Turang is still on top of Brewers’ prospect list
Ranking an organization’s top prospects is always a subjective exercise, even during normal times. Following a pandemic-plagued year in which there was no minor-league baseball raises that activity to a new level of speculation.
Major-league decision makers faced that same dilemma after COVID-19 stopped every minor-league club from
playing games in 2020. Without fans, minor-league teams could not afford to operate, leaving their ballparks dark.
Organizations attempted to provide some hands-on instruction for certain top prospects, inviting them to join the otherwise established group at their alternate training sites. Those not assigned there got on-the-field work during instructional camps in the fall, with some players making both stops.
Any way you look at it, player development took a big hit last year. Accordingly, putting together a Top 10 list became more of a challenge, with recently signed or drafted players being evaluated on skill sets and background rather than in-game performance.
“It’s tough with guys who haven’t played games yet,” Milwaukee Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan said. “A lot of our international (signings) are just kids and haven’t played in real games. But we think they’re going to be good players. We would have liked to send 100 guys to (the alternate training site in) Appleton but we only had so many spots.”
With that in mind, we present the Journal Sentinel’s 2021 Top 10 prospects list for the Brewers, whose farm system is starting to fill back in after being thinned by trades and promotions to the majors in recent years. But keep this in mind: reliever Devin Williams, the 2020 National League rookie of the year, last appeared in a Brewers Top 10 list in 2016 (No. 10 by Baseball America).
Middle infielder Brice Turang, the Brewers’ No. 1 prospect last year, retains that spot because he did nothing over the past year to relinquish it. A firstround draft pick out of high school in California in 2018, Turang has impressed with his skills at the plate and in the field at both shortstop and second base, including time at the Brewers’ alternate training site.
“He really looked good,” Flanagan said. “He might stay at short but he also could end being a second baseman. Either way, he could make an impact because of his bat.”
The list includes three players yet to officially make their professional debuts – centerfielder Garrett Mitchell (No. 2), a first-round draft pick out of UCLA in 2020, and outfielder Hedbert Pérez (No. 7) and catcher Jeferson Quero (No. 10), international signees out of Venezuela in 2019.
Also included is a player who already debuted in the majors – Drew Rasmussen (No. 9), who got his feet wet in the Brewers’ bullpen last season. The hardthrowing right-hander could be the next Williams, ready to make a bigger splash this year.
1. Brice Turang, SS
Age: 21. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 175. Acquired: 1st round, 2018 draft, H.S. – Corona, Calif.
Background: Turang was wellknown on the scouting trail before the ’18 draft because of his participation in showcases as well as international tournaments with Team USA. His performance slipped during his senior year in high school and he did as well on draft boards before the Brewers eagerly took him with the 21st pick and gave him an above-slot bonus of $3,411,100 to forgo a scholarship to LSU. Turang performed well for the most part in his first two pro seasons (.374 OBP, 44 stolen bases), and during the pandemic shutdown was assigned to the alternate training site in Appleton, where he impressed the staff with the way he swung the bat, displaying more pop.
Scouting report: Turang has been impressive as a young hitter with his pitch recognition, plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills. He will work pitchers for walks and has a smooth, balanced swing and willingness to take the ball to all fields. The one knock had been a lack of power but Turang showed improvement in that facet at Appleton. He has good speed and therefore projects as a top-of-the-order hitter with strong onbase ability. Smooth and rangy in the field with a strong throwing arm, Turang has a chance to stick at shortstop but could move to second base – a position he has played in the minors – if determined best for him and the organization.
Future: Turang should be able to make the jump to Class AA in 2021 as he continues his progress toward being a major-league player.
2. Garrett Mitchell, CF
Age: 22, B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt: 215. Acquired: 1st round, 2020 draft, UCLA.
Background: They don’t come much more athletic than Mitchell, a threeyear starter for the Bruins who became the highest-drafted position player out of UCLA (20th overall) since Chase Utley
in 2000 (15th). He was projected as a potential top-10 pick coming into 2020 but concerns about a lack of power – he hit six homers in his college career, all as a sophomore – and Type 1 diabetes left him available for Milwaukee. With no minor-league season, Mitchell was relegated to taking part in the organization’s fall instructional league and showed well after missing the early portion with a quadriceps issue. He signed for $3,242,900.
Scouting report: Mitchell’s lack of power in college doesn’t concern the Brewers, who have seen plenty of players develop more pop as both their body and approach at the plate mature. He has managed his diabetes well since his youth, so that issue shouldn’t hinder his long-term prospects. The explosive Mitchell has tremendous speed and good arm strength, and should be able to remain in center with his excellent range while profiling as a leadoff hitter who regularly puts the ball in play.
Future: Mitchell will make his pro debut in 2021 and projects as a fast climber through the system with his advanced skill set.
3. Mario Feliciano, C
Age: 22. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 195. Acquired: Competitive Balance Round B, 2016 draft, H.S. – Florida, Puerto Rico.
Background: All minor-league prospects were hurt by having no games in 2020 but the Brewers sure would have liked to get another season of development with Feliciano after a breakthrough ’19 campaign. He was named most valuable player of the advanced Class A Carolina League after batting .273 with 19 home runs and 81 RBI in 116 games, quite a performance for a player who was 20 at the time. But all was not lost because Feliciano stood out offensively, particularly as one of the younger players, at the alternate training site in Appleton.
Scouting report: Feliciano’s strikeout rate has climbed as he traded contact for power, and he needs to work on avoiding swinging out of the strike zone so often. Though more of an offensive player, he has worked hard and improved enough behind the plate to project as an everyday player in the majors, with athleticism, a strong arm and takecharge attitude. He threw out 28% of base stealers in ’19 and continued to throw well last summer in Appleton.
Future: Feliciano likely will be assigned to Class AA Biloxi this season as he remains on track to ascend to the majors as a young catcher to watch.
4. Aaron Ashby, LHP
Age: 22. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 181.
Acquired: 4th round, 2018 draft, Crowder (Mo.) JC.
Background: The nephew of former major-league pitcher Andy Ashby, the Kansas City native was named Milwaukee’s minor-league pitcher of the year in 2019 after going 5-10 with a 3.50 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 126 innings (9.6 per nine) over 24 appearances (23 starts), split between Class A Wisconsin and advanced Class A Carolina. He’s another player who benefited from pitching at the alternate training site but even more so in instructional camp, where he stood out.
Scouting report: Ashby utilizes a mix that includes an improving fastball that now sits in the mid-90s as well as a big curveball and changeup. He limited left-handed hitters to a .183 average and slugging percentage of just .229 in 2019, so if for some reason Ashby doesn’t pan out as a starter down the road he could become an effective option out of the bullpen. Ashby sometimes has lapses in control but the Brewers love his competitiveness and studiousness, traits that aren’t always a given with prospects.
Future: Ashby should be ready to pitch at the Class AA level this year with hopes of getting him close to the big leagues by 2022.
5. Antoine Kelly, LHP
Age: 21. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 205. Acquired: 2nd round, 2019 draft, Wabash Valley (Ill.) JC.
Background: The Brewers knew Kelly was a raw talent when they selected him out of junior college but it was impossible to ignore his remarkable strikeout rate of 19.1 hitters per nine innings, tops in the country. After signing for just over $1 million, he split time in the Arizona Rookie League and low Class A Wisconsin, whiffing 45 hitters in 312⁄3 innings. Despite his scant professional background, Kelly was one of the organization’s most impressive pitchers in Appleton last summer and could break through in a big way when he puts it all together.
Scouting report: Using his height and arm strength to pitch on a downhill plane with a high-90s fastball, Kelly can blow hitters away without going to his secondary pitches – a slider that he must command better and rarely-used changeup. When he throws his slider for strikes, he is nearly unhittable – especially for lefties – and could be the second coming of Josh Hader as a bigleague reliever. He has slow times to the plate that runners can take advantage of, assuming they get on base, which hasn’t been often.
Future: It remains to be seen how hard the Brewers will push Kelly to the big leagues, but he might end up in their bullpen sooner than you think.
6. Ethan Small, LHP
Age: 24. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 215. Acquired: 1st round, 2019 draft, Mississippi State.
Background: Small signed for $1.8 million after the Brewers took him 28th overall in 2019. He led the Bulldogs to the College World Series after being named pitcher of the year in the Southeastern Conference, and got his feet wet professionally by making five short starts at Class A Wisconsin later in 2019. Small racked up 31 strikeouts in 18 innings to go along with a 1.00 ERA and WHIP of 0.83. He pitched at the alternate training site last summer, getting valuable work in a competitive environment.
Scouting report: Small will be 24 by the time the minor-league season begins, and with one invitation to majorleague spring training already under his belt it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him receive another as the Brewers try to advance him through the system. With a fastball in the 89-93 mph range, Small doesn’t overpower hitters. But thanks to a deceptive delivery that he alters at times and decent-enough off-speed stuff, he’s still able to succeed and amass big strikeout numbers by commanding all quadrants of the strike zone.
Future: Small’s feel for pitching will get him to the big leagues sooner than later, where he projects as a starter at the back of the rotation.
7. Hedbert Pérez, OF
Age: 17. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 180. Acquired: International signing, 2019, Venezuela.
Background: Considering his young age and the fact he has yet to play a professional game, the word of mouth on Pérez throughout the Brewers’ organization is quite strong. The Brewers gave Pérez $700,000 at age 16 coming out of Venezuela, where he trained under his father, Robert, a former major-league outfielder who played briefly for Milwaukee in 2001. He was considered one of the best hitters in his class with expectations of remaining in center field, thus increasing his value. He was the youngest player on any team’s 60-man player pool last year and more than held his own in Appleton before continuing to impress in instructional ball in the fall.
Scouting report: Pérez has a sweet swing – compact and efficient – with good contact and pop to all fields. Such a disciplined approach is uncommon at such a young age, and he showed good
power while taking batting practice at American Family Field before signing. He is a plus runner with quick acceleration and good routes in center, where he also displays a strong and accurate arm. Pérez speaks fluent English and has impressed coaches with his confident demeanor and leadership skills.
Future: Getting Pérez’s professional career started would be a good step in 2021 but most talent evaluators believe he will quickly ascend to top-prospect status in the organization.
8. Eduardo García, SS
Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 170. Acquired: International signing, 2018, Venezuela.
Background: García signed for $1.1 million on his 16th birthday, then batted .313 with a homer, three RBI and a .450 OBP in 10 games in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 before being sidelined by a fractured ankle, suffered while sliding into second base. His 2020 experience was salvaged by an invitation to work out at the alternate training site, where he able to receive daily instruction, play in games and learn from older, more experienced players.
Scouting report: García is still a young, raw player but there may be some physical comparisons to shortstops Alcides Escobar and Orlando Arcia at the same age. García will get bigger and stronger as he matures but already shows more potential with the bat at this stage. Defensively, he might not be as flashy at this point but can do everything expected of a shortstop in terms of range and arm strength. Should he continue to grow and perhaps become too big to stay at the position, García could be a possibility at third base – a position of need within the organization.
Future: García just needs to play and get reps at the plate and in the field. It’s all about getting experience at this stage.
9. Drew Rasmussen, RHP
Age: 25. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 211. Acquired: 6th round, 2018 draft, Oregon State.
Background: Might Rasmussen be the next Devin Williams in the Brewers’ bullpen? He doesn’t have an unhittable changeup as Williams does but he has a high-octane fastball and got his feet wet in the majors in 2020, much as Williams did in ’19 before bursting onto the scene last year as the best reliever in the NL. It’s hard to believe Rasmussen had two Tommy John elbow surgeries before signing with the Brewers, who didn’t hesitate to bring him to the majors for 12 appearances despite not having pitched previously above Class AA.
Scouting report: You can’t teach a pitcher to throw 99-100 mph, which Rasmussen does regularly, blowing fastballs by hitters. He also mixes in an above-average, power slider, which averaged nearly 87 mph last season, with an occasional curveball and rarely used changeup. Rasmussen has occasional control lapses, not uncommon for a young, hard thrower, but profiles as a high-leverage reliever with a bright future.
Future: Rasmussen will be given every chance to open the 2021 season in the Brewers’ bullpen and could quickly evolve into a key member.
10. Jeferson Quero, C
Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 165. Acquired: International signing, 2019, Venezuela.
Background: Quero, who played for Venezuela in the 2015 Little League World Series, received a relatively modest $200,000 signing bonus but has emerged as one of the top talents in his international class. Despite having yet to play in a professional game, he jetted up Milwaukee’s prospect list thanks to an impressive performance in instructionals in 2020 on both sides of the ball. He’ll be afforded plenty of time to develop with Feliciano and Payton Henry far ahead of him in the system and moving closer to the major leagues.
Scouting report: Part of the reason Quero wasn’t highly touted coming out of Barquisimeto, Venezuela – Manny Piña’s hometown – was his relative lack of size. But he’s added some bulk since signing and has more room for growth as a teenager. Initially regarded a “catch-and-throw” prospect behind the plate, the athletic Quero displayed good plate discipline and surprising pop with the bat in instructional camp, where he was the fourth-youngest player in the 53-player group. He already shows advanced blocking and receiving skills with a plus arm that should discourage base stealing.
Future: It’s not often a young catcher merits such notice prior to beginning his pro career but Quero has a chance to be special.