A NEW LINEUP
List of Brewers’ top 10 prospects overhauled
The Milwaukee Brewers’ farm system gets low grades these days from folks who assess such things, but it’s easy to see why.
Let’s take a look at their top 10 prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, at the end of the 2017 season, when the Brewers’ system was highly rated:
1. Lewis Brinson, OF
2. Brandon Woodruff, RHP
3. Corbin Burnes, RHP
4. Keston Hiura, 2B
5. Monte Harrison, OF
6. Luis Ortiz, RHP
7. Brett Phillips, OF
8. Lucas Erceg, 3B
9. Isan Diaz, 2B/SS
10. Corey Ray, OF
Pretty nice-looking top 10, right? A lot to like on that list, which is why the Brewers’ system was considered strong at the time.
Well, before the 2018 season began, Brinson, Harrison and Diaz were packaged with right-hander Jordan Yamamoto and sent to the Miami Marlins in a trade for outfielder Christian Yelich. In two seasons with the Brewers, Yelich has won two batting titles and was the National League most valuable player in ’18 and runner-up in ’19.
Is any Brewers fan going to complain now about that swap? Didn’t think so.
Before the July 31 trade deadline that season, Phillips was packaged with right-hander Jorge Lopez in a deal with Kansas City for third baseman/second baseman Mike Mous
takas. Ortiz was included in a trade with Baltimore that also sent second baseman Jonathan Villar and minor-league infielder Jean Carmona to the Orioles for second baseman Jonathan Schoop.
The Schoop deal didn’t work out, but Moustakas was such a good fit, he was invited back for 2019 before leaving for a big free-agent contract with Cincinnati.
Woodruff and Burnes proved to be key arms in the bullpen during the Brewers’ September surge in ’18 that resulted in a Game No. 163 victory over the Chicago Cubs and the NL Central crown. Woodruff is now considered the ace of the staff while Burnes seeks to bounce back from a terrible 2019 season.
Hiura, who rose to the No. 1 spot on the Brewers’ prospect list entering 2019, came to the majors during that season and made a huge impact with the bat as Milwaukee made another September run to clinch the second wild-card berth. In 84 games, he slugged 19 homers with 49 RBI while compiling a .938 OPS, and enters the delayed ’20 season as the starting second baseman at age 23.
Erceg has not met expectations and dropped out of the Brewers’ top 10 list, making 2020 a big year for him, whenever the season begins. Ray, still rated No. 10 two years later, was the Class AA Southern League player of the year in 2018 but suffered through a miserable, injury-plagued ’19 season, making this season a vital one for him as well.
Now you see why the Brewers’ farm system is rated so low. Through trades and promotions to the majors, eight of the top 10 no longer are in the farm system, a departure rate that would blast a hole in any organization. But, with consecutive playoff appearances by the Brewers, it’s difficult to debate the results of those moves.
With that backdrop, we present a retooled Brewers top 10 prospects list, as we await the beginning of a season put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic.
1. Brice Turang, SS
Age: 20. B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 175. Acquired: 1st round, 2018 draft, H.S. – Corona, California.
Background: Touted at one time as the possible No. 1 overall pick in ’18, Turang fell to 21st after not performing to expectations as a senior, and the Brewers were ecstatic to get him in that spot. He signed for an above-slot bonus of $3,411,100, forgoing a scholarship to LSU, then hit .283 with a .396 on-base percentage in 42 rookie-league games. At age 19, Turang hit .287 with two home runs, 31 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases over 82 games at Class A Wisconsin last season before being bumped up to advanced Class A Carolina, where he hit .200/1/6 in 47 games.
Scouting report: Smooth and rangy in the field with a strong throwing arm, Turang looks like he’ll be able to stick at shortstop despite the concern of scouts that he’d have to move to second base, a position he played about a third of the time last season. It’s doubtful he’ll ever show much pop with the bat but could make an impact as a lefty-hitting, topof-the-order hitter with good speed on the bases (30 steals in 35 attempts in ’19) and strong plate discipline (81 walks last season, 101 strikeouts). Having grown up around the game – his father Brian was a former big-league outfielder – Turang is baseball savvy and plays hard.
2. Ethan Small, LHP
Age: 23. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 214. Acquired: 1st round, 2019 draft, Mississippi State.
Background: The Brewers went heavy on pitching, particularly lefthanded pitching, in the 2019 draft, filling a huge organizational need. That process began with selecting Small, the pitcher of the year in the SEC, the best collegiate baseball conference. Some called it an “overdraft” but the Brewers considered him an easy choice with the 28th pick and signed Small, who led Mississippi State to the College World Series, for $1.8 million. After letting Small get his feet wet in rookie ball in Arizona, the Brewers bumped him up to low Class A Wisconsin for five short but dominant outings (31 strikeouts in 18 innings). As a sign of how highly regarded Small is by the Brewers, he was invited to big-league spring training so he could get a taste of that life while soaking in some knowledge from veteran pitchers.
Scouting report: Small has what is known as a “sneaky” fastball. It sits mostly in the 89-92 mph range but because he has big hands and long arms, the extra extension makes it look like he’s throwing much harder, getting lots of strikeouts by simply throwing the ball past hitters. After losing some velocity after Tommy John surgery in 2017, he also developed a more deceptive delivery, adding some pauses and crossfire
action to keep hitters off balance. Small has an excellent secondary pitch in a curve that’s more of a “slurve” but was working on a true slider in spring camp to differentiate those pitches. A changeup with good arm action and fade helps neutralize right-handed hitters. Small’s stuff profiles as back-of-the-rotation in the majors but he has a feel for pitching, knows how to compete and therefore has a chance to rise through the farm system fairly quickly.
3. Mario Feliciano, C
Age: 21. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 195. Acquired: Competitive Balance Round B, 2016 draft, H.S. – Florida, Puerto Rico.
Background: Feliciano’s 104 games played at Class A Wisconsin in 2017 was the only time he put together a full season until last year, when he broke out as the Carolina League’s most valuable player. Showing a compact swing with hard contact, he batted .273/19/81 in 116 games at advanced Class A Carolina while splitting backstop duties with another highly regarded prospect, Payton Henry. Feliciano’s 19 homers were 12 more than he’d hit in his 179 previous minor-league games, and maybe the most intriguing aspect of his offensive game. He finished his year at Class AA Biloxi, and his projected opening-day assignment should be with the Shuckers as well.
Scouting report: Feliciano is not as accomplished behind the plate as Henry but his athleticism, strong arm and bat make him the stronger overall prospect at this point. With both players on the rise, the Brewers appear to be wellstocked behind the plate in the coming years. What makes Feliciano an even more intriguing prospect is he didn’t turn 21 until late November and should only get better as he matures and gains more experience.
4. Aaron Ashby, LHP
Age: 21. B-T: R-L. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 175. Acquired: 4th round, 2018 draft, Crowder (Missouri) Junior College.
Background: Perhaps there’s something to baseball bloodlines. The nephew of former big-league pitcher Andy Ashby boosted his stock more than any other player in the Brewers’ system in 2019, earning the organization’s pitcher of the year award. Showing better control, he logged 135 strikeouts in 126 innings while pitching at both Class A levels. Ashby drew the attention of amateur scouts in 2018, leading the nation with an average of 18.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He doesn’t turn 22 until late May, giving hope of getting him to the big leagues young, hopefully joining Small as lefties in the rotation.
Scouting report: Ashby’s fastball sits in the low 90s, topping out at 94-95 mph, but he augments it with a curveball that is death on left-handed hitters and often on righties as well. Lefties batted a mere .183 against him last year with no home runs. Ashby also has made big strides with his changeup, giving him a three-pitch mix that should allow him to remain as starter, particularly with a funky delivery that makes it difficult for hitters to pick up the ball. The one glitch in his game is that Ashby sometimes has trouble holding his delivery together, resulting in stretches of wildness.
5. Antoine Kelly, LHP
Age: 20. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 205. Acquired: 2nd round, 2019 draft, Wabash Valley (Illinois) JC.
Background: A native of Des Plaines, Illinois, Kelly was a 13th-round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2018 but chose to attend Wabash Valley Junior College, where he registered an incredible 112 strikeouts in 522⁄3 innings – 19.1 per nine innings, tops among all junior-college pitchers. The Brewers grabbed him 65th overall and signed him for $1,025,100. Kelly closed out the year by making 10 relief appearances, nine for the rookie Arizona Brewers, where he struck out 41 in 282⁄3 innings, and one final outing at Class A Wisconsin.
Scouting report: A high-90s fastball and large frame make Kelly an imposing figure on the mound, and he projects as a future high-leverage reliever at the major-league level if he can continue to keep his command dialed in. He mostly pumped fastballs past hitters in college but needs to improve his secondary pitches, even if his future is out of the bullpen. He gets left-handed hitters to chase his slider but must command it better, and his changeup has been mostly an after-thought. Scouts already compare him to Josh Hader, who started in the minors before finding his true calling as a strikeout-inducing reliever.
6. Tristen Lutz, OF
Age: 21: B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 210. Acquired: Competitive Balance Round A, 2017 draft, H.S. – Arlington, Texas.
Background: The Brewers are waiting for Lutz to have a breakthrough season worthy of being the 34th player taken in the ’17 draft, including an over-slot signing bonus of $2.352 million. The Brewers have pushed him through their system, resulting in Lutz being one of the youngest players in his league each year (he played at high Class A Carolina at age 20 last year). He underwent surgery after last season to repair a bilateral core muscle injury, more commonly known as a sports hernia, indicating he was at less than 100% physically. While having his mental toughness tested, Lutz has experienced many ups and downs, largely with swing-and-miss issues (276 strikeouts the past two seasons in 231 games) but the Brewers still believe in his skill set.
Scouting report: Lutz’s primary calling card is his power potential, which has not led to a big home-run season yet. Despite his high strikeout totals, he is not considered an all-or-nothing hitter, showing a willingness to take pitches to all fields. He is a good athlete who runs the bases well and has enough speed to play center field, but as he matures and grows stronger, Lutz profiles more as a rightfielder, where his aboveaverage arm strength plays well. He has shown a strong work ethic, one of the reasons the Brewers believe he will move past his swing-and-miss issues and have a big season that will put him on the doorstep of the big leagues.
7. Eduardo García, SS
Age: 17. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 160. Acquired: International signing, 2018, Venezuela.
Background: García was one of the youngest players in the ’18 international class, signing with the Brewers for $1.1 million on his 16th birthday. Known more for his glove in showcase events, he was off to a strong start offensively in the Dominican Summer League last year before breaking his right ankle sliding into second base in mid-June. At the time, he was batting .313 with a fantastic .450 OBP through 10 games.
Scouting report: Despite his youth, García has shown such advanced defensive skills, he is expected to be a steady climber through the farm system. He has plus range, hands and throwing arm – everything you need to be a successful shortstop in the majors – and should only improve as he matures and gets stronger. If García continues to develop offensively, he will be the complete package, already showing a good approach at the plate and gap power. He projects to be at least an average runner on the bases.
8. Hedbert Pérez, OF
Age: 16. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 180. Acquired: International signing, 2019, Venezuela.
Background: International signings are always a crap shoot because you’re projecting a player’s future when he is 16 or younger. But the Brewers were excited when Pérez accepted their $700,000 signing bonus last July because of his athleticism and skills on both sides of the ball. He trained with his father, Robert Pérez, a former major-league outfielder who played very briefly for the Brewers in 2001. He was considered one of the best hitters in that international class out of Venezuela with expectations that he would remain a centerfielder, and therefore have more value. Pérez has yet to make his professional debut.
Scouting report: The left-handed hitting Pérez has a compact, efficient swing with high contact and pop to all fields. That disciplined approach at such a young age is uncommon, and Pérez also showed good power while taking batting practice at Miller Park after signing. He is an excellent athlete who shows good instincts in center, reading balls well off the bat with good first-step acceleration and accurate routes. Pérez has plus arm strength with accuracy on his throws. Already fluent in English, Pérez drew praise for his confidence and leadership skills as an amateur, and performed well in showcases.
9. Drew Rasmussen, RHP
Age: 24. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 211.
Acquired: 6th round, 2018 draft, Oregon State.
Background: Though taken in the sixth round of the ’18 draft, Rasmussen was considered a first-round talent at Oregon State before undergoing not one, but two Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgeries. Tampa Bay drafted him 31st overall in 2017 but he failed the physical over concerns about his elbow and opted for a second TJ procedure. The Brewers bet on a full recovery and signed him for $135,000, and Rasmussen appears to be a true bargain at this stage. Finally healthy, he was able to pitch at three levels in his first professional season in 2019, finishing with 22 appearances at Biloxi. He started 23 of 27 games but only as a way for the Brewers to control his workload, finishing 1-3 with a 3.15 ERA, WHIP of 1.18 and 96 strikeouts in 741⁄3 innings.
Scouting report: Velocity is the name of Rasmussen’s game. He regularly throws in the high 90s, touching 100 mph at times. He reached 99 mph in his first Cactus League appearance this spring, making a strong impression on all who watched. Rasmussen also throws an above-average, power slider and an improving changeup that could be a decent third pitch. For a hard thrower, he has shown decent command. Rasmussen’s power pitches make him an obvious candidate to transition to a role as a high-leverage reliever with a strong chance of reaching the majors this year.
10. Corey Ray, OF
Age: 25. B-T: L-L. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 185.
Acquired: 1st round, 2016 draft, University of Louisville.
Background: One of the top offensive players in the college ranks when the Brewers made him the fifth pick in the ’16 draft, Ray got folks excited in 2018 when he was named the Southern League most valuable player and Brewers minor league player of the year with a huge season at Class AA Biloxi. He batted only .239 with 176 strikeouts but otherwise put his full skill set on display with 27 home runs, 74 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 135 games.
Hoping to build on that campaign, Ray instead began the 2019 season with a finger injury that landed him on the injured list and hampered his swing all year. As a result, he played in only 69 games at three levels, batting .218 in what became a lost season, making this year a big one for him.
Scouting report: When healthy, Ray features the rare combination of power and speed. He does have a lot of swing-and-miss in his game because of belowaverage pitch recognition, an aggressive approach at the plate and a swing that gets long at times. But the trade-off is power to all fields and a difference-maker on the base paths. Ray is aggressive on the bases, always looking to run, putting pressure on the pitcher. That speed also plays well in center field, where he chases down balls in both gaps with relative ease while displaying an average arm. Ray doesn’t project as a high-average hitter but should produce enough extra-base hits to be a threat at the plate.