Outfielders lead list of Brewers’ top prospects
The Milwaukee Brewers’ cup runneth over in the outfield.
Already well-stocked with potential impact players at the position in the minor leagues coming into 2022, they now have one of the top prospects in baseball in Jackson Chourio at the head of their prospect class heading into 2023.
The native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, hit .288 with 20 home runs and 75 runs batted in while compiling an OPS of .879 over 99 games at three levels last season, and all at the tender age of 18.
It was a performance that earned him a spot in the All-Star Futures Game in July, the Brewers’ minorleague player of the year award in October and now, the No. 1 spot on the Journal Sentinel’s annual top 10 prospects list.
Joining Chourio are four other outfielders – Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, Garrett Mitchell and Esteury Ruiz – with Mitchell the first to break through to the major leagues with his callup from Class AAA Nashville on Aug. 27.
Ruiz, acquired in the Aug. 1 trade of Josh Hader, debuted for the Brewers in September, and it’s expected that both Frelick and Wiemer will follow suit at some point in 2023.
Mitchell was ranked as Milwaukee’s No. 1 prospect by the Journal Sentinel in January, with Frelick, Wiemer, infielder Brice Turang and catcher Jeferson Quero also carrying over to the updated list.
Dropping out of the top 10 were lefthanders Aaron Ashby (now in the majors full-time) and Ethan Small as well as outfielders Hedbert Pérez (third last season) and Joe Gray Jr. (10th) and catcher Mario Feliciano (seventh). Small and Feliciano both did see minimal action for the Brewers in 2022, with Small making his major-league
debut in May.
Following is a closer look at the updated top 10.
1. Jackson Chourio, center field
Age: 18. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 165. Acquired: International signing, 2021, Venezuela.
Background: Chourio was a target of Brewers international scouts years before they gave him a $1.9 million deal during the January 2021 international signing period. Chourio was 16 and primarily a shortstop. He is still just 18 but has switched positions to center and emerged as the top prospect in the Brewers system and one of the best in baseball.
Chourio opened 2022 in extended spring training before being promoted to Class A Carolina in early May, making him the youngest player in the league. He responded by hitting .324 with 12 homers and 47 RBI in 62 games to earn a promotion to advanced Class A Wisconsin, where he hit .252/.317/.488 in 31 games and then wrapped up the season by getting a few extra reps in a short stint at Class AA Biloxi.
Overall, Chourio batted .288/.342/ .538 in 99 games across three minorleague levels. He became just the fifth player since 2006 to hit 20 or more homers in his age-18 season while playing exclusively in full-season leagues.
Scouting report: Chourio’s elite bat speed is the driving force that gives him one of the best hit-power tool combos of any prospect in baseball.
Chourio is filling out his frame and likely weighs more than his listed 165 pounds, yet there is room for his raw and game power to develop. Chourio did run into swing-and-miss problems, particularly at Carolina, where he often either punished baseballs in the zone or missed them entirely. There may be a path to cutting down strikeouts as he develops, though, and improved strikeout rates with Wisconsin and in winter ball in Venezuela (where he is playing a limited schedule) are a step in the right direction.
The Brewers brass was impressed with how Chourio handled himself as they pushed him aggressively up the organizational ladder. He features 70grade speed that should allow him to stick in center field and gives him immense upside in the field as he progresses at a relatively new position.
Future: The Brewers will remain aggressive with challenging Chourio, but there’s no need to rush him. He will be 19 to begin next year and likely will start in Biloxi, though a few months at Wisconsin isn’t out of the question. The bestcase scenario of seeing him in the majors would be late 2024.
2. Sal Frelick, center field
Age: 22. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 180. Acquired: First round, 2021 draft (15th overall), Boston College.
Background: Frelick’s first full professional season was one of the most impressive in recent memory by a Brewers minor-leaguer.
He began at Wisconsin, was promoted to Biloxi on May 3 and three months later found himself at Class AAA Nashville, where he continued his terrific play. In 119 games – 21 at Wisconsin, 52 at Biloxi and 46 at Nashville – Frelick hit .331 (tops in the organization) with 11 homers and 59 RBI to go along with an OPS of .883 in 562 plate appearances. He also stole 24 bases in 32 attempts and reached base in his final 41 games with the Sounds, tops in the International League.
“A crazy good first year for what that normally is, with all the challenges it brings,” vice president of minor-league operations Tom Flanagan said of Frelick’s play. “Just an incredible year for him.”
Scouting report: Frelick, a Boston native, has hockey in his blood so it should come as no surprise that he’s already forged a reputation as a hardnosed competitor. He got better with each challenge, hitting .291 at Wisconsin, .317 at Biloxi and .365 at Nashville. His overall .403 on-base percentage also led qualifying hitters in Milwaukee’s junior ranks, and he walked nearly as many times as he struck out (52 to 63). Frelick’s 11 homers and 59 RBI were both career bests at any level, including college, and there may be more power in him as he continues to develop physically.
Defensively, he played across the outfield in 2022 but is considered more than capable of manning center at the next level.
Future: A year ago, he was pegged to start at Wisconsin. Next season he should be in the majors, with his offensive skill set a perfect match for a Brewers offense that was one of the most homer-reliant in the game in 2022.
3. Joey Wiemer, outfield
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 215. .Acquired: Fourth round, 2020 draft (121st overall), Cincinnati.
Background: Wiemer earned Brewers minor league player of the year honors in 2021 after he slugged 27 homers and stole 30 bases. He followed it up with an equally-impressive 2022 in which he reached the 20-30 mark once again with 21 homers and 31 steals to go along with 77 RBI with Biloxi and Nashville.
Wiemer’s numbers in 84 games with Biloxi were fairly pedestrian (.243 average, .321 on-base percentage, .440 slugging percentage) but he hit his stride with Nashville to close the year, slashing .287/.368/.520. Maybe most important, he cut his strikeout rate from 30.2% to 19.5% with Nashville.
Scouting report: One evaluator described Wiemer’s tools as “shocking” and gave Wiemer the immense upside that places him so high on this list. Wiemer’s raw power is prodigious and his ability to carry it over into games should translate to the MLB level.
His arm may actually be his strongest tool (Flanagan called it a “carnival arm”) and, along with his size and speed, make him a physical outlier. Wiemer does it all with unconventional mechanics, starting in an open stance before flicking his bat into an upright position, loading and toe-tapping into his swing. His swing may require subtle changes but the Brewers have not been concerned with overhauling anything drastically. The approach naturally draws comparisons to Hunter Pence, who made a long career out of an unusual playing style.
The bigger question for Wiemer is his approach at the plate, particularly his ability to recognize and remain closed on breaking balls. If he maximizes his tools, Wiemer has superstar potential. If not, he’s a fourth outfielder with plenty of pop but a frustrating number of strikeouts.
Future: Wiemer has a chance to appear in Milwaukee at some point in 2023 and it’s not a stretch to see the starting job in right field being his not long after.
4. Brice Turang, infield
Age: 22. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 173. Acquired: First round, 2018 draft (21st overall), H.S. – Corona, California.
Background: Whereas Frelick’s rise through Milwaukee’s minor-league system has been meteoric, Turang’s has been rung by rung.
Since signing for $3.4 million in July of 2018, he’s made a stop at every level and has 419 games and 1,855 plate appearances under his belt. But this past season with Nashville was Turang’s first full campaign with a single team, and he responded with his best overall effort to date by hitting .286 with a career-high 13 homers, 78 RBI and 34 stolen bases – all numbers that suggest he’s more than the glove-first player many had pegged him as previously.
That Turang has improved year after year has not gone unnoticed, and manager Craig Counsell and his staff are already well-acquainted with him after making him a Cactus League regular back in 2019.
Scouting report: Turang’s improvement at the plate – particularly as a run producer – can be traced at least in part to an adjustment suggested by Nashville hitting coach Al LeBoeuf.
“This year you saw the power jump up a little more,” Flanagan said of Turang, whose previous high for homers was six in 2021. “Al LeBoeuf did a nice job with him there – his hands are a little bit higher, and Al thought he might have a little more rhythm to his swing.”
Turang played 104 games at shortstop, eight at third base and seven at second while also playing in center field for the first time (14 games).
“It was almost like a finishing year for him,” said Flanagan. “We know he can impact the big leagues next year at some point.”
Future: Turang has been added to the 40-man roster and thus is only a phone call away from making his MLB debut. Whether he opens the season in the majors or minors will likely depend on whether the Brewers stick with Kolten Wong at second base (he’s been mentioned in trade rumors) and Luis Urías at third.
5. Garrett Mitchell, center field
Age: 24. B-T: L-R. Ht: 6-3. Wt: 215. Acquired: First round, 2020 draft (20th overall), UCLA.
Background: An all-around toolsy college outfielder, Mitchell fell to the Brewers in 2020 in part due to some teams’ concerns about his Type 1 diabetes. So far, his condition has proven to be a non-issue.
Mitchell turned in a productive minor-league season in 2022, posting an .804 OPS despite battling an oblique injury and debuted with Milwaukee in August. He appeared in 28 games, batting .312 with an .832 OPS. Mitchell had extreme outlier numbers in strikeouts (41.2% K rate) and BABIP (.548) – not unusual for a newcomer – but he proved he can be a game-changer with his terrific speed both on the bases and in center field, where he made 19 starts.
Scouting report: Coming out of college, there was talk around Mitchell of him needing an overhaul to his swing to get the most out of his impressive raw power. The Brewers haven’t done much
major tinkering, but Mitchell finding a way to make his swing path more conducive for elevating the baseball while also avoiding strikeouts is perhaps the biggest step in his development.
The other concern around Mitchell was his eye-catching strikeout rate in his stint with the Brewers, which matched some of the elevated strikeout numbers he displayed in the minors. Mitchell can still be too passive, and the Brewers believe much of swing-andmiss has stemmed from getting deep into counts. Many of Mitchell’s underlying metrics, including his chase rate and in-zone contact rate, back this up.
If he can find the right changes to his swing and approach, then watch out. Mitchell has true game-changing speed and there is a common sentiment within the organization he is the best defensive outfielder in the system.
Future: Mitchell will be in majorleague camp in 2023 and has a strong chance of breaking spring training with the Brewers.
6. Jeferson Quero, catcher
Age: 20. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 165. Acquired: International signing, 2019, Venezuela.
Background: Quero entered 2022 with just 23 games in the Arizona Complex League under his belt then flourished in his first full season split between Class A Carolina (75 games) and Wisconsin (20 games) by hitting .286 with 10 homers and 57 RBI to go along with an OPS of .780.
What was especially encouraging was Quero stepped up his game as the competition increased, as evidenced by his .313/4/14/.860 line with the Timber Rattlers and then the job he did behind the plate in 15 games in the Arizona Fall League as one of its youngest players (turned 20 on Oct. 8).
“He kind of turned it on middle of the year and then when he went to Wisconsin, he kind of took it up another notch,” Flanagan said. “There was another dimension of his confidence that just got lit.”
Scouting report: Former Brewers catcher Stephen Vogt liked to say that developing a catcher in the minors is all about defense and any offense that came along was a bonus. Going by that measure, Quero is already ahead of the game with the way he calls games and generally takes charge.
Then there’s the arm – Quero threw out an amazing 45.8% of would-be base stealers in the Arizona Fall League, including three in the first game Flanagan watched in person. Teams mostly shut down their running games after that when Quero was behind the plate.
“It’s such a short sample size, a sixweek league, but just the defensive showing he made, throwing guys out, was really impressive,” Flanagan said. “I think that’s what gets your attention first.”
With the bat, Quero is adept at taking the ball the other way and finding gaps at the plate, an approach that’s always good to see in a young player.
Future: Whereas Feliciano was once believed to be the organization’s next catching star, that mantle might well have already been passed to Quero. If he can continue to progress with the bat while he matures physically, Quero’s defense and makeup suggest he could continue to move quickly through the system with an ETA to the majors by 2025.
7. Jacob Misiorowski, Right-handed pitcher
Age: 20. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-7. Wt: 190. Acquired: Second round, 2022 draft (63rd overall), Crowder College (Mo.)
Background: Misiorowski played at the same junior college as Ashby and struck out 136 batters in 76 innings this past season. Because of a long layoff between the end of his college campaign and the draft, the Brewers were cautious with Misiorowski’s buildup and he made two appearances for Carolina at the end of the season. He did see plenty of time on the mound during instructional league this fall in Arizona.
Scouting report: If there is a player in the system poised to break out in 2023, it’s Misiorowski.
His four-seam fastball touches 100 mph with regularity and flashed as high as 102 this fall. Misiorowski also throws a hard slider at 89-91 mph and mixes in a curveball and changeup. The change is only his fourth-best pitch simply because he hasn’t needed to throw it to get hitters out, but it has a good chance to be his second-best delivery behind only the fastball down the road.
Misiorowski has easy arm action and may still add sustainable velocity as he adds muscle. Being able to repeat his delivery will be essential for Misiorowski, whose command is a question. Reports from fall instructs, though, were overwhelmingly positive in that regard and if he carries that over consistently, it’s easy to dream of frontline starter potential. His stuff is undeniable.
Future: Misiorowski will get his first taste of a full minor-league season next year. He will likely begin at Carolina, though it’s not out of the question that he would be pushed to Wisconsin out of the gate.
8. Robert Gasser, left-handed pitcher
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185. Acquired: Via trade from the San Diego Padres Aug. 1, along with LHP Taylor Rogers, RHP Dinelson Lamet and OF Esteury Ruiz.
Background: Gasser began 2022 as
the ninth-rated prospect in San Diego’s system, and was considered the Padres’ third-best lefty after being drafted. He’ll begin 2023 as the Brewers’ top lefthanded pitching prospect after a promising 9-start stint in the organization.
Gasser opened at Biloxi after being acquired – the highest level he’d pitched at to that point – then finished off with five starts at Nashville where he went 2-2 with a 4.44 ERA and WHIP of 1.60. He struck out 31 in 261⁄3 innings but 172 in 137 total innings for a rate of 11.3 per nine.
Gasser was a second-round pick (71st overall) out of the University of Houston in 2021, so he’s been a fast mover in his short career.
“Great first impression with the movement on his pitches and the stuff that he brings,” said Flanagan. “And he does it pretty easy.”
Scouting report: While Gasser doesn’t boast the velocity of fellow southpaw Ashby – he sits between 91-93 with the ability to hit 95 – he is reminiscent of him with regard to the movement he gets on his pitches and his ability to rack up strikeouts as well as occasional bouts of wildness.
“The one negative – and I chalk it up to being traded mid-season and you’re trying to re-acclimate yourself – was he would at times lose the strike zone,” Flanagan said. “But it wasn’t dramatic.”
Gasser mostly throws a four-seam fastball while cutting it occasionally, with a wipeout slider he throws from the third-base side of the rubber so as to line his arm up better with the plate. He also uses a changeup.
Future: It wouldn’t be surprising to see Gasser break through and make his MLB debut at some point in 2023, with the expectation he’ll be a regular part of the rotation perhaps as early as 2024.
9. Eric Brown Jr., infielder
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-10. Wt: 190. Acquired: First round, 2022 draft (27th overall), Coastal Carolina.
Background: Brown hit the cover off the ball over his sophomore and junior seasons at Coastal Carolina, which, along with a strong showing in the Cape Cod League in 2021, landed him high on draft boards this past summer. The Brewers moved Brown along to Carolina quickly, where he hit .262/.370/.441 in 23 games while walking (11 times) nearly as much as he struck out (17).
Scouting report: There were ample questions about Brown across the industry coming out of the draft. Would he be able to stick at shortstop? Can his swing work with his unorthodox setup and high leg lift? The early returns were positive.
Many of the Brewers’ minor-league instructors and coaches are high on Brown’s ability to play shortstop thanks to his high-end athleticism, though some external scouts still have questions about his arm. Brown displayed elite bat-to-ball skills in college – a high-90s percent contact rate – and, even though he doesn’t wow you with sheer power, he makes the most of his frame and has translated his raw power into games well. Brown becoming a 15to 20-home-run player down the road isn’t off the table. There are timing concerns with all the movement in Brown’s swing and some question if his approach will be sustainable, but Brown toned down some of the movement even in his short time at Carolina.
Future: Brown is likely still at least a couple years away from the majors, but because of his athleticism and contact skills presents a high-floor profile. If the team’s trends of first-round picks out of college continue, the Brewers will send Brown to Wisconsin to begin 2023.
10. Esteury Ruiz, outfield
Age: 23. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 169. Acquired: Via trade from the San Diego Padres Aug. 1, along with LHPs Taylor Rogers and Robert Gasser and RHP Dinelson Lamet.
Background: Ruiz began his career with the Kansas City Royals as an international signee, then was traded to the Padres in July of 2017 in a multi-player deal. He was exclusively an infielder before initially trying the outfield in 2019 and moving there permanently in 2021. Hit .253, .239 and .249 in his first three full seasons in the minors before breaking out this year when, in 114 games split between Class AA and AAA with San Diego and Milwaukee, he hit .332 / 16 / 65 / .974.
What was behind the offensive uptick? “We talked to him, and he was kind of tight-lipped,” Flanagan said. “His strikeout percentage dropped from the high 20s to the high teens, and his walk rate went up. He made tremendous progress.”
Ruiz made his MLB debut in July with
the Padres and received a three-game cup of coffee with the Brewers in early September, hitting a combined .171 in 17 games.
Scouting report: Ruiz’s game is defined by his blinding speed. He stole 85 bases in 99 attempts, most in the minor leagues at any level in 2022.
“To be a skilled hitter like Ruiz is, I don’t remember a guy that can run like this,” said Flanagan. “Just pure sprint speed, we had him faster than Mitchell and Mitchell is as fast as I can remember seeing. We’ve had some guys that were really fast, but that was usually their only tool.”
He mostly split his time in the outfield at Nashville between left and center and while he doesn’t possess a plus throwing arm, Ruiz will be able to play across all three spots in the majors thanks to his wheels.
“He maybe doesn’t have the instincts of Mitchell or Sal out there, but that’s probably not a fair comparison,” Flanagan said. “He can run them down.”
Future: Like Frelick and Mitchell, Ruiz is capable of bringing a different dimension to the Brewers’ offense by simply getting on base and then wreaking havoc with his speed and should be in the outfield mix moving forward.