MILWAUKEE -- The last time the Brewers drafted a player straight out of a Wisconsin high school was in 2010, a right-hander named Conor Fisk from Grafton, just north of Milwaukee. He wound up going to college, was drafted again by the Blue Jays four years later and made it as high as Triple-A.

The last time the Brewers drafted a player directly out of a high school in Wisconsin who ultimately made it to the Majors was way back in 1994. Matt Erickson was an Appleton West shortstop who lived the dream of playing for his home state team in 2004. Today, he’s on the Brewers’ coaching staff.

All of which is to say that a lot of things will have to go right for the Brewers’ latest pick from a Wisconsin high school -- 18-year-old 6-foot right-hander Noah Wech, who was selected Tuesday in the 19th round on Day 3 of the MLB Draft -- to make it to the Majors with the Brewers. But for the first time in a while, there’s a chance.

First, the Brewers will have to convince Wech to sign rather than pitch at Oklahoma State, where a scholarship is waiting.

“It’s an interesting projection,” Brewers VP of domestic scouting Tod Johnson said. “A high school arm to add to the portfolio with the ones we took [Monday] as well.”

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The Brewers drafted 12 high school players overall -- starting with outfielder Braylon Payne in the first round -- including nine prep pitchers among their 22 total selections over the last three days.

Now comes the work of signing players before the Aug. 1 deadline. The Brewers have a pool of $12,984,400 with which to work -- bonus figures from the first 10 rounds plus anything over $150,000 for players drafted from Rounds 11-20 count against the pool -- before they begin incurring penalties on the overage. In recent years, the Brewers have worked creatively to spread those funds around to secure some Draft steals in the middle and late rounds.

They will take a shot with more later-round prep picks this year, including a crop of high school pitchers. They are Bryce Meccage (second round) and Chris Levonas (Competitive Balance Round B) from Day 1; Griffin Tobias (ninth round) and Ethan Dorchies (10th round) from Day 2; and Joey Broughton (13th round), Jayden Dubanewicz (16th round), Tyler Renz (18th round), Wech and Henry Brummel (20th round).

All have some leverage, given they have scholarships waiting. But the Brewers offer the opportunity to begin their professional careers immediately.

• Crew round out Day 1 with 1B Burke and RHPs Meccage and Levonas

"We signed five high school kids last year [from] Day 3, so if we got five of these guys done, that probably would be a pretty good outcome,” Johnson said. “So ultimately, I don't know exactly how it will break out when we get it all said and done, but I feel like we'll be in a similar number of signings this year as last year."

Among those targets is Wech, who went 7-1 with a 0.94 ERA and 87 strikeouts over 52 innings at Manitowoc Lincoln High School as a senior in 2024, earning First Team All-State Honors. He also pitched in three games (two starts) for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders of the Northwoods League this summer, with a 2.31 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings.

He’s one of several prospects from this year’s Draft who fell under the watch of Brewers area scout Ginger Poulson. Tobias, Dorchies and Broughton (a lefty with an eye-popping spin rate on his curveball and rise on his fastball who missed time this year with an elbow injury) all came out of her territory. So did 17th-round pick Cooper Malamazian (a shortstop) and Wisconsin’s Wech.

Of scouting Wisconsin, Johnson said, “It’s a good area for being the weather state that it is -- that's always a challenge. We always talk about the fact that high school kids in California basically never stop playing, and up here, you’ve got ice on the field until May.

“But the kids have gotten through it. They've had to deal with that and persevere through that situation. They're usually a good group, so we’re excited to have landed one in this class, for sure.”

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Is it just circumstance that so many of the recent Wisconsin high school products -- players such as the Dodgers’ Gavin Lux and the Rays’ Ben Rortvedt -- are position players?

Johnson thinks so.

“Honestly, a lot of times hitters need more reps, so I don't know that that's it,” he said. “I think it's probably just the way it's worked out.”