2026 Prospect Reports / Lists / Rankings / Interviews / Etc.

[MattK]

3 hours ago, snoogans8056 said:

Currently listening to Jim Doyle’s Over-Slot Baseball podcast with Tod Johnson (Brewers VP of Player Acquisition) that was posted yesterday. Will add some notes later.

EDIT

Good stuff.

A lot of table slapping around the league when Miz was drafted. Many teams were trying to hide him in the process.

Very high on Rylan Mills (late round 2025 high school catcher). Said he attended a try out as a nobody from nowhere and every instructor they sent him to ended up saying “he’s awesome at this so he must be bad at _______”. Turns out he was really good at everything. Very hard hitter.

Loves all the kids equally, but singled out Dubanewicz and Holden in their draft classes.

Had wondered why he was as much overslot as he was. 

[Spencer Michaelis]

3 hours ago, snoogans8056 said:

Currently listening to Jim Doyle’s Over-Slot Baseball podcast with Tod Johnson (Brewers VP of Player Acquisition) that was posted yesterday. Will add some notes later.

EDIT

Good stuff.

A lot of table slapping around the league when Miz was drafted. Many teams were trying to hide him in the process.

Very high on Rylan Mills (late round 2025 high school catcher). Said he attended a try out as a nobody from nowhere and every instructor they sent him to ended up saying “he’s awesome at this so he must be bad at _______”. Turns out he was really good at everything. Very hard hitter.

Loves all the kids equally, but singled out Dubanewicz and Holden in their draft classes.

Was actually just coming here to post about this after listening myself lol. Very good stuff, 

Heard similarly about Mills' bat at the workout from a source post-draft, but the defense stuff was news to me.

Loved hearing about Dubanewicz's bulldog type of attitude, think that can go a very long way as a pitcher, assuming you have the requisite decent or better stuff, which he does.

[Jim Goulart]

4 hours ago, snoogans8056 said:

Currently listening to Jim Doyle’s Over-Slot Baseball podcast with Tod Johnson (Brewers VP of Player Acquisition) that was posted yesterday. Will add some notes later.

You'll need to create an account and it'll cost you $5 for the first month on their Patreon - you can cancel before it renews a month from now, though please consider maintaining the monthly fee for the full Over-Slot experience).  

Milwaukee Brewers VP of Amateur Acquisitions Tod Johnson joins the show.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-197-milwaukee-144917157

The podcast episode is an hour and 13 minutes. Johnson joins the show at the 47:30 minute mark.

• The war room story of drafting Jacob Misiorowski

• Discussing Ben Badler's article articulating the Brewers' high-school heavy approach in the draft and their willingness to punt quantity over undervalued quality.

• Johnson's transition into international work. Why are the Brewers so incredibly successful with international free agents and developing undervalued prospects into big-league caliber players?

• Johnson's favorite sleeper from the 2025 Draft. Why some of the guys drafted in later rounds should have fans excited.

• Discussing some of the Brewers prospects set to debut and impact the big league organization in 2026.

 

***

I had also followed this routine last year - so if you join now, go ahead and pull up this February 2025 episode as well!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-136-milwaukee-122144269

 

[Jim Goulart]

2026 Dynasty Baseball Prospects: Daily Write-Up Series - Eric Bitonti

 

 

[Jim Goulart]

Jack Seppings

 

[Jim Goulart]

Via Curt Hogg / Todd Rosiak in the Journal-Sentinel (subscription based) -

Journal Sentinel’s top 10 Brewers prospects: Who just missed the cut?

Coming off breakout year, Tyson Hardin comes in as Brewers' No. 10 prospect

[homer]

1 hour ago, Jim Goulart said:

Via Curt Hogg / Todd Rosiak in the Journal-Sentinel (subscription based) -

Journal Sentinel’s top 10 Brewers prospects: Who just missed the cut?

Coming off breakout year, Tyson Hardin comes in as Brewers' No. 10 prospect

From the top 10 article: "Meccage (pronounced message) "

 

Might be old news to everyone around here but I didn't know this. Seems ripe for a nickname like "Text"

[Jim Goulart]

1 hour ago, homer said:

From the top 10 article: "Meccage (pronounced message) "

Meccage won't turn 20 until March, yet the J-S reports he's now married.

Bryce had posted engagement photos/video on Instagram in September 2024.

Congrats!

 

[ClosetBrewerFan]

13 hours ago, homer said:

From the top 10 article: "Meccage (pronounced message) "

 

Might be old news to everyone around here but I didn't know this. Seems ripe for a nickname like "Text"

LOL. If only he was from Texas.  Tex Meccage would be an awesome nickname.

[Jim Goulart]

23 hours ago, Jim Goulart said:

Via Curt Hogg / Todd Rosiak in the Journal-Sentinel (subscription based) -

Journal Sentinel’s top 10 Brewers prospects: Who just missed the cut?

Coming off breakout year, Tyson Hardin comes in as Brewers' No. 10 prospect

Not going to post here each day, but subscribers should continue to go the J-S as they complete the countdown. Luis Lara's feature story is today.

[snoogans8056]

BA had an article today about breakout prospects for 2026. Apparently Handelfrey registered a 118mph (!?!?) exit velocity as an 18 year old. Bonkers.

[Joseph Zarr]

6 hours ago, snoogans8056 said:

BA had an article today about breakout prospects for 2026. Apparently Handelfrey registered a 118mph (!?!?) exit velocity as an 18 year old. Bonkers.

It was their 'One Breakout Hitting Prospects for Every Team Hiding Behind Ordinary Stat Lines'. Probably important to clarify that given Handelfry's brief exposure and struggles at Carolina. Spencer touched on this in our first episode but always nice to find meaningful support:

Quote

 

 His 77% contact rate and 16% in-zone whiff rate were both solid numbers, and he combined them with good swing decisions. He isn’t the most physical player, but his 103.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity was well above-average for an 18-year-old, and his max EV of 118.5 mph was the highest in the organization.

 

[Jim Goulart]

Freddy Zamora (2nd round, 2020) is set to be the starting shortstop for Team Nicaragua in the WBC. He is entering his final year of team control unless added to the 40-man roster prior to 2027.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Brewers get some Love for 19th Rd RHP Chase Bentley:

 

[MattK]

12 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Brewers get some Love for 19th Rd RHP Chase Bentley:

 

Is he around the ballpark of where Meccage was last year, coming in - in terms of his stuff?  Probably this is a Spencer question. 

[Spencer Michaelis]

26 minutes ago, MattK said:

Is he around the ballpark of where Meccage was last year, coming in - in terms of his stuff?  Probably this is a Spencer question. 

Just seeing this here now, answered on Twitter. He certainly has the build to add velo in pro ball. Super fun pick, will be very curious to see where they place him this spring/summer and if he ends up in Carolina at all.

 

[Joseph Zarr]

As Spencer alluded to above. Glad he could answer your question @MattK. Keep in mind, as well, Meccage was a 2nd Rd premium pick. The Brewers absolutely see tools worth developing in Bentley - ie the way over-slot Bonus but for a 19th Rd pick. Clearly they saw something they didn't want to lose out on (also likely dictated by other draft pick slot refusals in their class).

I would also casually remind you: by and large, the recent highly thought of Int'l and HS drafted lower velo guys - think RHP Manuel Rodriguez, RHP Melvin Hernandez, RHP Daniel Corniel, RHP Jayden Dubanewicz, RHP Ethan Dorchies, and the mentioned RHP Tyler Renz (among others) - have almost all to a man fared quite well because they control their arsenals a bit better than the higher velo young guys. A calling card of Bentley is a high level of controlling his stuff - it's also why his already plus change up plays so well and it certainly played a key part in dominating high school hitters. He will almost certainly start in the ACL (tho he isn't presently officially rostered there) and, should he fare well there, likely have the chance to make his way to the Carolina League by Wilson's season end. I think Meccage certainly wowed at times in his debut season - it's always fun to see a just out of young high school arm know how to elevate 97-98 mph four-seam heaters up and above the zone for swings and misses while dropping in a fairly pronounced hook over the plate as well - but he also showed rough edges controlling his arsenal for prolonged stretches (and, obviously injury reared its head). What will be quite interesting for all of us to monitor out of the gates in 2026 is RHP Manuel Rodriguez's early velo readings. Purportedly, on record at the end of the 2025 season, this is the first off-season the Brewers pitching development plan for his off-season will include velo enhancing work. He'll be 20 going on 21 (early August). Is this a blueprint? This would mean RHP Melvin Hernandez would also start working velo next off-season. In terms of raw stuff 'Wow' outings, I would struggle to pinpoint another Brewers Minor League starter who impressed me more than Rodriguez did in his second half outing on the road August 20th at Beloit. That outing was absolutely dreamy.

[MattK]

10 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

As Spencer alluded to above. Glad he could answer your question @MattK. Keep in mind, as well, Meccage was a 2nd Rd premium pick. The Brewers absolutely see tools worth developing in Bentley - ie the way over-slot Bonus but for a 19th Rd pick. Clearly they saw something they didn't want to lose out on (also likely dictated by other draft pick slot refusals in their class).

I would also casually remind you: by and large, the recent highly thought of Int'l and HS drafted lower velo guys - think RHP Manuel Rodriguez, RHP Melvin Hernandez, RHP Daniel Corniel, RHP Jayden Dubanewicz, RHP Ethan Dorchies, and the mentioned RHP Tyler Renz (among others) - have almost all to a man fared quite well because they control their arsenals a bit better than the higher velo young guys. A calling card of Bentley is a high level of controlling his stuff - it's also why his already plus change up plays so well and it certainly played a key part in dominating high school hitters. He will almost certainly start in the ACL (tho he isn't presently officially rostered there) and, should he fare well there, likely have the chance to make his way to the Carolina League by Wilson's season end. I think Meccage certainly wowed at times in his debut season - it's always fun to see a just out of young high school arm know how to elevate 97-98 mph four-seam heaters up and above the zone for swings and misses while dropping in a fairly pronounced hook over the plate as well - but he also showed rough edges controlling his arsenal for prolonged stretches (and, obviously injury reared its head). What will be quite interesting for all of us to monitor out of the gates in 2026 is RHP Manuel Rodriguez's early velo readings. Purportedly, on record at the end of the 2025 season, this is the first off-season the Brewers pitching development plan for his off-season will include velo enhancing work. He'll be 20 going on 21 (early August). Is this a blueprint? This would mean RHP Melvin Hernandez would also start working velo next off-season. In terms of raw stuff 'Wow' outings, I would struggle to pinpoint another Brewers Minor League starter who impressed me more than Rodriguez did in his second half outing on the road August 20th at Beloit. That outing was absolutely dreamy.

Thanks guys! 

[MattK]

On 12/17/2025 at 9:55 PM, Spencer Michaelis said:

Just seeing this here now, answered on Twitter. He certainly has the build to add velo in pro ball. Super fun pick, will be very curious to see where they place him this spring/summer and if he ends up in Carolina at all.

 

As a follow-up, I guess that is what I was trying to measure ... a number of these "13th round and on" high schoolers.  Especially pitchers.

It seems from the stories we hear and such, that sometimes they aren't signable, but then the Crew throws a bunch of $$ at them after a late round selection, and they wind up being signed. 

How can we in the fan's seats know where their stuff & makeup is at? Could they have been top 4 round guys, but were not determined to be signable - thus were late round gambles?  That sorta seems to have been the Crew's style across the past 3 years:  find high quality high schoolers who may not sign, and offer a bunch of $$ to sign a few of them. Then they wind up with 4th round talents?

Or are they 9th round talents? Is Tobias or Dorchies similar to Bentley? You mentioned Renz, and that is cool. Perhaps this is very difficult to quantify.

Or am I way off?  And how do we all - as fans - know?

Thanks.  Maybe this is a podcast question. Or unanswerable.

[snoogans8056]

6 hours ago, MattK said:

As a follow-up, I guess that is what I was trying to measure ... a number of these "13th round and on" high schoolers.  Especially pitchers.

It seems from the stories we hear and such, that sometimes they aren't signable, but then the Crew throws a bunch of $$ at them after a late round selection, and they wind up being signed. 

How can we in the fan's seats know where their stuff & makeup is at? Could they have been top 4 round guys, but were not determined to be signable - thus were late round gambles?  That sorta seems to have been the Crew's style across the past 3 years:  find high quality high schoolers who may not sign, and offer a bunch of $$ to sign a few of them. Then they wind up with 4th round talents?

Or are they 9th round talents? Is Tobias or Dorchies similar to Bentley? You mentioned Renz, and that is cool. Perhaps this is very difficult to quantify.

Or am I way off?  And how do we all - as fans - know?

Thanks.  Maybe this is a podcast question. Or unanswerable.

The thing is, nobody really knows.

You’d think all these college pitchers taken high in the draft must have been highly rated high schoolers that got away, but most of them are these round 11-20 nobodies. We are trying to find those kids who have traits to be that first round college talent and selling them on the idea that we are the best place to get them to that level.

The MLB draft is weird and the Brewers are doing something that nobody else has really done before at this scale. At this point it’s kind of just a having faith both as a fan, and as one of these kids being signed, in this organization to be the ones to pull this insane strategy off.

And honestly, what would be considered a success from all this? Maybe one contributes at the major league level? That’s literally all it would take. The bar for success is so extremely low, and this organization seems to think they have the secret sauce (and the balls to do something different) to absolutely smash that goal.

[Spencer Michaelis]

7 hours ago, MattK said:

As a follow-up, I guess that is what I was trying to measure ... a number of these "13th round and on" high schoolers.  Especially pitchers.

It seems from the stories we hear and such, that sometimes they aren't signable, but then the Crew throws a bunch of $$ at them after a late round selection, and they wind up being signed. 

How can we in the fan's seats know where their stuff & makeup is at? Could they have been top 4 round guys, but were not determined to be signable - thus were late round gambles?  That sorta seems to have been the Crew's style across the past 3 years:  find high quality high schoolers who may not sign, and offer a bunch of $$ to sign a few of them. Then they wind up with 4th round talents?

Or are they 9th round talents? Is Tobias or Dorchies similar to Bentley? You mentioned Renz, and that is cool. Perhaps this is very difficult to quantify.

Or am I way off?  And how do we all - as fans - know?

Thanks.  Maybe this is a podcast question. Or unanswerable.

It’s definitely tough to quantify. Sometimes these late round signings are just using the money they have left over, so they give them more than they might have if they took them in the 8th or 9th. That said, the bonus does tell a pretty good story.

Bentley signed for what amounts to late third round bonus money. Though once you take the $150k that doesn’t count toward the pool out, it’s closer to late 4th round money. My guess is they viewed him as a 5th round talent, or somewhere around there. The same was the case for a Renz type. For both of them though, I’d bet the actual signability was not very well known. Which means taking him as high as they had them graded would be a risk because you don’t know if you’d be able to sign them, and then you’d lose that slot money the rest of the draft.

The MLB Draft is just such an interesting puzzle it’s very hard to say for sure no matter what, but that would be my guess, or at least part of it haha

[Jim Goulart]

Nine Farm Systems That Improved the Most in 2025  

[MattK]

4 hours ago, Jim Goulart said:

Nine Farm Systems That Improved the Most in 2025  

Funny, got to Minnesota, then thought - well these are interesting reviews but the Crew already had such a highly rated system so they must not have made it. Oh, then they were next.  :-)

[wallus]

9 hours ago, Jim Goulart said:

Nine Farm Systems That Improved the Most in 2025  

First mention of JD Thompson that I have seen. The system has a crazy amount of intruiging arms.

[Joseph Zarr]

2 hours ago, wallus said:

First mention of JD Thompson that I have seen. The system has a crazy amount of intruiging arms.

There was talk about JD Thompson via Instructs or the Complex competitive (non-recorded) games after the ACL season a bit ago - ie late summer/early Fall. I can't quite remember who was discussing Him - someone from BA (?) or MLB (?) - either way what stood out is they didn't tout his 93-95 low slot good riding heater or the change-up but they touted his breaker/curve ball. I found this fascinating - unfortunately, I can't find the commentary as of now (maybe @Spencer Michaelis can dig that up for us?) but I was always enamored with his change-up (57% whiff rate in college, after all) and thought that was the pitch thay would play right away off his heater as the others were worked in via a professional development program. You can see here the curveball definitely has life: