The New Acquisitions: Where They Fall on Our Top Prospects List, and What They Mean for the System Overall

[FVBrewerFan]

Exactly, Peralta was an ace in 2014. Nelson has done it for a couple months, which is very encouraging, but we need a longer track record than that.

 

As far as an ace in the system, it's true. There are certainly guys capable of reaching that level, but there's not a guy who is just dominating each level through the system. The system is also missing a catcher and a consistent power bat or two.

[Jenkins5]

Hard to tell right now, Hader & Lopez are two young arms who are wild cards. Both are young for league, dominating AA, have grown at a pretty strong rate each season, have front line arm potential and very well could fit the bill. (Hader did have a rough one the other day though, happens)

 

You look at lower levels with Kirby, Kodi, Ponce, Diplan, Williams, Diaz are all suppose to be guys they hope can develop into frontline guys as well.

[JohnBriggs12]

Labeling any guy in the minor leagues as a future ace is pure fantasy. So much goes into what makes a guy an ace at the big league level. Brewers might have more than one or they might have none. Only time will tell. Drafting a big arm in the top 5 of the draft insures nothing either.

[TheCrew07]

Labeling any guy in the minor leagues as a future ace is pure fantasy. So much goes into what makes a guy an ace at the big league level. Brewers might have more than one or they might have none. Only time will tell. Drafting a big arm in the top 5 of the draft insures nothing either.

 

As opposed to labeling pitchers with less than a year of MLB experience as potential aces to suit rhetoric?

[paul253]

It's not so much labeling them an ace as projecting them as one.

[FVBrewerFan]

It's not so much labeling them an ace as projecting them as one.

 

Exactly. Just as you could have easily projected Prince Fielder, as an example, as a big power bat in the clean-up spot for 10 years+ in MLB. Was that a guarantee? No. But objectively you could look at his numbers at every level and project him as such.

[SRB]

I'm optimistic that Medeiros is going to have a huge breakout into a #1/2 SP-type prospect, as I've been saying for a while. Mark my words! (But only remind me of them if I turn out to be correct)

[djd1228]

Hey guys, obviously brand new to the forum. Longtime lurker but thought i'd weigh in.

 

Does Santana remind anyone of Nelson Cruz at the beginning of his career? Maybe that could be a solid ceiling for him?

[ewitkows]

I was thinking more Adam Dunn

[pogokat]

Chris carter. He reminds me of Chris Carter, but maybe with a little bit better hit skill. I think he's going to be a .250/.330/.450 guy in the majors with 25 bombs and 180 k's. He could be better, he could be a lot worse. Just like Chris Carter.

[reillymcshane]

Santana = Willy Mo Pena?

 

If he can actually learn to hit, you have an all star. If not - Wily Mo Pena.

[sauveb]

Hey guys, obviously brand new to the forum. Longtime lurker but thought i'd weigh in.

 

Does Santana remind anyone of Nelson Cruz at the beginning of his career? Maybe that could be a solid ceiling for him?

 

The first time I looked up Santana after the trade this is exactly what came to mind.

[TheCrew07]

I think the Chris Carter/Willy Mo Pena comps are pretty realistic for what he'll actually do at MLB. Of course we always hope a player will do better but I think that production range is a pretty realistic target.

 

Santana would provide more defensive value than both as he's supposedly pretty decent in the field.

[torts]

Yhonathan Barrios with another clean inning, 7 IP 7 K, 3 Saves in AA. Meanwhile, Rami is hitting .216/.231/.505 in 51 AB for the Pirates.

[CheezWizHed]

Meanwhile, Rami is hitting .216/.231/.505 in 51 AB for the Pirates.

 

My first thought was, "that's not horrible". But then I questioned whether 505 was SLG or OPS... it was OPS:

216 .231 .275 .505

[gobrew23]

Wow. I thought the same thing Cheez. That's really bad.

[Boomer5]

Yhonathan Barrios with another clean inning, 7 IP 7 K, 3 Saves in AA. Meanwhile, Rami is hitting .216/.231/.505 in 51 AB for the Pirates.

 

This has the makings of a pretty good trade. Barrios has a heck of an arm, and the one thing you have give Melvin credit for is he seems to have a good eye for bullpen arms.

[Jenkins5]

Tyrone Taylor is really not been impressive this season, haven't really looked at his numbers until now but has .318obp .644 ops and what was really surprising is only 9 steals! I know he is young for AA but I was hoping for much more this season. I think he is now for sure behind Santana, Phillips, and Reed as a prospect IMO. Was really hoping he would fully breakout this season from near top 100 prospect to a top 50-75..... Not sure he is a top 150-200 right now

[FVBrewerFan]

Yea, but at least he's done better since a horrible start. He has been pushed up the system a bit, so I will reserve my disappointment in him until next season. Same thing with Coulter, actually, only he had a red-hot start and has completely tanked since then. That bums me out more than Taylor.

[reillymcshane]

Yea, but at least he's done better since a horrible start. He has been pushed up the system a bit, so I will reserve my disappointment in him until next season. Same thing with Coulter, actually, only he had a red-hot start and has completely tanked since then. That bums me out more than Taylor.

The thing with Coulter is the FSL is really hard on power hitters. I'm not saying he's been good, but it really comes with a caveat. For a long time he was still in the tops of the league in slugging and HRs and so forth, but he's just been a funk for a while now. I hope he gets brought up to Biloxi next year.

[reillymcshane]

Tyrone Taylor is really not been impressive this season, haven't really looked at his numbers until now but has .318obp .644 ops and what was really surprising is only 9 steals! I know he is young for AA but I was hoping for much more this season. I think he is now for sure behind Santana, Phillips, and Reed as a prospect IMO. Was really hoping he would fully breakout this season from near top 100 prospect to a top 50-75..... Not sure he is a top 150-200 right now

Some reports over the past couple of years about Taylor's batting style questioned if he'd be able to drive the ball with authority. I'm not sure if that's what's going on - perhaps people who watch the games more can provide some better insight. I hold out hope for Taylor. He's a young, premium athlete who, I wonder, just needs to learn and adjust his game. That's just a guess.

[SRB]

Chris carter. He reminds me of Chris Carter, but maybe with a little bit better hit skill. I think he's going to be a .250/.330/.450 guy in the majors with 25 bombs and 180 k's. He could be better, he could be a lot worse. Just like Chris Carter.

 

Your projected batting line doesn't seem unreasonable, but FWIW Santana has a career .307 AVG and .399 OBP at AAA (874 PA). That's roughly .40 points better in both AVG/OBP than Chris Carter put up in AAA (plus Santana reportedly has a cannon arm in RF while Carter is a mediocre 1B/DH).

 

He's got a lot of swing-and-miss in him, it sounds like, but I think he has better OBP potential than a lot of guys he's getting compared to. Even a .350 OBP with his power potential would be a good RF.

[SRB]

Is there any concern that Brett Phillips has only hit 1 HR in 187 AB at AA? He had 15 HR in 291 AB at A+ earlier this season, but his power appears to have disappeared. Still hitting well overall, but a little worrisome to me.

[Jenkins5]

Is there any concern that Brett Phillips has only hit 1 HR in 187 AB at AA? He had 15 HR in 291 AB at A+ earlier this season, but his power appears to have disappeared. Still hitting well overall, but a little worrisome to me.

 

I have a hard time worrying about it, he's young and adjusting. There are a lot of young guys see drop in power as they transition up. If you look at his build, he is a kid whole develop power as he gets older. Still filling out.

[FVBrewerFan]

I'm concerned, but not in panic mode or anything. I like to see top prospects dominate the level they're in, all the way up the system. Braun, Fielder, Weeks, etc. all did that. It just has that "can't miss" feel when you see that out of a prospect. But again, he's hitting, he's taking walks, hopefully we'll see a power surge at the end of the year yet.