Article: Five (Actually Six) Unranked Prospects to Watch

[damuelle]

Here's a look at six unranked players poised for potential breakouts in 2022. 

We’ve previously looked at where our Top 30 prospects according to MLB.com are likely to start the 2022 season, but those are certainly not the only exciting young players to keep tabs on. Remember, was Joey Wiemer on the Top 30 prospect list entering 2021? How about Felix Valerio, Korry Howell and Jake Cousins?

Now, let’s highlight six unranked prospects potentially ready for major breakouts in 2022 and let us know in the comments who you’ve got your eye on!

Max Lazar – RHP – 22 years old – 11th round 2017 pick
The 2019 Brewers minor leaguer with the lowest WHIP (min. 67 innings), Lazar, unfortunately, lost the 2020 season to Covid and then the 2021 season to Tommy John surgery. However, he appears healthy and ready to pick up where he left off, having relieved the High-A opening day spring training game on March 19, then starting a contest on March 22.

That 2019 season (primarily in Low-A) was truly something to behold, with a 2.33 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 12.6 K/9 in 85 innings. The man had 119 strikeouts vs. just 15 walks!

If Max Lazar and Antoine Kelly are healthy and in the starting rotation at High-A Wisconsin to commence the season, one can only pity the opposition.

Darrien Miller – C – 21 years old – 9th round 2019 pick
Miller, the only high schooler selected by the Brewers in the first 10 rounds of the past three drafts (2019-2021), was the club’s youngest position player to start the 2021 season in Low-A Carolina and may repeat that feat in High-A Wisconsin this April.

A relative model of consistency in 2021, the left-handed-hitting Miller had an OPS of .838 over 204 plate appearances on the year, with seven home runs and a quality ratio of 33 walks to 45 strikeouts, including a very special September 1st tilt. In that game, Miller hit a three-run shot in the 4th inning to tie it, a grand slam in the 6th inning to take an 8-7 lead, and a solo shot in the 8th inning as insurance.

For good measure, Miller followed up that masterpiece with a walk-off grand slam four days later.

After sharing catching duties with Alex Hall last year, look for Darrien Miller to pair up with Wes Clarke in 2022, giving the Brewers a formidable High-A catching duo last seen in 2019 Carolina (Mario Feliciano, Payton Henry).

Jolon “Lun” Zhao – RHP – 20 years old – 2018 international signing
Arguably the best curveball in the Brewers’ minor league system belongs to a 5’10” player from Beijing who’s yet to even reach Low-A ball. How awesome is that?

Zhao debuted in Rookie Arizona ball as a 16-year-old in 2018, making three solid relief appearances and then playing another three games in Advanced Rookie Helena, posting a 1.08 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in a small sample size (8 1/3 innings).

However, in an even more extreme case than Lazar, Lun Zhao would not see any official action from September 5, 2018, until August 24, 2021. That’s because he had ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction in early 2019, lost 2020 to Covid, and appeared to suffer Covid-related travel delays in 2021. 

Bulldog Zhao ultimately made it back for 8 2/3 innings in Rookie Arizona in late 2021, then had the privilege of facing off against super-prospect talent in the Arizona Fall League. Although his AFL numbers weren’t stellar, the box scores suggested some serious battles (2 1/3 innings scoreless in one game; nearly escaped a based loaded, zero out, extra-inning situation (not his creation) in another).

Hopefully, Zhao is able to break camp with Low-A Carolina and get consistent work for the first time ever!

James Meeker – 27 years old – RHP – 2021 independent ball signing
Lucas Erceg – 26 years old – RHP – 2nd round 2016 pick
Why pair Meeker and Erceg together? Well, don’t be surprised if one of the two is a major league reliever later this year, which was a rather unfathomable prospect just 12 months ago.

You’ve got the 6’4” Meeker and his magical 2021 season in which he yielded only one earned run in 49 2/3 innings (31 2/3 innings in the Frontier League, 18 innings at Low-A Carolina). He struck out 65 batters against just 15 walks. A 2018 University of Delaware graduate, Meeker went undrafted and then pitched 123 innings of independent ball across four seasons, all in relief, before the Brewers signed him in August 2021.

Across the end of 2020 and most of 2021, Meeker put together an incredible streak of 55 innings without yielding an earned run! And from various off-season tweets by @PVSbaseball, he’s not resting on those laurels. 

And then there’s the 6’3” Erceg, who was a AAA third baseman in 2019 and even had 22 at-bats at MLB spring training in 2020 before deciding at some point to put the bat away and become a pitcher. Why would he do that, after not pitching since throwing 10 2/3 innings at the University of California in 2015? Perhaps his 70-grade arm (2020 MLB.com rating) has something to do with it!

Thrust aggressively into AA Biloxi, Erceg pitched 47 2/3 innings in 2021 and understandably struggled: 5.29 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 8.5 K/9. However, the Brewers were encouraged enough with his progress to bring him into 2022 MLB spring training as a pitcher, where he broke at least one bat with his 98 mph fastball. 

So will Meeker continue his 2021 magic all the way to the big leagues or will Erceg figure out this pitching thing and beat him to it?

Blayberg Diaz – C – 19 years old – 2019 international signing
Yet another young Brewers’ catcher ready to make his mark? As Mass Haas summed up excellently in the early season birthday thread, the Venezuelan Diaz is an early surprise as an initially-unheralded member of the 2019 international signing class.

Finally debuting July 5th, 2021, in Rookie Arizona, Diaz promptly got just one hit in his first 19 at-bats before settling in. Over his final 29 games in which he had plate appearances, he slashed .333/.411/.495 in 107 plate appearances, including four home runs and a 12-game hitting streak.

Has Diaz shown enough to get the immediate call to Low-A Carolina alongside Jeferson Quero to start 2022? Well, let’s not be surprised if 19-year old Quero is paired with an older catcher to commence the year (e.g. Jose Sibrian), but Blayberg Diaz will hopefully get that promotion to Carolina soon.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and favorite break-out candidates below!

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[KeithStone53151]

Well done, I love it. Keep this stuff coming!

[KeithStone53151]

Well done, I love it. Keep this stuff coming!

[homer]

This is fantastic. Thanks for posting!

[homer]

This is fantastic. Thanks for posting!

[CheeseheadInQC]

Wonder if Zhao starts in Carolina or, with the AFL experience under his belt, if they move him up to Wisconsin.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Wonder if Zhao starts in Carolina or, with the AFL experience under his belt, if they move him up to Wisconsin.

[SomewhereInTime]

This was really good.  Well done.

[SomewhereInTime]

This was really good.  Well done.

[SomewhereInTime]

This was really good.  Well done.

[SomewhereInTime]

This was really good.  Well done.

[Joseph Zarr]

This is the stuff right here. Awesome. Thanks for the write-up!

[Joseph Zarr]

This is the stuff right here. Awesome. Thanks for the write-up!

[Joseph Zarr]

This is the stuff right here. Awesome. Thanks for the write-up!

[Joseph Zarr]

This is the stuff right here. Awesome. Thanks for the write-up!

[brewerralph]

Great articles keep them coming!!!!

[brewerralph]

Great articles keep them coming!!!!

[brewerralph]

Great articles keep them coming!!!!

[brewerralph]

Great articles keep them coming!!!!