5 Intriguing Non-Roster Invitees to Milwaukee Brewers' 2025 Spring Training Camp

[Harold Hutchison]

As spring training gets closer, one set of players often gets overlooked amid all the 40-man drama. Yet, these players can often make big contributions to the Brewers. We’re talking about the non-roster invitees (NRIs).

Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the biggest NRIs to have an impact on the Brewers was Rob Deer. He came over from the Giants in an unnoticed transaction before the 1986 season, but made the team and hit 33 homers with 86 RBIs, becoming a heart-of-the-order threat for the Brewers for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Obviously, though, that's just one example among a great many. Could the 2025 crop of NRIs have some impact players? Let’s take a look.

RHP Jacob Misiorowski
Misiorowski’s floor has been as a right-handed version of Josh Hader, circa 2017-2018: a multi-inning fireman who can shut down an opposing lineup's best and hand the ball to a closer, if not get a game’s last five or six outs. The question has been whether he can control his slider well enough to be a top-of-the-rotation starter.

Either way, Misiorowski contributes to the Brewers. The real difference could come five years down the road, barring a change in the hot-stove economic realities. What will be intriguing is how Misiorowski fares against big-league hitters. Can he go multiple times through a big-league batting order?

RHP Craig Yoho
Yoho could be the first 2023 draft pick for the Brewers to see the majors. Selected in the eighth round, he has the funkiest changeup this side of recently traded Devin Williams. The chance to be a future closer is undeniable. Arguably, Yoho has nothing to prove in the minors, where he dominated to the tune of a 0.94 ERA and an identical WHIP, while striking out more than 15 hitters per nine innings.

The real intrigue comes from the rest of the bullpen. Trevor Megill is probably safe as Milwaukee’s closer for 2025, given his admirable job of filling in for Williams when the relief ace was sidelined with stress fractures in his back. But the same can’t be said for other pitchers. Could Yoho bump Abner Uribe, Joel Payamps, or Elvis Peguero from the Brewers pen with a hot spring?

C Darrien Miller
Miller has long been an under-the-radar prospect behind the plate for the Brewers, overshadowed by Jeferson Quero’s rapid rise through the minor-league system. His offense is highlighted by outstanding OBP skills (64 walks in 306 at-bats in Double-A Biloxi) that have been consistent throughout his professional career.

The real question in spring training will be what his invite means. Is Miller the long-term No. 2 catcher behind Jeferson Quero, with the Brewers deciding to move William Contreras? The team could do far worse than Miller as a second-string backstop, and he has been teammates with many of the young Triple-A pitchers.

1B Ernesto Martinez Jr.
Like Miller, Martinez has been an under-the-radar prospect. He’s a freakish athlete (6’5”, 250 pounds) who provides excellent defense at first base and has even seen limited action in center field, where he’s held his own. Aside from power and defense, he’s also shown speed on the bases (66 steals in 81 attempts over the last three years).

The intrigue here is his direct competition with Jake Bauers, who came back to the Crew on a minor-league deal with a big-league invite. While Bauers has spent time in MLB, in 2024, his batting average was below the Uecker line, and he struck out more than twice as much as Christian Yelich did.

OF Luis Lara
Lara is a fast outfielder with excellent defense in center field. Much of his offensive skill set involves hitting for average, with some excellent base-running skills on top of that (55 steals in 74 attempts between Advanced-A Wisconsin and the Arizona Fall League). He’s arguably a hybrid of Gold Glover Sal Frelick and Gold Glove finalist Blake Perkins.

Lara rapidly rose through the Brewers system, playing a full season at Wisconsin at the age of 19. His performance in spring training against big-league pitching could make things interesting, considering the Brewers have Yophery Rodriguez and Braylon Payne in the system, could Lara’s NRI be a way to showcase a potential trade chip, or are they evaluating to see if he can bump Perkins off the roster someday?

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Which of these NRIs do you find the most intriguing? Are there others that you think could break out and help the Brewers? Let us know in the comments below!

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[SF70]

Ernesto Martinez Jr.

His otherworldly hitting the second-half of last season (200+ wRC+) with Biloxi and well above average defense at 1B has me wanting to see him play meaningful innings in ST and show the team he’s a legit 1B option for the big-club at some point this season or at worst next year.

[jay87shot]

59 minutes ago, SF70 said:

Ernesto Martinez Jr.

His otherworldly hitting the second-half of last season (200+ wRC+) with Biloxi and well above average defense at 1B has me wanting to see him play meaningful innings in ST and show the team he’s a legit 1B option for the big-club at some point this season or at worst next year.

Agree, if Black doesn't look better defensively at 1B I would much rather have EMJ or Boeve get a shot at that 1B platoon roster spot over Bauers.

What do we think the chances of Yoho making opening day are? At this point I would have thought we would have traded 1 of Payamps/Peguero to create an easier path for Yoho or Uribe. However by adding the likes of Thomas, Wolfram, Elvin Rodriguez, Anderson, and Anderson I would guess we would hold of on Yoho to the bigs until there are some injuries and 40 man roster spots open up. It does seem like a Brewers move to keep young bullpen arm like Yoho down and extra month to see what someone slightly less deserving has and potentially get an extra year of control on Yoho.

Not related but does anyone know  if by keeping Hudson in AAA the last month or so last year we gain an extra year of control on him?

[Trax]

All named exciting prospects but I'm most jacked about the arms,  Mis and Yoho.

Love Contreras but if Quero is ready to go at some point the small market Brewers must be willing to move him for the right package.  A HUGE return...

[GasserFace]

Mis and Yoho are the most likely to impact the '25 Brewers, even if they aren't a part of the opening day roster. 

EMJ is particularly interesting to me based on his tools and recent development.  If he puts together a spectacular spring, could he make the roster as a power bat off the bench / defensive replacement for Hoskins?  His lane is a bit obstructed since he is a RHH, but the doubles power he showed last year is intriguing.

[SF70]

22 minutes ago, GasserFace said:

Mis and Yoho are the most likely to impact the '25 Brewers, even if they aren't a part of the opening day roster. 

EMJ is particularly interesting to me based on his tools and recent development.  If he puts together a spectacular spring, could he make the roster as a power bat off the bench / defensive replacement for Hoskins?  His lane is a bit obstructed since he is a RHH, but the doubles power he showed last year is intriguing.

EMJ bats left-handed.

[GasserFace]

1 minute ago, SF70 said:

EMJ bats left-handed.

Perfect!  Glad to be wrong about that.  Sign him up to platoon with Hoskins.

[biedergb]

12 hours ago, Harold Hutchison said:

The team could do far worse than Miller as a second-string backstop, and he has been teammates with many of the young Triple-A pitchers.

The can do far far better. Miller has some offensive upside, but stalled at AA (although who doesn't in Biloxi?) but his defense has left a lot to be lacking. He would have to really start hitting to be considered a real MLB catcher, as his glove work and arm will not get him there.

[wiguy94]

4 hours ago, biedergb said:

The can do far far better. Miller has some offensive upside, but stalled at AA (although who doesn't in Biloxi?) but his defense has left a lot to be lacking. He would have to really start hitting to be considered a real MLB catcher, as his glove work and arm will not get him there.

I'd argue Miller has basically zero offensive upside. His entire hitting success comes from BB and HBP. Guys like him thrive in the minors because pitchers stink. In MLB they would challenge him because he offers very little threat of damaging the ball. I think batting average is mostly pointless to evaluate MLB players, but if you're putting up a BA south of .230 as a 21-23 year old in A+ and AA with no power then the chances of you ever being an MLB player are incredibly slim because his hitting profile is not one that will translate to MLB and he's a bad defensive catcher.

[mkingcheckmate]

okay mr.Miller prove your own fanatics wrong. come to ST  with hair on fire. if not??  still love ya longtime!

good taĺk

[Outlander]

22 hours ago, jay87shot said:

Not related but does anyone know  if by keeping Hudson in AAA the last month or so last year we gain an extra year of control on him?

No, he had spent time in the majors with the Dodgers in 2023 as well so is five days over a year of service. Of course they could send him to the minors again in 2025 and get that extra year.

I kind of like the idea of Martinez getting the Bauers role this year but don't think they will do that considering he has no AAA experience. They have more flexibility with Black/Martinez in that role with their options and kind of stuck with Bauers or at least a longer leash if he makes the team.

 

[biedergb]

17 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

I'd argue Miller has basically zero offensive upside.

Well, yes. But for a catcher he has some (low bar), but he has more offense right now than defense was more my point. But last year he had zero power, and his BA stunk, but prior to that he had good OBP (yes as noted it was primarily driven by his BB and HBP) and did have some power. Basically everyone's offense gets sucked into the Southern League and Biloxi vortex. I would argue there is some upside for him as a catcher, but I also agree last year his BB rate was all he had, and if that doesn't improve his BA or ISO, then he has then no real value unless his framing or arm become magically better. If he was forced to another position then his offensive "upside" is non-existent.

I wonder if he is going to ST (Along with Rodriguez and I think Garcia) since they just need bodies at the catching position since there are like a zillion arms in spring training.

[wiguy94]

18 minutes ago, biedergb said:

Well, yes. But for a catcher he has some (low bar), but he has more offense right now than defense was more my point. But last year he had zero power, and his BA stunk, but prior to that he had good OBP (yes as noted it was primarily driven by his BB and HBP) and did have some power. Basically everyone's offense gets sucked into the Southern League and Biloxi vortex. I would argue there is some upside for him as a catcher, but I also agree last year his BB rate was all he had, and if that doesn't improve his BA or ISO, then he has then no real value unless his framing or arm become magically better. If he was forced to another position then his offensive "upside" is non-existent.

I wonder if he is going to ST (Along with Rodriguez and I think Garcia) since they just need bodies at the catching position since there are like a zillion arms in spring training.

His offensive profile has always been BB and HBP driven that was not new to AA. If he was a good defensive catcher he might have an off chance of being a backup catcher but his defense is really bad. The only reason he was invited to big league camp was because they always invite a bunch of catchers because there are a ton of pitchers.