2014 Brewer prospects I am most intrigued by; who is on your list?

[molitor fan]

Not a top prospects list, just a list of guys (focusing heavily on 2013 draftees) that I think/hope have a bit of a bubble:

 

1. Hobbs Johnson - a 21-20-4-2-4-32 line between Helena and Wisconsin showed a bit of what this 14th round North Carolina product can do. A lefty with poise and command, he was beloved down here in NC. Will be 23 in April, I see BC in 14 at some point.

 

2. Josh Uhen - Born in Oshkosh, Uhen got better for Arizona as season went long, ending with an 11 baserunner in 13 inning stretch....the 5th round pick is raw, but would love to see his live arm in Wisconsin as some point in 14

 

3. Omar Garcia - Batted .345 over last 150 at bats for Helena, Garcia had 28 steals and a .462 obp when runners were on base.....he will be 20 till August and I would love to see him start 14 in Wisconsin outfield.

 

4. Brandon Diaz - Had a .949 OPS in the final month of August, and showed some serious pop for an 18 year old, albeit in Arizona....Expect to see him in Helena, but would love to see him show out in Arizona and pop onto Wisconsin roster

 

5. Tyler Alexander - the 27th round pick showed well in Helena, striking out 27 in 15 2/3 innings, giving up 7 his and 3 walks...lefties had a .071 obp against him in 14 at bats....the w/k ratio will be something to watch as the slight lefty should see some Wisconsin time

 

6. Ryan Deeter - the UCLA grad gave up nothing in the form of runs in 11 innings and 9 baserunners....will be in Helena I would think, but the late signer could impress and land in Wisconsin, as he has solid stuff

 

7. David Denson - This huge 18 year old (not 19 till November) has the documented power....expect him in Helena, would love to see him mash Pioneer league pitching

 

8. Andy Hillis - the tall righty had a .44 ERA in 18 appearances, and gave up little in the form of hits but had control issues in Helena....a dominant showing in Wisconsin as a closer would really make him an interesting guy to follow

 

9. Taylor Brennan - the 2012 pick (wow, what a rough draft in retrospect) has serious power and made huge leap in 2013, raising ops from 651 to 873 while moving up a level...he has weird splits and had a huge Ops well over 1 in August. He will be fascinating to watch in Wisconsin

 

10. Victor Roache, Clint Coulter, Tyrone Taylor - unlike most others on this list, this trio is much heralded and will be the make or break for a 2012 class that has had its depth stripped already....Coulter in Wisconsin will be great to keep tabs on especially

 

 

Would love to see other lists of guys perhaps more under the radar that others are intrigued by

[TheCrew07]

Prior to the 2011 there was a thread asking for our breakout prospects, I picked Tyler Cravy then, and I'm still intrigued by him now. With a solid AA season I'll be looking for him to be a decent bullpen contributor down the road.

 

I posted about Kevin James in the transaction thread, I'm still excited about him mostly because he's a lefty... starter or reliever I don't care, I hope to see him in WI.

 

Tucker Neuhaus wasn't fantastic in his debut, but he's our best hope for legitimate 3B prospect unless Coulter gets moved there.

 

Speaking of Clint Coulter, I'd like to see him moved to a different position so he can mostly concentrate on hitting the ball.

 

I don't see much high upside pitching in the system, so this is a huge year for the organization and Devin Williams. It would be nice to move from square 0 to at least square 1 on the impact pitching front.

 

My gut tells me that Mitch Hanigercould roughly approximate Corey Hart's production minus the steals. He's not really all that sexy in any particular way, but solid all the way around. He's not Logan Schafer in CF, but he'd be passable for a time if there weren't better options. He could also play RF which in theory could allow Braun to move to 1B if he was willing for the twilight of his Brewer career.

 

The organization has a handful of plus power guys floating around (Morris, Haniger, Rogers) but it would be nice if Victor Roache or David Denson took off as prospects and gave us a prospect with plus plus power potential, guys that could hit 30+ HRs. I don't think either one will have a great hit tool, but they have unique power potential.

 

Finally, Tyrone Taylor has to be consistent all season and establish himself as a top tier CF prospect.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't see much high upside pitching in the system, so this is a huge year for the organization and Devin Williams. It would be nice to move from square 0 to at least square 1 on the impact pitching front.

Interestingly enough, Devin Williams tweeted about this idea (roughly) just today:

 

Getting real tired of seeing these websites claiming the Brewers have the worst farm system..... #JustWaitOnIt #2014

[LouisEly]

I'd like to see Kevin Shackelford continue his Huntsville season and overall 1.6 BB/9 line from 2013 and increase his K's.

 

If Hillis and Martin Viramontes can improve their control, between those two and Shackelford the Brewers could have some nasty bullpen prospects in a few years.

 

I'm really intrigued by the numbers that Michael Strong has put up and hope he can find more control to take advantage of his H/9 and K/9 numbers as a lefty.

 

I would also like Barrett Astin, Zach Quintana, and Drew Gagnon to show why they were worthy of 3rd round picks.

[Mr Southpaw]

I'd love to see D' Vontrey Richardson jump to AAA by june 1 and be the Nashville cf for the rest of the year with a September call up.

[fondybrewfan]

I am mainly interested in the Arizona guys from last year. Denson, Williams, and Neuhaus are all high upside guys and I hope they take off this year. Would like to see them in Helena but who knows.

 

Also Jorge Lopez is definitely high on my list; he also should be considered a high upside guy and will be very young for High A. If he can put it together he instandtly becomes a highly prized prospect. He has the stuff.

[JohnBriggs12]

2013 10th rounder Michael Ratterree's season at Helena (.314/.391/.585) caught my attention. Will be watching how he does in Appleton.

 

Renaldo Jenkins is another guy who put up good numbers for a middle infielder at Helena.

 

I like catchers Parker Berberet and Dustin Houle too.

 

Going to be watching closely the progress of Tyler Wagner this summer.

 

Last but certainly not least, there's Hobbs Johnson. 32 K's and just 4 BB in 21 IP. With not many lefty arms in the system, he could rise quickly.

[jjkoestler]

2013 10th rounder Michael Ratterree's season at Helena (.314/.391/.585) caught my attention. Will be watching how he does in Appleton.

 

Renaldo Jenkins is another guy who put up good numbers for a middle infielder at Helena.

 

I like catchers Parker Berberet and Dustin Houle too.

 

Going to be watching closely the progress of Tyler Wagner this summer.

 

Last but certainly not least, there's Hobbs Johnson. 32 K's and just 4 BB in 21 IP. With not many lefty arms in the system, he could rise quickly.

 

Nothing to add other than Hobbs Johnson sounds like the name of a guy who should be playing in the 1930's.

[Eye Black]

I am slightly intrigued by the possibility of seeing Omar Garcia and Johnny Davis on the same team at some point, because the only thing better than having a potential 80 runner on the base paths is having two of them.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Along with some of the ones mentioned, I'd toss in Yadiel Rivera. His K rate dropped to a more manageable number last year. Unfortunately much of the power he showed the previous year was gone, too. There's a decent chance these two things are related, but if he could regain that power without the strikeouts becoming a problem again, he becomes a lot more interesting.

[brewmann04]

Looking at any Pitcher stepping it up this season and showing #1or #2 ability Not Named Nelson.

[TooLiveBrew]

7. David Denson - This huge 18 year old (not 19 till November) has the documented power....expect him in Helena, would love to see him mash Pioneer league pitching

This is unquestionably the guy for me, relative to your question in the OP. I have really high hopes for Denson... makes me think of Ryan Howard.

[fondybrewfan]

I will 3rd that on Denson. My own internal hype for him is probably completely unjustified at this point and my expectations are probably too high but he seems like a young kid that could make the Brewers look pretty smart. Average wasn't there last year but he took his walks and showed is power. Plus I love his size for first base. He seems like a taller version of Fielder.

[WV Brew]

Edgardo Rivera is another flyer who is still very young. He had a bad year last year but possibly due to injury. I thought he looked promising in '12.

 

Yadiel Rivera could be a solution when Aramis Ramirez leaves. If Segura is moved to 3rd, that could give the Brewers a very strong left side of their infield which could help with a lot of ground ball pitchers coming up from Hellweg to Nelson to Jungmann.

[nate82]

I really like Ariel Pena and if he can lower his walk rate he could become a #1 or a #2 starter.

[82brewcrew11]

Lots of good names have been thrown out on this thread and I would agree with just about all of them. I also have come less heralded names that I have some interest in on varying levels.

 

Gian Rizzo, Milton Gomez, Rodolfo Fernandez, Zach Quintana, Alejandro Lavandero, Yosmer Leal, Tyler Linehan, and Taylor Williams from the pitching perspective. As for hitters, Franly Mallen, Nicolas Pierre, Carlos Belonis, Chris McFarland, Juan Ortiz, Jose Pena, Elvis Rubio, and Michael Turay.

[Mass Haas]

Not a top prospects list, just a list of guys (focusing heavily on 2013 draftees) that I think/hope have a bit of a bubble:

 

1. Hobbs Johnson - a 21-20-4-2-4-32 line between Helena and Wisconsin showed a bit of what this 14th round North Carolina product can do. A lefty with poise and command, he was beloved down here in NC. Will be 23 in April, I see BC in 14 at some point.

 

Hobbs Johnson a prominent mention here (h/t BrewCrewBall)

 

MinorLeagueBall.com: Top Pitching Performances From the 2013 Draft

[Outlander]

I really like Ariel Pena and if he can lower his walk rate he could become a #1 or a #2 starter.

I have been following him as well and am higher on him than Hellweg. However, he is out of options after this year so it is pretty much a make or break year.

 

Another guy I am still intrigued about is Nick Delmonico, still only 21, many soured on him after his poor start with the Brewers in the minors but I think he good have a real nice year.

[molitor fan]

One guy who is starting to really pick up steam for me is Mitch Haniger. Not reallt an under the radar guy but perhaps his potential future impact has been underplayed a little bit. He had a very nice game yesterday as well as a steal, and may have gotten an opening to a higher level than anticipated

[dacbrewers]

One guy who is starting to really pick up steam for me is Mitch Haniger. Not reallt an under the radar guy but perhaps his potential future impact has been underplayed a little bit. He had a very nice game yesterday as well as a steal, and may have gotten an opening to a higher level than anticipated

 

I need to agree with you on Haniger. He seems to make the most of every opportunity that he is given.

[Kelbysdaddy]

I'm betting haniger cracks more then a couple mid season top 50 prospects lists. He's following a really good fall league with a hell of a spring training. Hopefully it carries through to AA.

[reillymcshane]

One guy who is starting to really pick up steam for me is Mitch Haniger. Not reallt an under the radar guy but perhaps his potential future impact has been underplayed a little bit. He had a very nice game yesterday as well as a steal, and may have gotten an opening to a higher level than anticipated

 

I was really intrigued by Haniger after watching his performance at Wisconsin the first part of last season. Overall, he was just really solid. I loved the 25-24 k/bb rate.

 

Obviously, his numbers at Brevard County were nothing special, dimming people's view of him. But the solid Fall League performance made me wonder if he was ready to break out. His performance this spring his only helped.

 

What makes him really interesting this year is that he can move into the upper minors (likely AA) and - if he does well - actually mature into a top prospect.

 

So many of our best prospects are going to be in A ball this year. There's nothing bad about that - it's just we lack guys in the upper minors who look like they can be impact players in the big leagues. Often, the move from A ball to AA is one of the biggest steps a player can make.

 

I'd like the Crew to push Haniger hard. Put him at AA this year. He's already 23.

 

I don't expect Haniger to be an all-star type player in the big leagues. But I think he could be a 15-20 HR guy, hit .280, take his share of walks, etc. There's a lot of value in a guy like that - especially when they are cheap. And he has a good arm (at least from what I've read) and would fit in nicely in RF or LF in a couple of years.

[Mass Haas]

On Sirius/XM Thursday, Ryan Braun told MLB Network Radio that Haniger is going to be an absolute stud.

[TheCrew07]

On Sirius/XM Thursday, Ryan Braun told MLB Network Radio that Haniger is going to be an absolute stud.

 

I've said this in the past but I was pretty down on the Haniger pick until I had a chance to get an extended look at him in WI, then I really came around on him, he jumped out at me. He's not flashy athletically like the guys who typically catch my attention, but does many of the little things well which really appeals to me given my background growing up in locker rooms, he's the kind of guy coaches will latch onto.

 

The jump to BC didn't concern me any more than the AFL excited me, he's not necessarily an impact guy, though maybe in his best years he could be, but I think he has a nice future in front of him. If nothing else this OF depth we're potentially developing could be used to acquire assets of greater need in the future, like pitching of course, and no I don't mean more Sabathia/Grienke type trades. I've always been looking more along lines of Garza/Young or Hamilton/Volquez type deals.

 

For Brad's top 25 list I really struggled with 23-25, trying to narrow down the last few young players to include in the list. We have quite a few young players with exciting potential who haven't necessarily shown all that much yet, ultimately I settled on a couple of older guys in Bradley and Gagnon with Lopez and Jenkins at the tail of the list. Orginally McFarland was last guy in but I ended up bumping him for Jenkins.

 

Players who may be a bit below the radar not being in full season ball such guys in R ball or the DSL last year like Elvis Rubio, Brandon Diaz, Carlos Belonis, Jorge Quintero, Gian Rizzo, and Francisco Castillo are intriguing. Out of Helena I liked youngsters Dustin Houle, Omar Garcia, Jose Pena, Jalen Harris, and Ruben Ozuna in addition to the a fore mentioned Jenkins and Ratteree. Pitching wise some of the old guys on the H-Crew caught my attention; Tyler Alexander, Harvey Marin, Hobbs Johnson, and Andy Hills. I don't think there's any potential impact starting pitching in that group, but a few could be very interesting bullpen guys or potential a 3/4 like Johnson.

 

I really don't think we have any shortage of interesting players to follow, it's more a question of who's going to step up performance wise and if any of those guys have the potential to ultimately make a significant impact at MLB beyond being cheap cost saving options.

[Mass Haas]

@CaseyStern

 

Braun told us Mitch Haniger as good as any prospect to come through system during time w/ #Brewers #StrongStatement @MLBNetworkRadio