2025 MLB Draft: J.D. Thompson contract details revealed for Milwaukee Brewers second-round pick

Just over a week after being selected 59th overall in the second round by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2025 MLB Draft, left-handed pitcher J.D. Thompson has agreed to terms on his pro contract. He’ll receive $1.6 million — which is full value for the pick, per Spotrac.

Thompson pitched three seasons at Vanderbilt, where he started 29 games and appeared in 43 games total. In 164 career innings, he boasts a career 13-7 record with a 4.28 ERA and 219 strikeouts.

“JD is another one of those throwback players,” Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin said about Thompson. There are no instructions to coaching him. ‘Here is a ball and glove, now go pitch.’ He answers the question of whether a baseball player should play other sports…he played them all. J.D. became one of our most reliable starters last year. He simply competes for his team, while having a steady mental approach. JD is a winning ball player who has learned how to navigate early challenges in his life and grow in the most responsive way. He is a bulldog.”

The Rusk, TX native now heads to a Milwaukee Brewers organization that is one of the most consistent in all of Major League Baseball. Thompson was one of a few notable college names selected by the Brewers, joining Tennessee first baseman Andrew Fischer, Coastal Carolina right-handed pitcher Jacob Morrison and LSU shortstop Daniel Dickinson.

Thompson was slated as Preseason Second Team All-SEC selection

“Though Thompson’s fastball camps at 90-93 mph and tops out at 95, it ranks near the top of college baseball in terms of getting strikes, chases and swings and misses both inside and outside of the strike zone,” his MLB.com scouting report reads. “His heater features significant induced vertical break, and he also can command it to both sides of the plate. His second-best offering is a 77-81 mph sweeping slider that he uses primarily against lefties and can back-foot versus righties.

Although his junior season may not have been as great as the preseason hype indicated (Thompson was named a 2025 Preseason Second Team All-SEC selection), he was still vital in the Commodores earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“Thompson also can miss bats with his mid-70s curveball and low-80s changeup with mild fade but has more difficulty landing them for strikes,” his MLB.com scouting report continued. “He has little effort in his delivery and repeats it well, so he could develop above-average control. He comes with a high floor as a No. 4 starter and might be better than that if his fastball continues to thrive at the next level.”