Updated FanGraphs Top 100 Prospect List Highlights Great Expectations for 3 Underrated Brewers

[Telemachus Rafaelidys]

Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last week, Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski released an updated pre-trade deadline top 100 prospect list that included some really fun rankings for the Brewers. Jesús Made remains the top overall prospect according to the site and their lone prospect with a Future Value (FV) ranking of 65. The writers gush over the speed and electricity in his hands from both sides of the plate, and the fact that he has maintained a well-above-average 14.6% K-rate at such a young age in Double-A. Luis Pena checks in at 25th overall with a 55 FV, without much commentary given his extended absences this season.

The rankings list four more Brewers Prospects, the first three of which are all ranked much higher than at any time before.

42. Alexander Frias, 50 FV
63. Brady Ebel, 50 FV
68. Tyson Hardin, 50 FV
106. Jeferson Quero, 50 FV

FanGraphs says, “Frias is a Freak with crazy bat speed and physical projection, the guy on the list with the best shot to have a Junior Caminero type of rise.” That is a wildly exciting comp for Frias, and would mean the Brewers could have another top ten prospect in the near future. The post also lists some key data for each prospect, and only three players have a higher Max Exit Velocity than Frias, and all of them are at least two years older than he is.

	Age	Chase%	Contact%	Max Exit	EV90	Launch	HardHit%
Jesús Made	19	24.9%	80.7%	111.2	105.2	6	40.2%
Luis Peña	19	33.6%	77.2%	116.3	104.7	4	37.6%
Alexander Frias	18	29.6%	74.3%	116.3	105.3	3	46.7%
Brady Ebel	18	18.4%	75.1%	109.9	101.8	9	35.9%
Jeferson Quero	23	33.8%	71.0%	111.4	104.7	15	40.2%

Ebel isn’t currently on any other top 100 lists, and FanGraphs had this to say: “Even though Ebel is one of the younger players on the list, his feel for the game is advanced. He has an almost mesmerizing ability to get himself a clean hop on defense."

This is also quite a jump in ranking for Hardin, with this write-up: “Forret and Hardin are some of the best bets in the upper minors to develop plus command or better, and Hardin in particular has taken major strides toward that outcome over the last 18 months.” Hardin has cruised through the Brewers minor league system and could help this year’s MLB team either on the field or as part of a trade package before Monday’s deadline.

As for Quero, he has maintained his ranking on the site which had this to say, “Quero’s combination of relative youth, athleticism and power keeps us on him even though he has been just fair (a .320 xwOBA) across 140 games at Triple-A since he returned from a labrum tear and hamstring injury that caused him to miss basically all of 2024 and the first six weeks of 2025.

While other sites might have Andrew Fischer, Josh Adamczewski, Braylon Payne, Jett Williams, Bishop Letson, Blake Burke, Josh Knoth, Marco Dinges, or another prospect ranked higher than some of the players Fangraphs ranked, it is further proof of the profound depth and quality of the Brewers' farm system right now. The Brewers are in an enviable position both in terms of long-term outlook and trade deadline buying power.

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[ChapelHeel66]

I love Fangraphs but their 40+ on Fischer continues to confuse me, because the actual write-up is much rosier than a below-average player.  "He clearly has the arm to play third, he's willing to lay out to maximize his lateral range, and he looked comfortable navigating the procedure at the position even though he was pushed directly to High-A. His hands are only fair, but he's going to be a viable third baseman who gets to power. Though we'd be surprised if Fischer were to become a star, he looks like a potential everyday third baseman whose realistic floor is still that of a valuable, multi-positional player who mashes righties."

A 40+ is a bench bat fighting for a roster spot.  The write up suggests a 50 or 50+, which seems right to me. 

It's also very early days on Payne, but they have him as a 45.  I think he is at least a 60 and could ultimately be #1 on the Brewers list.

There's no way I would have Jett or Josh (or Lara) above Andrew and Braylon, but Eric and Brendan are pros, and they certainly are (rightly) concerned about the K rates of both those guys.

[CheeseheadInQC]

1 hour ago, ChapelHeel66 said:

I love Fangraphs but their 40+ on Fischer continues to confuse me, because the actual write-up is much rosier than a below-average player.  "He clearly has the arm to play third, he's willing to lay out to maximize his lateral range, and he looked comfortable navigating the procedure at the position even though he was pushed directly to High-A. His hands are only fair, but he's going to be a viable third baseman who gets to power. Though we'd be surprised if Fischer were to become a star, he looks like a potential everyday third baseman whose realistic floor is still that of a valuable, multi-positional player who mashes righties."

A 40+ is a bench bat fighting for a roster spot.  The write up suggests a 50 or 50+, which seems right to me. 

It's also very early days on Payne, but they have him as a 45.  I think he is at least a 60 and could ultimately be #1 on the Brewers list.

There's no way I would have Jett or Josh (or Lara) above Andrew and Braylon, but Eric and Brendan are pros, and they certainly are (rightly) concerned about the K rates of both those guys.

They went deeper into Fischer in their recent Brewers specific write-up. They have been more impressed by Burke and Adams at the plate this year. I am guessing Fischer is probably one of the more polarizing guys in the system, and I can understand that. A guy like Payne has the swing and miss but also has more value besides his bat.

[wiguy94]

5 hours ago, ChapelHeel66 said:

I love Fangraphs but their 40+ on Fischer continues to confuse me, because the actual write-up is much rosier than a below-average player.  "He clearly has the arm to play third, he's willing to lay out to maximize his lateral range, and he looked comfortable navigating the procedure at the position even though he was pushed directly to High-A. His hands are only fair, but he's going to be a viable third baseman who gets to power. Though we'd be surprised if Fischer were to become a star, he looks like a potential everyday third baseman whose realistic floor is still that of a valuable, multi-positional player who mashes righties."

A 40+ is a bench bat fighting for a roster spot.  The write up suggests a 50 or 50+, which seems right to me. 

It's also very early days on Payne, but they have him as a 45.  I think he is at least a 60 and could ultimately be #1 on the Brewers list.

There's no way I would have Jett or Josh (or Lara) above Andrew and Braylon, but Eric and Brendan are pros, and they certainly are (rightly) concerned about the K rates of both those guys.

That write up is from the preseason eval of him when he was a 45+. They bumped him down to a 40+ in their midseason update but they don't re-write the whole report.