Trio of Top Teenage Brewers Prospects Showcasing Major Improvements in Carolina

[Jake McKibbin]

Luis Peña, Josh Adamczewski, and Braylon Payne all entered 2025 with big upside and a specific question to answer. So far, all three are blowing the doors off for the Carolina Mudcats, with considerable progress in the first week of action. Let's take a look at how each has lunged forward.

Image courtesy of © Max Correa / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Carolina Mudcats have one of the most interesting, stacked minor-league rosters going, featuring names like Jesús Made, Luis Peña, Braylon Payne, Eric Bitonti, Josh Adamczewski, Filippo Di Turi and Marco Dinges. All have considerable upside and definitive areas of their game to work on, but three names in particular have already shown considerable strides to begin the 2025 season:

Luis Pena
Luis Peña entered the season somewhat under the radar, despite being MLB Pipeline's 9th-ranked prospect in the Brewers organization. He actually outperformed Jesús Made in the final line from their rookie DSL seasons, but he showcased some flaws that scared scouts a little bit. The most common one was how regularly he chased pitches outside the strike zone, with one of the most swing-happy approaches in the DSL. Teaching an approach is one of the more difficult things in baseball, and while Peña's contact skills and speed (against weak DSL defenses) allowed him to get away with this approach, the pitching in a full-season affiliate was expected to produce a different challenge.

Enter 2025, and Peña's approach is significantly more professional in just the first week of full-season Stateside baseball.

Season	Level	Swing %	Contact %
2024	DSL	66.3	78.0
2025	Lo A	41.8	92.9

In the DSL, Peña had a remarkably low 6% first-pitch strike rate, swinging at almost two-thirds of the pitches he saw and making contact 78% of the time. He swung early and often, avoiding striking out as a result—but also not walking a lot and limiting the damage he could do by keeping his swings inside the strike zone. This season, that swing rate has dropped to 41.8%, a much more professional number given the wildness he will see in the lower minor leagues, and his contact rate has soared as a result. 

A 93% contact rate is exceptional under any circumstances, and even more impressive given that Peña is just 18 years old, away from his family and living in America, with all that that entails. It's been a remarkable showing early on, and has manifested itself in some rocketed balls off the bat. He's yet to strike out for the Mudcats. If Peña can keep this up over the full season (or even maintain a portion of the improvement), they have another superstar to rival Made in their ranks.

 

Josh Adamczewski
Adamczewski's swing might be the prettiest in the Brewers system. A 2023 draft pickup in the 15th round, he's yet another graduate from the Ginger Poulson regime. His early showings in complex ball were impressive, but he struck out more than one would expect for his profile since joining the Brewers system. He's always prided himself on his eye at the plate and his ability to put the ball in play. Then, some easy-looking power began to show up at the end of 2024 and had a few sitting up and taking note. Now, Adamczewski has started 2025 with a bang that's showing off all the power and contact you dream of in a bat.

Josh Adamczewski always showed a strong eye at the plate in his debut season, but was striking out at an 18% clip in the complex (rising to 24% in a brief sample at Carolina in 2024). There were concerns that the swing-and-miss reflected in his overall contact rate of 72.4% might become more prominent as he moved up the levels. He's dumping all over that so far, with that contact rate soaring up to 87.5% in his first week of 2025. He's wedded that with some impressive, powerful contact. Adamczewski has hit a booming home run, two triples, six singles and four walks in his first four games alone.

Early on, because of sample size, contact rates are more useful (due to a larger sample, per swing or per pitch rather than per plate appearance) than strikeout rates, and as such, I'm less worried about the 19% strikeout rate so far. Adamczewski is making contact—hard contact—and still walking at a strong clip, with high-quality plate appearances. On top of that, his defense at second base has been sterling, with the full package leading him to Carolina League Player of the Week honors in their first set of games and setting the bar for some real excitement as 2025 progresses. 

Chris Clegg has also noticed some changes to his hand position and the overall strength in his frame, which seem to have helped him elevate the ball and be in a better position at the point of contact. It's too early in terms of batted-ball samples to use this as an indicator, but again, it's something to note going forward.

 

Either way, enjoy some clips of Adamczewski mashing courtesy of Brewers Player Development!

Braylon Payne
The surprise pick of the first round in the 2024 MLB draft, Payne quickly showed that the Brewers knew more than most. Scouts talked about a choppy swing, high ground-ball rates and limited power (despite elite athleticism), which limited his ceiling. In a short four-game sample, however, he did showcase an exit velocity of up to 110 mph. Again, he showed some swing-and-miss in doing so, but he was 17 years old.

At 18, he's showing not a single gap in his arsenal. The speed and defensive reads have been strong to start the season, and those will be his bread and butter going forward, but in week one, his bat has also been scorching hot. Payne is slugging .667, with just four swings and misses in 84 pitches (21 plate appearances), combining that with an 18.2% walk rate and just one strikeout. His contact rate, too, has jumped from the mid-70s to almost 89%.

Payne hasn't looked overmatched at all. In fact, he's been bullying opposing pitchers. When you're showcasing that contact with this power, you truly have something on your hands.

 

 

It is one week, but these look like some big steps forward from the incredibly talented teenagers in the Brewers system. I haven't even covered the power showcased by Eric Bitonti, while Made has been kept sidelined by a rolled ankle. The teenagers are one of the most exciting groups of players to follow in the minor leagues, and this type of early showcase should have you even more excited about what's to come for this talented trio.

Such changes may not remain intact over a full season. This is a small sample. Yet, it's an exciting one, too. Even if there's some regression at later points in the year, overall, each of these players looks set up to have a big year in 2025. Do you have more confidence in these progressions? Or do you see it all reverting back to type by the end of April? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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[Joseph Zarr]

I approve of this article. Well done, Jake!

You mention him above, but I would also be keen to add INF Filippo Di Turi right into this same mix showcasing the early bat-to-ball improvements. I was concerned about his bat speed, and his speed of play and the way he closed last season. It is wonderful to see him thriving early. In the very early going, @wiguy94 has to feel pretty dang good about his Sleeper Pick. 

 

[Brewer77]

Thoughts and prayers to the Carolina League pitchers that have to face this lineup

[Jake McKibbin]

39 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I approve of this article. Well done, Jake!

You mention him above, but I would also be keen to add INF Filippo Di Turi right into this same mix showcasing the early bat-to-ball improvements. I was concerned about his bat speed, and his speed of play and the way he closed last season. It is wonderful to see him thriving early. In the very early going, @wiguy94 has to feel pretty dang good about his Sleeper Pick. 

 

The approval of Joseph Zarr is a momentous thing! I'm touched my friend!

I very well might have added him if I was able to fight bat speed/ exit velo data for him but unfortunately that's still not available.

Absolutely delightful to see him showing some more confidence though for sure!

[MudcatsfaninBrunsCO]

Awesome read! Hope to cover a Mudcats Championship this season!

[BrewerFan]

That Braylon Payne swing looks VERY Christian Yelich-esque to me....

[Brian]

I still haven't figured out who the opening picture is in relation to names.  Because he sure doesn't look like anyone mentioned in the story??? 

[Spencer Michaelis]

2 hours ago, Brian said:

I still haven't figured out who the opening picture is in relation to names.  Because he sure doesn't look like anyone mentioned in the story??? 

That's Braylon Payne

[Brian]

6 minutes ago, Spencer Michaelis said:

That's Braylon Payne

Oh, ok I see it now, thanks.