brewers plan to move Irish to catcher full time.
Another club that tends to lean college bat, the Brewers get a nice piece in Irish, whose .364, 19-homer platform season looks even better if he sticks at catcher professionally. But Irish caught just 12 games for the Tigers this year, spending 45 games in the outfield.
Irish was known to play multiple positions for the Tigers during his career. A primary catcher, Irish has also played first base, left field, right field, and designated hitter. In 2025, he made 40 starts in right field, 10 starts at catcher, and four starts in left field. Irish was moved primarily to create a place in the lineup for Chase Fralick, who hit .335 this season. However, Irish is still considered a quality catcher, and his willingness to move around the field to ensure the best players are on the field and in the batting lineup should be noted by Major League Baseball General Managers.
Irish has hit .350 with 39 home runs and 167 RBI over three seasons at Auburn, and hit career-high milestones in home runs (19), RBI (59), and batting average (.364) during his junior season in 2025.
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