Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (25) | 2011 (30) | 2010 (14) | 2009 (10) | 2008 (21)
2012 Affiliate Records
MLB: [83-79] NL Central
AAA: [67-77] Pacific Coast League — Nashville
AA: [65-74] Southern League — Huntsville
A+: [63-72] Florida State League — Brevard County
A: [78-61] Midwest League — Wisconsin
Arizona Fall League Players — Phoenix Desert Dogs
Nick Bucci (RHP); Kyle Heckathorn (RHP); Johnny Hellweg (RHP); Jimmy Nelson (RHP); Hunter Morris (1B); Josh Prince (SS); Khris Davis (OF)
Graduated Prospects of Note
Jean Segura (SS); Michael Fiers (RHP); Taylor Green (1B)
The Run Down
Though he’s already graduated his prospect status, it’s impossible to discuss the Milwaukee Brewers’ young talent without mentioning Jean Segura, the prized piece acquired in the trade that sent Zack Grienke to the Angels. Segura gathered enough at-bats (148) with the Brewers to earn rookie status, and thus, I cannot rank him here. But in case you’re wondering, he’d be #1 — the 22-year-old has tremendous potential with the bat, and he figures be a well-above average hitting shortstop at the Major League level. Sloppy defensive play is certainly a concern with Segura, but 15 homers and 30 steals will be valuable no matter where he plays. After him, though, the still-are-prospects prospects of the Milwaukee Brewers are not quite as exciting. Not to suggest that this is a particularly awful system — it’s flush with solid young arms, which is a wonderful asset to a ball club — but it sure lacks that pizazzy element we all so desperately desire.
Top Ten Prospects
1. Wily Peralta, RHP: Peralta regressed in 2012 during his time in the minors, casting some concern over his prospect status, but the 23-year-old was quite good in six appearances with the big club last year, posting a 2.248 ERA, and a K/9 above 7. He still looks like a future #2 or #3-type to me. ETA: 2013
2. Tyler Thornburg, RHP: I wrote a brief scouting report on Thornburg during the season, so check that out here for a closer look. The gist: he’s an undersized flamethrower with a filthy change, a solid curve, and control issues. If he can command his plus stuff, he’ll miss plenty of bats and could be a nice option in all fantasy formats. ETA: 2013
3. Johnny Hellweg, RHP: Hellweg — the other dude snagged in the Grienke deal — is tall. He’s 6-9 and he throws in the upper-90s and, at times, he’s utterly unhittable. At other times, he struggles finding his release point and cannot locate the strike zone. Projections for Hellweg vary from front-of-the-rotation starter, to high-leverage reliever. Either way, he’ll be useful to the Brewers sometime soon. ETA: Late 2013
4. Clint Coulter, C: Milwaukee took Coulter out of high school with the 27th overall pick in June. And while the 19-year-old’s numbers weren’t quite mind-blowing during instructional league play, scouts have fallen in love with him nonetheless. He’s a long way off, and it’ll be interesting to see how aggressively the Brewers choose to develop him, but it’s already fair to consider Coulter among the most promising catchers in the minors. ETA: 2016
5. Hunter Morris, 1B: It’s tough to ignore 28 homers and a .920 OPS. That’s what Morris did in 2012 in a full year at Double-A Huntsville. His big year will surely earn him consideration for a major league job in 2013. ETA: 2013
6. Taylor Jungmann, RHP: At 6-6, 210, Jungmann is a big righty with a power repertoire and good command. As such, he’s a very safe bet to reach the bigs as an innings-eating mid-rotation starter, possibly more. He’ll start 2013 at Double-A, and could certainly reach Milwaukee before year’s end if things go well. ETA: 2014
7. Scooter Gennett, 2B: Gennett is praised for his outstanding hitting tool, and he projects as a .300 hitter in the bigs. But with no immediate opportunity for the 22-year-old, he’ll spend the next year or two refining his defensive skills in the upper minors. ETA: 2015
8. Jed Bradley, LHP: The 6-4, 225, power lefty struggled with command at High-A in 2012 — a year that was cut short due to injury and workload. But like Hellweg and Jungmann, Bradley’s frame and arsenal should be enough to carry him to the bigs. ETA: 2014
9. Jimmy Nelson, RHP: Another power righty, Nelson stands 6-6, 245, and he offers two plus fastballs. The secondary stuff isn’t quite as impressive, which could haunt him in the upper levels. Still, the impressive frame and heat are intriguing assets. ETA: 2014
10. Drew Gagnon, RHP: Good command of a well-rounded three-pitch repertoire allowed Gagnon to post nice numbers between Low- and High-A in 2012: 2.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP. Continued success at Double-A in 2013 will have him on the fast-track toward Miller Park. [Insert Gagnon Style joke.] ETA: 2014
