Unique ‘Campleton’ has paid off
Sadly, 2020 can be best described as a wasted year of development for the majority of minor-leaguers in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
But among the small group fortunate enough to have been named to the team's 60-player pool, there's already been a major payoff for their efforts at the team's alternate training site in Appleton.
Six players – some previously considered prospects, others not – have gotten their first taste of the major leagues since the season began July 24, with right-hander Phil Bickford joining that distinguished group Tuesday.
Their overall impact hasn't been huge to this point. Still, it's been fun to watch the pipeline flow. And there's still almost another month to go in what's been the strangest campaign in baseball history.
“There's no Triple A, so this is where we are going to get players from,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We've had some reasons to be a little transactional here in the last couple of days. Some guys are getting some opportunities, and these are the guys that are performing.
“It's a different evaluation. But these are the guys that are doing the best down there. So, it's good.”
There are three specific groups of players at Campleton (so named by right-hander J.P. Feyereisen, who's also made his major-league debut this season and was on the opening-day roster but has also spent time there): those with previous major-league experience who are trying to get back; those in the upper level of the minor leagues who are on the cusp; and, finally, those who are considered prospects but are still in the lower levels of the minors.
The days are monotonous, filled with individual skill work, batting practice and intrasquad scrimmages at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, home of the Brewers' Class A affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
Then, because of COVID-19, it's back to the hotel for the evening with the only excitement whatever food is being delivered. Utility man Mark Mathias swore by a nearby Perkins for its baked goods.
It would be easy to fall into a rut and go through the motions at times, especially since a good number of the players have been there for six weeks. But the administrators and coaches are watching closely, and when a need arises at the major-league level there hasn't been a hesitation to dip into the pool.
That's how outfielder Tyrone Taylor earned his callup Tuesday. Counsell specifically noted the energy and effort the 26-year-old brought on a daily basis.
“I'm a guy that's always smiling. I don't know I don't know why I do it, it just kind of happens,” said Taylor, who got his first taste of the majors last September and spent the offseason recovering from wrist surgery.
He got into the dismal 12-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers in the eighth as a pinchhitter.
“I think that is part of the energy that feeds off me and then, just the group of guys in Appleton. Everybody there was also positive,” he said. “In that kind of environment, with the deal that we have going on with the taxi squad and stuff like that, you have to be that way or else you get nothing out of it.
“So we did a good job there, just staying positive as a group.”
Mathias was the first player to make his major-league debut out of Appleton, and he's easily made the biggest impact.
Acquired in a minor off-season trade with the Cleveland Indians, he made a good first impression in spring training by expanding his skill set to include the outfield despite being a natural middle infielder.
And wouldn't you know? In his two stints with the Brewers thus far, he's played 71 of his 72 innings in the outfield. Oh, and he's also hitting a solid .303 with four runs batted in over 13 games.
Right-hander Drew Rasmussen and left-hander Angel Perdomo were next up. Rasmussen remains in the bullpen, his 99-mph fastball playing well. Perdomo had a rough go of it in three appearances but the physical tools are there, and he'll be a name to watch in the future.
Right-hander Trey Supak, recalled Monday for insurance with spot starter Brent Suter starting, went back down Tuesday already. He could be somebody to watch in 2021.
Right-hander Justin Topa earned the nod Monday along with Supak, and then it was Bickford on Tuesday. Both have traveled long roads to get to this point, have great individual stories to tell and are now officially in the books after debuting Tuesday.
Topa surrendered a home run and struck out a pair in his two innings of work while Bickford hit the first two batters he faced in the left hand with the first, JaCoby Jones, needing to leave the game in the aftermath with what was later diagnosed as a fracture.
Counsell had a chat on the mound with Bickford while the second batter, Jorge Bonifacio, was being tended to.
Bickford eventually struck out a pair but also allowed four hits and four runs. A busy inning, to say the least.
There's a chance we could see one, two or more players also break through in this, the season's final month.
It'll be fun to watch, and proof to many of those still grinding away at Campleton that the dream is still well within reach.
“Absolutely,” Counsell said. “I think everyone wants some hope, no matter what they're doing. They're trying to get to the big leagues there. For those guys that have a chance to get called up, I think seeing it happen and seeing a bit of pace to the movement, yeah, it's definitely encouraging.
“It could be anybody. We're going to need this pitching over the next two days. So, we're going to see some guys make their debuts.”