The Biggest Storylines In The Brewers Farm System For 2024

[Harold Hutchison]

As spring training comes to a close, it is time to turn to the games that actually count in the regular season. Just what should Brewers fans be looking for as the season progresses?

1. The Development Of Joey Wiemer

Joey Wiemer got his call-up to the majors when Luis Urias injured his hamstring on Opening Day in 2023. He spent most of the season with Milwaukee, providing excellent defense in center field once Garrett Mitchell landed on the injured list after hurting his shoulder while running the bases.

That said, while Wiemer had plenty of power, he also had serious holes in his swing. He had a hot streak in June, but for most of the season, he struggled while facing major-league breaking balls. The Crew optioned him to Nashville so he could work on his swing with regular at-bats.

At present, Wiemer could be a platoon option against left-handed pitchers - and his career would look a lot like former Brewer Keon Broxton’s. But he could be more than just a Keon Broxton clone with a mullet. How he adjusts his swing – and if it can be effective at the major-league level, could determine his future in Milwaukee. Jackson Chourio will have one spot in Milwaukee’s future outfield, and Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell are strong contenders for time as well – with Luis Lara and Yophery Rodriguez coming up through the minors – to say nothing of less-hyped prospects.

2. Tyler Black’s Future Position

Tyler Black came into spring training as arguably the top contender to handle third base – justifiably so, based on his 2023 performance. The Corbin Burnes trade and the crowded outfield, though, changed that. Now, Black is a man arguably without a position. At second base and the outfield in 2022, he had injury troubles. Third base may be blocked in the short term by Joey Ortiz and Frelick, with Brock Wilken being a long-term fixture there.

Could he end up at first base? It’s possible, but at five feet, ten inches, he is arguably a little short for that position. Designated hitter could be an option, but the Brewers may want Christian Yelich there from 2025 on.

Black needs to claim a position soon – because his bat has nothing left to prove in the minors. If he can’t nail down a position, then he could end up being traded, and while he could provide the Brewers an excellent short-to-medium-term piece, the Crew would be better off in the long term having Black play for them.

3. The Imminent Arrival Of The Young Guns

Jacob Misiorowski, Carlos F. Rodriguez, and Robert Gasser all rank pretty high on both the MLB Pipeline and Brewer Fanatic Top Prospects lists. The big question is when will they arrive in Milwaukee? Each also has an individual question to answer as well.

In Misiorowski’s case, there is another question: Is he a dominating ace or the next Josh Hader? Misiorowski’s stuff would work as a late-inning reliever right now. In fact, there are seasons where he’d have been rushed up for that role and it would arguably have been decisive. The Brewers are, of course, hoping he makes it as a starter – and it’s the right call at this point. If he comes up in 2024, his likely destiny will be as a top reliever in the bullpen – which can be quite lucrative (see Josh Hader’s free-agent deal and salaries in his last two years of arbitration). If he stays in the minors all year, he could be the next ace for the Crew.

For Rodriguez and Gasser, the situation has changed since some of our past reviews. The Corbin Burnes trade leaves the Brewers with a need to fill up innings from a decent rotation that is without two of its “Big Three” (Brandon Woodruff will miss most of 2024 with a shoulder injury), so they could be taking a one-way ride from Nashville to Milwaukee. The Brewers have a lot to look forward to from them and some other prospects – both hyped and under-the-radar – and it really is a question of when they get that plane ticket.

4. Which Young Players Make The Jackson Chourio Jump?

Jackson Chourio’s jump from Single-A Carolina to Double-A Biloxi in 2022 was fun for Brewers fans to watch. Jacob Misiorowski made a similar climb up the ladder in 2023. Could it happen again for some other prospects? The Brewers have several legitimate contenders in their farm system.

Perhaps the most obvious in a pure apples-to-apples comparison is Yophery Rodriguez. Like Chourio, he is an outfielder who posted outstanding numbers in the Dominican Summer League. Their age 17 seasons came out with similar OPS totals (Chourio .833, Rodriguez .842), but a deeper dive reveals that Rodriguez’s bat may be closer to a “three true outcomes” (homers, walks, and strikeouts) profile than Chourio’s. Rodriguez posted 87 true outcomes in 178 at-bats (six homers, 41 walks, 40 strikeouts) compared to 56 (five homers, 23 walks, 28 strikeouts) in 159 at-bats for Chourio. If he can handle stateside pitching, he could rocket up the ladder the way Chourio did.

Then we get to Juan Baez. Baez is very polarizing: Nobody doubts his bat – he posted a .904 OPS between the ACL Brewers and Carolina Mudcats in 2023. It’s just his defense (an .833 fielding percentage at shortstop) that is cause for concern (and calls to shift him elsewhere on the diamond).

Baez’s ACL teammate, Satchell Norman, is similar in that regard. His bat looks to be very productive, but he had 11 passed balls in 28 professional games behind the plate. If he were a designated hitter or corner outfielder, he just might rocket up the minor-league ladder.

Cooper Pratt, who saw some at-bats in Maryvale, could also have a similar rise if he can boost his power production (the OBP skills and defense are there, as is a good hit-for-contact tool).

Then there is Demetrio Nadal, who is ignored in the now-crowded third base picture occupied by Sal Frelick, Tyler Black, Brock Wilken, Eric Bitonti, and Mike Boeve. Nadal has superb OBP skills and good bat-to-ball skills, plus some speed and some developing power. There could be plenty of others, including some pitchers, who could also rocket up the ladder.

5. The Comebacks From Injury

Aaron Ashby missed most of 2023 (and never appeared in Milwaukee) due to a shoulder injury, and has been optioned to Nashville on what is really an indefinite rehabilitation assignment. In the minors, under-rated prospects Brandon Knarr and Adam Seminaris are also seeking to come back after lengthy stays on the injured list. We could even see Brandon Woodruff make similar appearances as he also tries to come back.

Similar questions will surround Coleman Crow (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Easton McGee (who signed a two-year minor-league contract).

What do you think will be the big storylines in Milwaukee’s farm system? Let us know in the comments below.

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