2020 Prospect Depth Chart: Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers' system has thinned in recent years, especially on the offensive side, where Brice Turang and Tristen Lutz look like the only impact guys at this point (though Mario Feliciano, Carlos Rodriguez, and Luis Medina could get there soon). They're a bit deeper on the pitching side, especially at the upper levels, where they have a really nice young core of arms that could fill a variety of roles. Trey Supak, Zack Brown, Ethan Small, and the breakout Dylan File are all great pitchability guys, while Aaron Ashby, Drew Rasmussen, and Devin Williams show great stuff. My personal favorite of this group is File, a 21st round pick out of Dixie State in 2017 who has turned himself into a legitimate mid-rotation force.

Affiliates: AAA San Antonio Missions, AA Biloxi Shuckers, High A Carolina Mudcats, Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, rookie level Rocky Mountain Vibes, complex level AZL and DSL Brewers (plus DSL Indians/Brewers).

Catcher
- Mario Feliciano (2020 Age: 21): A competitive balance pick out of Puerto Rico in 2016, Feliciano has come along slowly but broke out in 2019 with a .270/.323/.473 slash line, 19 home runs, and a 143/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 119 games, mostly at High A Carolina. He's still an aggressive hitter, but he's gotten much better at getting his explosive barrel to the ball and tapping into his solid raw power. Combine 15-20 home run power with the fact that he can catch, and he just might be able to hit his way to a starting role as the Brewers' catcher of the future. He'll need to cut down on his swing and miss a bit and continue to refine his approach, but he'll play all of 2020 at 21 years old and proved he could handle High A pitching in 2019.
- Payton Henry (2020 Age: 22-23): Henry, who split catching duties with Feliciano at High A Carolina in 2019, has a fairly similar profile but has fallen behind his younger counterpart on the depth chart. In 2019, the 2016 sixth round pick out of a Salt Lake City-area high school slashed .242/.315/.395 with 14 home runs and a 142/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 121 games, generating good power from his leveraged swing but also mediocre plate discipline. He might be a better defender than Feliciano, he has just as much power, and he has a similarly aggressive approach, but he's also a year and a half older and their bats are in essentially the same place in their development, giving Feliciano the edge. Long term, I think Payton will make a good solid backup.
- Keep an eye on: Nick Kahle

Corner Infield
- Lucas Erceg (2020 Age: 24-25): Erceg was a talented amateur who began his career at Cal, but he transferred to Menlo College for his junior year and went in the second round. The Brewers have been waiting for his explosive bat to break out, but it doesn't look like it will, and in 2019 he slashed .218/.305/.398 with 15 home runs and a 102/44 strikeout to walk ratio over 116 games. He's got some raw pop from the right side, but he's never been the most consistent hitter and at the upper levels he hasn't really been able to get to that pop with consistency. Now that the Brewers have non-tendered Travis Shaw and lost Mike Moustakas to free agency, Erceg has a chance to compete for a bench spot in 2020, and I think he should be able to lock one down at some point. I just don't think he'll ever get to his power enough to start, and he probably settles in as a platoon bat or something of the like.
- Chad Spanberger (2020 Age: 24): In any other system, Spanberger would kind of fade into the crowd as a medium-hitting first baseman/outfielder, but he sticks out in now that he's in Milwaukee because he's one of their only viable corner infield prospects. In 2019, he slashed .237/.308/.399 with 13 home runs and a 117/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 122 games at AA in the Blue Jays system, then came over in an offseason trade for Chase Anderson. Those numbers kind of accurately show his major league projection, as he's shown some moderate power and knows how to get to it, but he probably won't post high on-base percentages. He hit just .213/.299/.276 against left handed pitching in 2019, compared to .247/.313/.451 against right handers, pointing to a career as a platoon bat.
- Keep an eye on: Luis Castro, Weston Wilson, Luis Silva

Middle Infield
- Brice Turang (2020 Age: 20): Early on in the scouting process for the 2018 draft, Turang was considered a potential first overall pick, but his "just solid" play failed to live up to the perhaps unfair expectations and he fell towards the back of the first round, where the Brewers scooped him up at pick #21. The Southern California high schooler had a strong first full season, slashing .287/.384/.376 with two home runs, 21 stolen bases, and a 54/49 strikeout to walk ratio over 82 games at Class A Wisconsin, though his numbers took a bit of a dip after his promotion to High A Carolina (1 HR, .200/.338/.276, 9 SB, 47/34 K/BB in 47 games). The biggest things that stick out for Turang are his plate discipline and his speed, as he has a very strong understanding of the strike zone for a kid his age and that even held up at High A despite the fact that he was still just 19. His baserunning acumen played up, too, as he stole 30 bases in 35 tries this year including nine out of ten at the higher level. However, scouts were split over how much power he would develop from his skinny, six foot frame, and so far, it turns out not much. There's still some hope that he could fill out and hit 15-20 home runs per season, but the more realistic outlook would be about ten as he's more focused on spraying line drives around the field. At this point, it looks like he'll stick at shortstop, giving him true leadoff upside.
- Gabe Holt (2020 Age: 22): Gabe Holt parlayed a strong two year career at Texas Tech into a seventh round selection in 2019, then slashed .263/.317/.447 with a pair of home runs and a 2/2 strikeout to walk ratio over 11 games in the complex level Arizona League and at rookie level Rocky Mountain. At Texas Tech, he was more of a singles hitter than anything else, but he has great feel for both the barrel and strike zone and actually hit for a bit more impact than expected in his small sample in the Pioneer League. He's also plenty fast and should be able to steal a lot of bases, and he has experience both at second base and in the outfield. Consider him Brice Turang–lite while he works his way up as a potential high on-base utility man.
- Eduardo Garcia (2020 Age: 17-18): Garcia signed out of Venezuela for $1.1 million in 2018, then slashed .313/.450/.469 with a home run and a 9/6 strikeout to walk ratio over ten games in the Dominican Summer League before going down with a broken ankle. He's an extremely lanky kid at 6'2" with a whippy bat and some power projection if he can fill out, and he's a competent hitter at a very young age – he won't even turn 18 until July. He's also a great defender, one who should stick at shortstop, and in a system shallow on infielders, he shouldn't have much in his way. Garcia is all projection at this point but he has as much talent as anybody.
- Felix Valerio (2020 Age: 19): There's not a ton of public information on Valerio, a teenage Dominican who came over from the Mets as part of the package for Keon Broxton before the 2019 season. He slashed .319/.409/.433 in the Dominican Summer League in 2018, then kept up the good work in the Brewers system by slashing .306/.376/.389 with 16 stolen bases and a 21/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 41 games in the complex level Arizona League. He's only 5'7", but he's extremely difficult to strike out, and he's not just a slap hitter because he can drive balls to the gaps and use his speed to do the rest. With the lack of over the fence power, it's probably hard to see Valerio starting in the majors, but he'll play all of 2020 at 19 years old and he's already proven to be able to put the barrel on just about anything.
- Keep an eye on: C.J. Hinojosa, Korry Howell, Cam Devanny, Felix Valerio

Outfield
- Corey Ray (2020 Age: 25): It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Ray, who was drafted fifth overall out of Louisville in 2016. Though he hit 27 home runs in 2018, he still hasn't posted an on-base percentage above .323, and in 2019 he slashed .218/.291/.363 with eight home runs and a 106/27 strikeout to walk ratio over 69 games between AA Biloxi, AAA San Antonio, and complex-level rehab around a fractured hand. Ray tantalizes with tools, as he can fly on the bases and shows a smooth, powerful swing from the left side that could produce 20-25 home runs per season if he could just get to it enough. That's been the problem, as his swing and get long and he swings and misses far more than he should if he wants to be a big league regular. Ray will play all of 2020 at 25 years old, so he's still young enough to be a true prospect, and hopefully he can take a clean bill of health in 2020 and get that power stroke back that he had in 2018. Better pitch recognition will probably be the first step for that.
- Tyrone Taylor (2020 Age: 26): Taylor has a classic fourth outfielder profile, with good feel for the barrel and an ability to to get to his decent power. I'm not sure how much it will play up, because he never hit for much power until he got to AAA, where he played in extremely hitter-friendly environments. In 2019, he slashed .275/.342/.462 with 14 home runs and an 87/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 97 games, then went 4-10 with a pair of doubles in a brief major league debut. He's a good defender who should be able to handle all three outfield spots, and I could see him as a solid all-around fourth outfielder with a little pop and the ability to get on base at a decent clip.
- Tristen Lutz (2020 Age: 21): A competitive balance pick out of a Dallas-area high school in 2017, Lutz might have the highest ceiling in the system, even if he hasn't quite gotten to it yet. In 2019, he slashed .255/.335/.419 with 13 home runs and a 137/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 112 games at High A Carolina. He generates a ton of leverage from his explosive right handed swing, and he gets to it decently often. Of course, he's got enough swing and miss that there's clearly still work to do. The hope is to get him to close the holes in his swing and hopefully generate 25-30 home runs per season down the line. Defensively, he projects to be above average in right field, and if he hits enough, he should start and could be an impact hitter.
- Thomas Dillard (2020 Age: 22): Dillard has a chance to provide good value after getting drafted in the fifth round out of Ole Miss in 2019, as he already slashed .249/.391/.407 with seven home runs, eight stolen bases, and a 53/44 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games, mostly at Class A Wisconsin. He's country strong and uses a whippy, leveraged swing to get to his power, though there are swing and miss questions. Interestingly, his mediocre run through SEC play hurt his stock heading into the draft, as it was thought the swing and miss in his game might hamper him against advanced pitching, but he hit well in a relatively aggressive assignment to Class A almost straight out of college. He's extremely patient at the plate, and at best he could produce solid, walk-inflated on-base percentages with 20-25 home runs per season, obviously with significant risk given his strikeout concerns. Defensively, he's almost certainly a left fielder, but the Brewers drafted him as a catcher and while he's yet to play there in pro ball, he did play behind the plate very occasionally at Ole Miss and that would really make his profile interesting.
- Carlos Rodriguez (2020 Age: 19): Rodriguez signed for $1.36 million in 2017, and he's outplayed his size to make himself one of the better outfield prospects in this system. In 2019, he slashed .329/.346/.416 with three home runs and a 22/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 43 games in the complex level Arizona League and at rookie level Rocky Mountain, showing his typical great defense while hitting for a bit more impact than was originally expected. Clocking in at a listed 150 pounds, Rodriguez is far from the biggest guy in the world, but he consistently barreled the ball up against rookie level pitching at 18 years old and that gives him a very well rounded profile. Going forward, he'll need to get a bit more patient at the plate so he can start drawing some walks and boosting his on-base percentage, though strikeouts haven't been an issue and likely won't ever be because of his plus hit tool. Down the line, Rodriguez could challenge Brice Turang as a leadoff hitter if all breaks right.
- Joe Gray Jr. (2020 Age: 20): Gray has always been known for his big raw power, but he's also been known for his swing and miss issues, and those dropped him to the second round in 2018 coming out of a Hattiesburg, Mississippi high school. Indeed, it's been rough so far for Gray, as he slashed just .164/.279/.300 with three home runs and a 36/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 31 games at rookie level Rocky Mountain, which itself isn't the most aggressive of assignments. Gray has the physical tools – he's strongly built at 6'1" and can put on a show in batting practice, his power stemming from his strength and from his lightning quick hands, and his arm strength is among the best in the system to go along with solid speed for his size. Unfortunately, he has been next to helpless at the plate against minor league pitching, and the track record for high school hitters who struggle out of the gate like this isn't great. Still, there's hope that Gray could just be a late bloomer and develop into a similar prospect to Tristen Lutz.
- Luis Medina (2020 Age: 17): Medina got $1.3 million to sign out of Venezuela in 2019, bringing a ton of power projection in his 6'2" frame that already comes naturally at 16 years old. He gets great leverage with his left handed swing and understands how to hit, with the upside of 25-30 or more home runs per season if everything breaks right. Of course, he has to prove he can hit pro pitching, keeping in mind he was literally born in the year 2003, but man I really enjoy just watching video of his swing. You can find some here.
- Keep an eye on: Pablo Abreu, Je'Von Ward, Micah Bello, Larry Ernesto, Eduarqui Fernandez

Starting Pitching
- Zack Brown (2020 Age: 25): A fifth round pick out of Kentucky in 2016, Gray impressed in his first full season in 2017 then broke out in 2018 by posting a 2.44 ERA and a 116/36 strikeout to walk ratio at AA Biloxi. It was a bit rougher in 2019, where he had a 5.79 ERA, a 1.73 WHIP, and a 98/64 strikeout to walk ratio over 116.2 innings at hitter-friendly AAA San Antonio, but he did get slightly better as the season went on. Brown sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a curveball that can be an out pitch for him, also employing a changeup and holding pretty good command. Brown was better at controlling the zone in his big 2018, but he fell behind in the count more often in 2019 and that, combined with the juiced balls in the PCL, hurt his overall numbers. I'm not overly worried, and I think he'll regain that feel for the zone and develop into a solid #4 starter in 2020.
- Trey Supak (2020 Age: 23-24): Supak, like Brown, dominated in 2018 (2.48 ERA, 123/44 K/BB), but then he got off to a hot start in 2019 with a 2.20 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and a 91/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 122.2 innings at AA Biloxi before a promotion to AAA San Antonio. Everything turned on its head there, as he ended up with a 9.30 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP, and a 27/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 30 innings with the juiced balls. He stands 6'5" and clocks in at a listed 240 pounds, but he's much more about pitchability than stuff. The big kid from La Grange, the small Texas town that produced longtime Red Hunter Bailey and Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins, sits in the low 90's with his fastball, adds a pair of solid breaking balls, and a changeup, all of which he commands and mixes very well. It's hard to stay balanced in an at bat against Supak, and he even controlled the zone well while he got shelled in AAA this year. I think once he gets his feet set and learns to miss barrels with the major league ball, he could be a #3 or #4 starter and I like him better than Zack Brown.
- Aaron Ashby (2020 Age: 21-22): A fourth round pick out of a Missouri junior college in 2018, Ashby's strong debut that year hinted that the Brewers might have had themselves a steal. It's now looking even more like that after a very good first full season in which he posted a 3.50 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and a 135/60 strikeout to walk ratio over 126 innings at Class A Wisconsin and High A Carolina. Always known for his live left arm, Ashby has continued to sharpen his stuff and now sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball while adding an absolute hammer of a curveball and an effective changeup, and perhaps most importantly, his command is improving. That will probably be the difference as to whether he ends up a #2/#3 starter or more of a #4/#5 – the command is approaching average, and if he can get it a tick or two above, he could be a legit impact arm. If not, Ashby still profiles well in the back of a rotation or as a power reliever.
- Dylan File (2020 Age: 23-24): This might be the biggest sleeper in the Brewers' system, but after his big 2019 season, very few are sleeping on him any more. File was a 21st round pick out of Dixie State in southern Utah – not exactly the kind of draft profile that creates headlines – but a solid first full season in 2018 (3.96 ERA, 114/28 K/BB in Class A) at least put him on the prospect map. Then in 2019, he posted a 3.24 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and a 136/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 147 innings at High A Carolina and AA Biloxi, actually pitching better at the higher level and dominating in the Southern League playoffs (14.1 IP, 1 ER, 15 K). He now sits in the low 90's with his riding fastball and adds a very good slider, a good curveball, and a changeup, and he commands them all very well. File's stock is shooting up and he could be a #3 starter in the relatively near future.
- Alec Bettinger (2020 Age: 24-25): Bettinger was a tenth round pick out of Virginia in 2017, and he broke out in 2019 with a 3.44 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 157/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 146.1 innings at AA Biloxi. The 6'2" lefty has a limited ceiling, but he's proven to be an extremely competent pitcher who can make his average stuff play up. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a pair of breaking balls and a changeup, none of which truly stand out as out pitches, but all of which work for him. With his command, he has a good shot at being a #4 or a #5 starter, especially with the Brewers' shallow starting pitching at the big league level and in the minors (though their best starting pitching prospects are concentrated near the top).
- Ethan Small (2020 Age: 23): Small dominated the SEC as a redshirt junior at Mississippi State in 2019, and he played that into a first round selection in the draft. He then dominated in his brief pro debut, posting a 0.86 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, 36/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 21 innings in complex ball and at Class A Wisconsin. He only sits around 90 with his fastball, but he adds a great changeup and a good curveball, all of which he commands and mixes so well that opposing hitters can't help but be off balance throughout their at bats. It's always been a question as to how he'll be able to handle more disciplined, higher level pro hitters, but his dominating debut that saw him reach full season ball is at least a positive sign that they might not figure him out either. Small's upside is that of a #3 or #4 starter but I wouldn't bet against him.
- Keep an eye on: Noah Zavolas, Max Lazar, Nick Bennett, Alexis Ramirez, Caden Lemons

Relief Pitching
- Devin Williams (2020 Age: 25): Williams was a decent starting pitching prospect up until 2019, when the Brewers shifted him to the bullpen and he took off. This year, had a 2.21 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and an 82/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 innings, mostly at AA Biloxi, then he had a 3.95 ERA, a 1.76 WHIP, and a 14/6 strikeout to walk ratio over 13.2 major league innings. He added a tick of velocity to his fastball and now sits in the mid to upper 90's, also adding a good slider and changeup, all of which can miss bats. His command isn't the greatest, and that hurt him in the rotation, but in short spurts he can work around it and he should be a valuable reliever in 2020.
- Drew Rasmussen (2020 Age: 24-25): Typically, if you want to be considered a top prospect, it's not ideal to turn 24 years old during your first pro season. However, Rasmussen had a long history of injuries at Oregon State and pitched just 64 innings from his sophomore through senior seasons, then got drafted in the sixth round shortly before his 23rd birthday after missing entire senior year. On a pro mound for the first time in 2019, he posted a 3.15 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a 96/31 strikeout to walk ratio 74.1 innings at Class A Wisconsin, High A Carolina, and AA Biloxi, making up for lost time by pitching most of his season at the higher level. He's a fastball/slider guy, sitting in the mid to upper 90's while adding a good slider, and his good command has kept him in the rotation for now, but his future is most likely in the bullpen, where he could hit 100. If he does transition to the bullpen in 2020, he should be up with the big league club at some point.
- Antoine Kelly (2020 Age: 20): The Brewers used their first pick in 2019 on Ethan Small, a Mississippi State hurler with excellent pitchability, then spent their second round pick on Antoine Kelly, a community college kid with a golden left arm and not much else. Kelly, out of Illinois, posted a 1.26 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 41/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 28.2 innings at complex level Arizona League, but he got shelled in his lone start at Class A Wisconsin, allowing six runs in three innings. Kelly sits in the mid to upper 90's with his fastball and perhaps more impressive than his velocity is the fact that he throws with little to no effort from a 6'6" frame. However, he lacks pretty much everything else: secondaries, command, pitchability, etc. Fortunately, he at least showed that he can throw the ball into the zone if he wants to, as he walked just five batters in 28.2 innings in complex ball, but his in-zone command is well behind. Also fortunately, he'll spent all of 2020 at 20 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop, and the Brewers hope to turn him into either a back of the bullpen force (more likely) or into a good starting pitcher (more of a reach).
- Keep an eye on: Clayton Andrews, Phil Bickford, Michael Mediavilla

Reviewing the Milwaukee Brewers Farm System

The Brewers, like the Rockies, have a top-heavy system with about seven or eight really interesting names followed by mostly fringe prospects, the recent trade of Luis Ortiz to the Orioles and the graduations of Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, and Corbin Burnes not helping. It's a pretty hitter-heavy system, with a nice array of bats scattered through the different levels and all bringing something a little different to the table. On the pitching side, it's the opposite story, with most interesting pitchers clustered around the High A/AA levels and also showing fairly similar skill sets as workhorse #3/#4 guys.

Affiliates: AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox*, AA Biloxi Shuckers, High A Carolina Mudcats, Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, rookie level Helena Brewers*, complex level AZL and DSL Brewers

*AAA affiliate will move from Colorado Springs, CO to San Antonio, TX and rookie affiliate will move from Helena, MT to Colorado Springs, CO in 2019

The Headliner: 2B Keston Hiura

22 year old Keston Hiura isn't exactly an exciting, high ceiling prospect, but he's a high floor guy who leaves little doubt that he will be a productive major league regular in the near future. After slashing an insane .442/.567/.693 in his junior season at UC Irvine in 2017 and .371/.422/.611 in his pro debut that year, he took well to a fairly aggressive assignment to High A Carolina in 2018 by slashing .320/.382/.529, earning a promotion to AA Biloxi in his first full pro season and slashing a respectable .272/.339/.416 there. Between Carolina and Biloxi in 2018, he totaled a .293/.357/.464 line with 13 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and a 103/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games, showing an extremely balanced offensive skill set overall. He makes consistent hard contact and sprays line drives all over the field, giving him plenty of gap power (he hit 34 doubles and five triples in 2018 too) and sometimes enough to get it over the wall. Defensively, he's just decent at second base, giving him what I see as a perfect comp to a right handed hitting Daniel Murphy. Both are plus-plus hitters who can muscle the ball over the fence while holding their own at second base, and I would not be surprised to see Hiura put up very similar numbers to Murphy. The Brewers don't really have a set starting second baseman, so while I think it is unlikely that Hiura breaks camp with the Crew, he could be up in the majors at some point in 2019 with nobody blocking him.

High Minors Hitters: OF Corey Ray, SS Mauricio Dubon, C Jacob Nottingham, 3B Lucas Erceg, 1B Jake Gatewood, and OF Troy Stokes Jr.

The Brewers have a nice mix of talent up in the high minors with outfielders, infielders, and even a catcher. There's power, speed, and some on-base ability, though beyond the aforementioned Keston Hiura, there's not much impact talent here after Corey Ray. We'll start there with 24 year old Corey Ray, not to be confused with Royals pitching prospect Corey Ray. The Brewers' Ray had a power breakout in 2018, slashing .239/.323/.477 with 27 home runs, 37 stolen bases, and a 176/60 strikeout to walk ratio over 135 games at AA Biloxi. The scouting report pretty much follows the numbers; he has a sweet swing that produces more power than you'd expect from a six footer, he draws his share of walks, and his plus speed helps him steal plenty of bases and play a pretty good center field. However, as he did in college, he struggles with contact and strikes out at a very high rate. The high strikeout rate has kept his batting average down in the minors, which is a big "so what?" because he draws plenty of walks and hits for power, but that whiff tendency will sap his production in the major leagues if he doesn't get it under control. His ability to make adjustments and recognize major league pitches will determine whether he joins Hiura as an impact player in a Mike Cameron sense on the Brewers teams of the early 2020's or if he ends up a fourth outfielder "almost-was" type of player. Moving up to AAA, 24 year old Mauricio Dubon slashed .343/.348/.574 with four home runs, six stolen bases, and a 19/2 strikeout to walk ratio over 27 games at hitter-friendly AAA Colorado Springs before a torn ACL ended his season in early May. He's a plus hitter that limits his strikeouts and who should have no problem putting major league pitches in play, and he's patient enough that he should be able to post pretty good on-base percentages in the .350 range. On the flip side, his power is mostly to the gaps, where he uses his speed to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Defensively, he's capable of handling shortstop, but just how much punch he can show with the bat in the majors will determine whether he is double play partners with Keston Hiura or just a utility infielder. 23 year old Jacob Nottingham has been a prospect for so long that after he was drafted in the sixth round in 2013 out of high school in California, he was involved in the Scott Kazmir trade of 2015 and the Khris Davis trade of 2016. In 2018, he slashed .281/.347/.528 with ten home runs and a 59/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 50 games at Colorado Springs, which is more good than great when you consider his home ballpark. His bat has been very inconsistent over the years, as he looks like a guy who could put up the above slash line in the majors on the right day but one that would get eaten alive on the wrong day. Defensively, the glove has come along to the point where he will stick behind the plate, and at this point the development of his bat will determine whether he starts or ends up a backup. The fact that there are seemingly fewer and fewer capable big league catchers to go around does work in his favor. Moving back down to AA, 23 year old Lucas Erceg slashed .248/.306/.382 with 13 home runs and an 82/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at Biloxi, though you can project better numbers in the future if you squint a little. He's got good power, a good approach, and can elevate the ball, but for now it has just added up to an average overall package at the plate. A few adjustments could make him a Travis Shaw-like hitter, but of course those adjustments can be easier said than done. Defensively, his cannon arm makes him a positive presence at third base, and the Brewers just hope the bat comes along in 2019. Across the diamond at first base, 23 year old Jake Gatewood slashed .244/.302/.466 with 19 home runs and a 114/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 94 games for Biloxi, and he finds himself in somewhat of a similar position to Erceg. Erceg is a better pure hitter, but the 6'5" Gatewood has more power projection and could pass Erceg as a prospect if he can hone in his approach in 2019. Becoming more selective at the plate and recognizing pitches better could help Gatewood get to his big raw power more often, and he's moving in the right direction which should give the Brewers hope. Defensively, he's just a first baseman but the glove and arm are both good enough there that he can still contribute. Lastly, 22 year old Troy Stokes Jr. is basically Corey Ray-lite (though he bats right handed), having slashed .233/.343/.430 with 19 home runs, 19 stolen bases, and a 147/65 strikeout to walk ratio over 129 games at Biloxi. Like Ray, he's a little guy (just 5'8") who uses his athleticism to hit for more power than you'd expect, steals plenty of bases, and strikes out too much. He's a patient hitter who draws enough walks to offset his low batting averages, though despite his speed, he's not great defensively and probably ends up in left field. Overall, it's a fourth outfield projection, but a fun one.

Mid Minors Hitters: OF Tristen Lutz, C Mario Feliciano, C Payton Henry, and 1B Chad McClanahan

There's more pitching depth than hitting depth in the middle of the system, but there are still a couple of interesting names to track that spent parts or all of 2018 in A ball, all of which were products of the 2016 draft out of high school. 20 year old Tristen Lutz (competitive balance, 34th overall) is likely the best prospect in that group, coming off a season where he slashed .245/.321/.421 with 13 home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 139/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 119 games at Class A Wisconsin. Right now, he shows a good all around game with no standout tool except perhaps his strong arm from the outfield, but he also shows few weaknesses and has the potential to develop parts of his game further. He's strong and should develop more power in the coming seasons, with the ultimate projection of 20-30 home runs per season looking very possible. Unlike a lot of power hitters, he's not slow and can play a solid right field, though he figures to lose a step as he gains strength. His one weakness right now is his tendency to swing and miss, as his high strikeout totals have suppressed his production and will make it somewhat of an uphill climb as he moves through the minors. With more work on his contact ability, he could become a solid regular for the Brewers down the line. 20 year old Mario Feliciano (competitive balance, 75th overall) missed time with injuries this season and slashed just .213/.291/.331 with three home runs and a 62/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games between High A Carolina and complex level rehab, making 2019 a lost season for the otherwise promising prospect. He's extremely advanced for his age and should be able to stick behind the plate, and he'll play all of 2019 at just 20 years old while getting another shot at High A. With his offensive track record at any other position, I probably wouldn't mention him, but catchers are hard to come by and he reached High A at 19 years old, so he's still worth keeping an eye on. 21 year old Payton Henry (sixth round) is another catching prospect worth keeping an eye on, as he slashed .234/.327/.380 with ten home runs and a 124/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 98 games at Wisconsin in 2018. Despite being nearly a year and a half older than Feliciano, is bat is in pretty much the same spot, if with a little more power and a little less plate discipline, and his defense is coming along to where he should stick behind the plate. Feliciano has more time to develop and has already tasted High A, but Henry won't be coming off a lost season and it should be interesting to see who moves ahead. Lastly, 21 year old Chad McClanahan (11th round) has moved along slowly, just tasting Class A this year as he slashed .263/.347/.452 with nine home runs and an 88/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 70 games between rookie level Helena and Wisconsin. He was much better at Helena (.301/.382/.541) than Wisconsin (.171/.261/.237), a breakdown in his plate discipline showing why the Brewers have been cautious about promoting him. At 6'5", he has some of the best raw power projection in the system, but the Brewers are continuing to work with him on his pitch recognition and plate discipline. This gives him a wide range of potential outcomes, with the possibility that he figures it all out and becomes a 20-30 homer bat, or the possibility that he flares out in A ball.

Lower Level Hitters: SS Brice Turang, OF Joe Gray, OF Je'Von Ward, OF Larry Ernesto, and OF Carlos Rodriguez

As is the case with most organizations, some of the Brewers' most interesting talent is down in rookie ball, including one player who could work his way up to being the top prospect in the system by the time Keston Hiura graduates. That player is 19 year old Brice Turang, a first round pick (21st overall) out of a southern California high school in 2018. Turang was actually a very early candidate to go first overall, but a so-so summer of 2017 dropped his stock a little bit, and he never recovered it. After being drafted, he slashed .283/.396/.352 with one home run, 14 stolen bases, and a 34/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 42 games between complex ball and rookie level Helena. Those numbers match the scouting reports exactly, as Turang brings an advanced approach, solid bat to ball skills, good speed, and good defense at shortstop. Really, his only weakness is power, as he is very skinny and employs more of a line drive approach right now. His plate discipline and hand eye coordination will help him continue to put up good numbers as he moves through the minors and his speed and defense will buy the power plenty of time to develop, so he has a fairly high floor as far as high schoolers go. Ultimately, he has a Jimmy Rollins ceiling (though he'll probably never match that power/speed combination) and might end up more as a utility guy if he continues to do little more than spray line drives at the plate. 18 year old Joe Gray was the second round pick (60th overall) of the same draft out of a Mississippi high school, and he struggled a bit by slashing .182/.347/.325 with two home runs, six stolen bases, and a 25/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 24 games in complex ball after signing. Gray is a very different player from Turang, using his lightning quick hands and bat to produce plenty of raw power, and unlike many power hitters, he has some good speed as well. Combine that with his cannon arm to make him an asset in right field and he really only has one weakness as a player; his pitch recognition. His hands are plenty quick enough to catch up to velocity and make adjustments on breaking balls, but he just gets fooled too much even against lower level pitching. He has a very low floor and lots of bust potential, but if the Brewers can iron out that plate discipline and help him get to his power consistently, he could be a special player. 19 year old Je'Von Ward was a twelfth round pick out of high school in southern California in 2017, but he was young for his class and spent 2018 with Helena, slashing .307/.391/.403 with two home runs, 13 stolen bases, and a 57/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 64 games. He's more of a sleeper prospect with no standout tools, but he handled rookie ball very well at just 18 years old and has the tools to be a breakout prospect in A ball in 2019. With his speed, youth, and all-around skill set, he's one to keep an eye on. Lastly, 18 year olds Larry Ernesto and Carlos Rodriguez just made their pro debuts in 2018 after being signed out of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, respectively. Ernesto slashed .247/.300/.399 with five home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 74/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 58 games in complex ball, while Rodriguez put up a .325/.363/.414 line with two home runs, 14 stolen bases, and a 20/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 61 games. While Rodriguez had the better numbers, Ernesto carries the higher ceiling with his power, speed, and projectable defense in the outfield. It remains to be seen whether he can develop his power without losing speed, but he's strong enough and has enough feel for the barrel that he could plausibly keep both. However, he is raw on both sides of the ball (as is expected for an 18 year old) and will most importantly need to improve his plate discipline. Rodriguez is smaller at 5'10" and just 150 pounds, but he has combined excellent bat to ball skills with some surprising gap power, proving he is more than just a slap hitter. He actually makes such ready contact that he rarely walks, but he puts the ball in play enough to use his speed well. Going forward, there is little doubt that he will be able to handle more advanced pitching, with his ultimate projection depending on a) whether he becomes more patient at the plate and draws more walks and b) how much that line drive power can continue to manifest itself at the higher levels.

The Pitchers: RHP Zack Brown, RHP Trey Supak, RHP Marcos Diplan, RHP Braden Webb, RHP Cody Ponce, LHP Aaron Ashby, RHP Caden Lemons, and RHP Phil Bickford

There aren't many notable pitchers in this system, and six of the most interesting are right in that High A/AA stage. Brown, Supak, Webb, and Ponce are all workhorse, mid to back of the rotation starters, though many of the younger guys look to develop differently. 24 year old Zack Brown looks like the most complete prospect in the system at this point, coming off an excellent 2018 where he went 9-1 with a 2.40 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and a 119/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 127.2 innings, all but two of which were at AA Biloxi. He throws in the low to mid 90's and adds a very good curveball, and though his command is more good than great, he's a smart pitcher who gets his outs on the ground but who can also use that curveball as a swing and miss pitch when he needs it. At this point, he projects as a solid #3 starter who could be in the majors soon. 22 year old Trey Supak is a big, 6'5" Texas righty that fits the stereotype, throwing in the low 90's and adding a solid curve and change, all of which he mixes well. That led to a 2.48 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 123/44 strikeout to walk ratio over 137.2 innings at High A Carolina and Biloxi, putting him in a good position to fight for a major league rotation spot in late 2019 or early 2020. He is a year and a half younger than Brown, though ultimately he still needs to take another step forward if he wants to be more than a #4 or #5 starter. At this point, that's his projection: a workhorse who can eat up innings and keep his ERA closer to 4.00 than 5.00. 22 year old Marcos Diplan is a different kind of pitcher, and he just finished a 2018 where he posted a 4.08 ERA, a 1.61 WHIP, and a 117/74 strikeout to walk ratio over 118.1 innings at Carolina and Biloxi. He is much less workhorse and much more projection, showing a low to mid 90's fastball and a great slider, with the only problem being that he doesn't quite know where either pitch is going when he throws them. His delivery is not high effort, but he struggles to repeat his arm slot and therein lies the problem. Getting more consistent with his mechanics and then focusing on improving his changeup could make him a mid rotation starter, but if he can't, he looks like a solid bullpen arm. 23 year old Braden Webb and 24 year old Cody Ponce are both fringe rotation prospects who have a chance to end up being #5 starters or wind up as long relievers, with Webb posting a 3.80 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and a 128/66 strikeout to walk ratio over 120.2 innings at Carolina and Biloxi and Ponce putting up a 4.36 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and an 88/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 95 innings at Biloxi. Webb is a little bit more explosive and looked very good in a short AA stint, while the 6'6" Ponce is more of a workhorse in the Trey Supak vein. Webb has the stuff to be a successful back-end starter, but his command is so-so and there are pitchers with the same stuff and better command (like Supak). On the flip side, Ponce has the command to be a major league starter, but his stuff is just a little light and at this point he looks more like a long reliever. I like Webb better at this point, as he is a year younger and has a higher ceiling, but both have adjustments to make. Lower down in the system, 20 year old Aaron Ashby, the only lefty on this list, was just drafted in the fourth round out of junior college in Missouri, then got off to a fast start by posting a 3.59 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 66/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 57.2 innings between Helena and Class A Wisconsin, actually posting better numbers after his promotion (2.17 ERA, 47/9 K/BB vs 6.20 ERA, 19/8 K/BB at Helena). He throws comfortably in the low to mid 90's and can hit 100 if you ask him to, also showing a big curveball that gets plenty of swings and misses. His command was considered questionable at best on draft day, but he kept it in the strike zone very well in pro ball and has a chance to become the best pitching prospect in the system with a breakout in 2019. 20 year old Caden Lemons has a high ceiling but lots of work to do to get there. The skinny 6'6" righty posted a 4.26 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP, and a 28/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 31.2 innings in complex ball and rookie ball in Helena with the Brewers focusing more on practice than in-game reps. Lemons throws in the low 90's but it is easy to envision more velocity once he fills out his frame, and his slider has made some progress. He still remains a project, even a lottery ticket of sorts, but the ceiling is high enough that he is worth watching. Lastly, we have 23 year old Phil Bickford, the two-time first round pick (10th overall in 2013 and 18th in 2015) who has fallen from grace after a big 2016 season in A ball (2.93 ERA, 135/42 K/BB). A second failed recreational drug test and a broken hand limited him to 17 innings in 2017, then he posted a 4.67 ERA, a 1.59 WHIP, and a 41/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 34.2 innings at Carolina in 2018. He's a fastball/slider guy who has good enough command to make it work as a starter if he can stay on the mound consistently, but he has been inconsistent even when on the mound and it looks like he's going to end up as a reliever at this point.