2022 Brewer Fan Community Pre-Season Top 25 Prospect Poll Results

[reillymcshane]

#1 (+2) Aaron Ashby, LHSP, age 23, Milwaukee
691 points (20 1st place votes) - 28 of 28 ballots 

Ashby can enjoy the top prospect slot until our next poll - but after that, he is gone as he has firmly worked his way onto the big league roster. He sports a deadly fastball/slider combo, but will need to continue to work on his control if he wants to be a rotation fixture.

#2 (new) Joey Wiemer, OF, age 23, AA Biloxi
638 points (3 1st place votes) - 28 of 28 ballots

Wiemer burst onto the scene with a huge run in Wisconsin (A+) last year - hitting .336 with 14 HR in just 38 games. There's so much to like: speed, power, great hair. Should be one of the system's most exciting players to watch in 2022.

#3 (-2) Garrett Mitchell, OF, age 23, AA Biloxi
615 points (3 1st place votes) - 28 of 28 ballots

The Brewers top pick in 2020 crushed high A pitching last year, but struggled at AA. Mitchell has blazing speed, but needs to improve his hit tool to unlock his considerable talents. 

#4 (+2) Sal Frelick, OF, Age 22, A+ Wisconsin
579 points - 28 of 28 ballots

Frelick tore up low A ball last year (.437 BA) - then crashed on his promotion to Wisconsin (.167). Frelick probably won't ever mash a lot of HRs, but he projects to hit for high average, play good defense, and be a terror on the bases. 

#5 (-3) Ethan Small, LHSP, age 25, AAA Nashville
560 points - 28 of 28 ballots

The only thing left for Small is his chance with the Brewers. He has been successful at every stop in the minors. The only thing holding him back has been some minor injuries. Small will need to lower his walk rate if he wants to succeed at the major league level. 

#6 (-2) Brice Turang, SS, age 22, AAA Nashville
547 points - 27 of 28 ballots

Turang's profile has changed little since Milwaukee drafted him. He gets on base, plays a good SS, but lacks power. Still, he profiles as solid - if unspectacular - starter in the majors. With Adames entrenched at SS in Milwaukee, the question will be where he gets his chance in the big leagues.
 
#7 (-2) Hedbert Perez, OF, Age 19, A- Carolina
508 points (2 1st place votes) - 28 of 28 ballots

Perez has struggled above Rookie ball, and his minuscule walk rate (less than 4%) is concerning. But he is very young, and his power bat offers a ton of excitement and potential. 

#8 (+2) Jeferson Quero, C, age 19, A- Carolina
476 points - 27 of 28 ballots

Hit for average? Check. Advanced defender? Check. Plays a difficult position? Check. Only 19 years old? Wow! Quero has emerged as one of the most intriguing prospects in the Brewer system due to his youth, all around skillset, and ability to play a position that is often hard to develop.

#9 (+6) Freddy Zamora, SS, age 23, AA Biloxi
432 points - 23 of 27 ballots

Zamora fell off many people's radar last summer when he began the year with lackluster numbers. But we can't forget that Zamora essentially missed two years of baseball (injury followed by COVID season). But once he got back into the groove, he was great - finishing the season with a .300 BA. Zamora's lack of power limits his upside, but he is athletic and plays good defense - which means he should find his way to the big leagues at some point.

#10 (+1) Tyler Black, 2B, Age 21, AA Biloxi
414 points - 27 of 28 ballots

One of the best college hitters in 2021, Black, who is Canadien, has buoyed his numbers by taking a high number of walks. He should get on base at a high clip - but his lack of defensive versatility will likely limit his ability to be a utility player. 

#11 (+5) Felix Valerio, 2B, age 21, AA Biloxi
374 points - 28 of 28 ballots

If Valerio was 4-5 inches taller, he'd be a top 100 prospect. But he is not (only 5'7"), which limits his physical upside. No matter, Valerio has gotten people to notice him due to his ability to hit and walk (.300+ BA, .400 OBP), plus his outstanding contact skills (more walks than strikeouts). Valerie is limited to playing 2B - so he will need keep hitting. 

#12 (+9) Jackson Chourio, CF, age 18
339 points - 26 of 28 ballots

One of the top international players in 2020, Chourio had an excellent debut in the DSL. Scouts love his tall, projectable frame. Initially signed as a SS, his future lies in CF. Exciting young man who has the potential to be a 5-tool player.

#13 (-5) Mario Feliciano, C, age 23, AAA Nashville
311 points - 28 of 28 ballots

Feliciano’s ranking continue to drop after injuries limited him in 2021. The big question for Feliciano is if he can rise to the level of being a legitimate major league catcher. If not, there's some concern his bat isn't good enough to play at 1B or the OF (which would be his likely destination). 2022 will be an important year for the once heralded prospect.

#14 (-5) Antoine Kelly, LHP, age 22, A+ Wisconsin 
303 points - 24 of 28 ballots

Injuries scuttled Kelly's 2021, but look for a reboot in 2022. The man has some of the best raw stuff in the Brewers’ system - so don't be surprised if he shoots up the rankings of future prospect lists.

#15 (-8) Joe Gray, Jr., OF, age 22, A+ Wisconsin
298 points - 27 of 28 ballots

Gray broke out big early last year by pounding Low A pitching, but came back to earth at High A ball. He still strikes out at an alarming rate, but the man's speed/power combination was tantalizing to see. Brewer fans would just love to see Gray put it all together for a full year.

#16 (-3) Eduardo Garcia, SS, age 20, A- Carolina
267 points - 25 of 28 ballots

Garcia is no longer a teenage phenom. Injuries and COVID have limited his development, but he still possesses excellent defensive skills, which alone could carry him to the majors. But Garcia is still a raw talent - and his bat will need to develop if he is to be more than a utility player.

#17 (-5) Zavier Warren, UTL, age 23, A+ Wisconsin
236 points - 25 of 27 ballots

Warren projects as a switch hitting, super utility player. He is a solid, all-around hitter - showing a little bit of everything at the plate. It's not sexy - but the skillset could make him a very valuable major league player.

#18 (+6) Abner Uribe, RHP, age 21, AA Biloxi
234 points - 23 of 28 ballots

Uribe throws smoke. He averaged 99mph on his fastball last year, which makes him very intriguing. Going forward, Uribe will need to work on his control as he simply walks too many batters. If he can harness his pitches, he could be a devastating reliever.

Note: Uribe recently underwent knee surgery, and will miss the 2022 season.

#19 (new) Hendry Mendez, OF, age 18, A- Carolina
189 points - 23 of 28 ballots

Mendez is a very young, raw talent who has shown outstanding ability to make contact. He is tall, and it is believed he will develop power as he matures. He will be fun to watch going forward.

#20 (+3) Russell Smith, LHP, age 23, A+ Wisconsin
138 points - 19 of 28 ballots

The Brewers #2 pick in this year’s draft out of TCU, Smith did not play in 2021. He is a tall guy with a reputation for a good fastball and excellent command. 

#21 (-1) Dylan File, RHP, age 25, AAA Nashville
106 points - 16 of 28 ballots

File missed most of 2021 with a fractured elbow, and struggled on his return. But we'll chalk up last year to getting back in the swing of things - and look towards File's earlier success. He does not sport any loud tools, but File has displayed outstanding command of his pitches. If that skill returns - he should find his way to Milwaukee.

#22 (re-entry) Carlos Rodriguez, OF, age 21, A+ Wisconsin
100 points - 17 of 28 ballots

Rodriguez is a high contact/speed guy with almost no power. While he has hit for high averages in the minors, but things get tougher for guys like Rodriguez as they move up the professional league ladder. Unless he develops as a hitter, he profiles as a reserve outfielder.

#23 (re-entry) Max Lazar, RHP, age 22, A+ Wisconsin
83 points - 15 of 28 ballots

After the 2019 season, Lazar looked like an interesting strike throwing reliever/starter (only 15 walks versus 119k in 85 IP) who lived on his excellent changeup. However, COVID and Tommy John surgery pretty much wiped out the last two years. He will likely need some time to shake off the rust - so patience is required in 2022. 
 
#24 (new) Ernesto Martinez, 1B, age 22, A+ Wisconsin
80 points - 9 of 27 ballots

A big man (6'6"/250lbs), Martinez has put up solid, but not elite, hitting numbers. He hits pretty good, takes a decent share of walks, shows some power. And he has demonstrated good speed as well (30 SB in 2021 in just 79 games). But for a guy who will likely be limited to 1B or DH, he'll need to grow as a hitter to provide real value. 

#25 (new) Logan Henderson, RHP, age 20
52 points - 7 of 27 ballots
 
Henderson joined Milwaukee after being a JuCo standout (169k in 98 IP) in 2021. He's not a big guy, so there's not a lot of projection in Henderson. However, the club likes his arsenal - which is highlighted by his changeup. Henderson was held out after the draft due to a heavy college workload. 

The Rest

Alec Bettinger - 44 points
Taylor Floyd - 40
Weston Wilson - 37
Victor Castanda - 36
Thomas Dillard - 32
Gabe Holt - 32
Luke Barker - 29
Ashton McGee - 28
Justin Bullock - 26
Jheremy Vargas - 26
Corey Ray - 24
Darrien Miller - 21
Noah Zavolas - 17
Johan Barrios - 17
Carlos Luna - 16
Tristen Lutz - 14
Justin Topa - 12
Micah Bello - 10
Clayton Andrews - 9
Jesus Chirinos - 7
Zack Brown - 7
Noah Campbell - 6
Eduarqui Fernandez - 6
Jhonny Severino - 6
Luis Medina - 5
Jason Alexander - 4
Israel Puello - 3
Cam Robinson - 3
Jolon Zhao - 2
Alexander Cornielle - 2 
Quinton Low - 2
Lucas Erceg - 2
James Meeker - 2
Alejandro Marte - 1
Carlos Rodriguez (pitcher) - 1

All ages are as of 4/26/2022

Voting thread.

 

[reillymcshane]

Thanks to everyone for participating in the latest version of our Top 25 Prospect Poll. Sorry I was a bit late getting this put together.

If you see any errors, please shoot me a message and I'll correct. 


Here are some numbers:

Exited Top 25: Korry Howell (traded), David Hamilton (traded), Alex Binelas (traded), Jake Cousins (graduated), Justin Bullock (dropped), Tristen Lutz (dropped)

Newcomers: Wiemer (all the way to #2!), Hendry Mendez, Carlos Rodriguez (re-entry), Max Lazar (re-entry), Ernesto Martinez, Logan Henderson

Number of ballots: 28

Number of players on ballots: 61

Mr. Irrelevant (1 vote, 1 point): Alejandro Marte, Carlos Rodriguez (pitcher)

Likeliest to graduate by end of the year: Ashby

[reillymcshane]

Short bursts in success (or failure) really caused a lot of swing in prospect momentum. 

- Wiemer's rise from #38 to #2 is pretty incredible - much of it based on his incredible finish at A+ ball. He would definitely have been a Top 25 player based on his numbers at Carolina, but his stats in Appleton were awesome. It really put him into the sights of the fans (aka voters).
- Zamora and Valerie both had nice leaps in the rankings after finishing strong last season. 
- Joe Gray rose big last time - and dropped quite a bit - after a mediocre finish.

[jay87shot]

The top of our system is playing amazingly right now. Frelich, Wiemer, Mitchell, Turang, Quero, Black, Valerio, and Perez are all hitting above or close to .300. Meanwhile Small, Kelly, and Ashby (who I think lost prospect status) are all looking great. It wouldn't be surprising to see 5 or so prospect sneak into midseason top 100's if this continues. There are a ton of current top prospect who are in the bigs right now so there will be plenty of spots open.

[clancyphile]

Martinez is my sleeper to really shoot up the listings.

So far, he's posting a .400 OBP on a .216 BA. Power's still there. Steals are still there.

Really think that's our long-term answer at first.

[Seth Stohs]

This would make a great article! Fun read. 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Early season viewings of Biloxi on the regular would indicate:

Freddy Zamora is ranked much too high based on his fantastic ending to last season. Frankly, he hasn't been very good this year at all. Which is a shame as we all had high hopes considering how he ended last season. BUT, at age 23 his regression is pretty fierce. He's rarely capable of throwing accurately to first base at present - it's baffling, honestly. He is playing with too much nonchalance. He needs a major wake up call and resurgence to merit anything close to the Top 10, IMHO. Thankfully, there's a lot of season left. I am skeptical until proven otherwise.

Just as a mere offering of in season adjustments: there is literally no sane rationale one could make to place Zamora over Valerio who has been a stalwart in every fashion - a stabilizing force in the Biloxi lineup whereas Freddy has been just another part of errors and poor performance in the bottom half. 

Another thing I would offer forth having watched the Mudcats regularly: 

The best Starting pitching we have seen in an extremely small sample size is Edwin Jimenez. He was fantastic in his last start. He has a 3-4 pitch mix he's fine tuning. He reminded me quite a bit of a Mike Fiers type. In my opinion (again, i want to emphasize just my opinion), there is really no sane reason we should have a Thomas Dillard ranked above this young man in the 'consideration' bracket, for example. 

Anyhow, just my overall completely unemotional sentiments from watching roughly 12-15 Minors games a week. What I currently feel is we can formulate a solid Top 13-15 BUT beyond that we really are searching for criteria to define what we're slotting in. I am struggling to define what criteria I am using to define the latter half of the Top 30 as it changes through the weeks. 

Thanks for doing this @reillymcshane!

[damuelle]

Great! Thanks!!  The top 6 are not disappointing in the least!!

[brooks_quichenick]

8 hours ago, reillymcshane said:

Felix Balerio - 9

Assuming these were typos from people who meant Valerio?

 

Thanks for putting this together again, reilly!

[Outlander]

13 hours ago, brooks_quichenick said:

Assuming these were typos from people who meant Valerio?

 

Thanks for putting this together again, reilly!

For sure, only one person did this and that individual didn't vote for Felix Valerio. Wouldn't have changed any of the final rankings. However, Valerio would now be on 28 of 28 ballots.

[Lathund]

I had meant to put Darrien Miller on my list but in the end forgot. I don't know enough about his defense, but young catchers who look like they can hit are something I value greatly. 

I also remember doing the initial draft of my ranking and thinking "I really gotta make sure I move Wiemer up before the final version". And then not doing that. 

[homer]

 

On 4/28/2022 at 10:33 AM, reillymcshane said:

#2 (new) Joey Wiemer, OF, age 23, AA Biloxi
638 points (3 1st place votes) - 28 of 28 ballots

Wiemer burst onto the scene with a huge run in Wisconsin (A+) last year - hitting .336 with 14 HR in just 38 games. There's so much to like: speed, power, great hair. Should be one of the system's most exciting players to watch in 2022.

Unfortunately, Joey went to Sport Clips and is sans mullet this year...at least he was in spring. Maybe he's growing it back. At any rate, this should move him down the rankings two or tree spots.

[reillymcshane]

On 4/28/2022 at 7:24 PM, brooks_quichenick said:

Assuming these were typos from people who meant Valerio?

 

Thanks for putting this together again, reilly!

I never caught that. I don't know who a bunch of the lesser guys are. I just write things down and add them up. I'll fix.

[Manty Brewer Fan]

Baseball America just updated their top 100 due to graduations and early season performance.  Brice Turang and Sal Frelick both broke into the top 100 at 94 and 100 respectively in the update.

[CheeseheadInQC]

A little late, but thanks for putting this together. It is always interesting. Hopefully by midseason a few of the guys who started slow will have rebounded.