2 Brewers Prospects Who Could Boost Milwaukee’s Offense in September

[Jake McKibbin]

Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While there have been some notable sparks on the offensive side of the ledger, questions remain for this Brewers team. Milwaukee has the best record in baseball and should earn a first-round playoff bye. That has plenty of people looking ahead to October, but looking ahead to October always gets folks wondering whether history could repeat itself with another early postseason exit fueled by an offense that goes cold at the worst possible time.

The opportunity to trade for reinforcements has come and gone, and, to be honest, there wasn't a whole lot of offensive help available at the deadline in the first place. The lineup has shown more life of late, but some additional thump (even in the form of a pinch-hitting option) could be valuable down the stretch and into October. With the trade market closed, it's time to look within the organization.

Coming into the season, there were high hopes that some of the Brewers' infield prospects could eventually provide more power. Brock Wilken, in particular, put together the best half-season of his career last year at Double-A Biloxi, but he's struggled to consistently make contact since reaching Triple-A, frequently finding himself in pitcher-friendly counts.

Jett Williams is another name whom many expected to feature this season, but some struggles and untimely injuries have kept him down. The latter has even put his season in jeopardy. While these two may have been front-runners entering the season, they're by no means the only potential contributors in what remains a stacked farm system. Two other bat-first options could contribute offensively down the stretch.

Luke Adams

Luke Adams is expected to return shortly, and his inertiatic approach at the plate continues to not just survive, but thrive as he rises through the levels. Pairing the third-lowest in-zone swing rate in Triple-A this season with an in-zone contact rate of 87.6% is a great place to begin. Adams knows what he wants in the at-bat and is willing to wait for it. When he gets it, he's been able to capitalize. 

Pairing strong exit velocities with a sky-high walk rate, a (somehow) reasonable strikeout rate, and the barrel control to elevate consistently has led to Adams being one of the strangest and most successful hitters in Triple-A this season.

When he does swing, the contact quality has been strong, and he addresses another need the Brewers may have: he can crush left-handers. While Adams has performed admirably regardless of platoon matchup, his 1.097 OPS against southpaws stands out for a Brewers team that ranks 19th with a 95 wRC+ against left-handed pitching this year. Certain players (like Brice Turang, David Hamilton and Christian Yelich) have struggled against same-sided pitching, and Adams provides more versatility as a pinch-hit bat than someone like Gary Sánchez. Adams can play a capable third base, and that's where his value to this roster as a pinch-hitter would come into the fold. If he can hit the ground running to close out August, he may have a route to some playing time when rosters expand in September, especially if the Brewers are content with the versatility they have in their current 13-man position player corps.

Blake Burke

This is entirely predicated on one of two things happening: Yelich's recent struggles worsen, or either Yelich or Jake Bauers suffers an injury down the stretch. Outside of that, Burke would be a pinch-hitting option with extraordinary power, but the limited versatility would hurt his chances in September, and he would need those at-bats to push for an opportunity on a postseason roster. But let's eschew reason for a short second and look closer.

Burke's one weakness is his swing decisions. He chases too much, but his in-zone contact rates are above-average; that's almost unheard-of for a hitter with Burke's sheer thump. The postseason creates tension, and with tension come mistake pitches. If put in a position with a mistake, there might not be many hitters in the Brewers organization more likely to crush that pitch.

The barrel rate, hard-hit rate and maximum exit velocities tell a story. If you hang it, Burke will bang it. In a situation where the Brewers want a bat in a pinch-hitting situation to make a difference, Burke could present the perfect option. He showed throughout college how comfortable he is under the bright lights in the biggest moments, and while he's raw, there's a world where this gamble makes sense for the Brewers.

Anyone else? I'm not sure about going much further down the list when it comes to potential impact players. Akil Baddoo has shown some lively contact in Nashville and probably would have played with the Brewers at some point this year, if not for some untimely injuries. That being said, he also looks like a Quadruple-A player, with passable contact numbers and plate discipline in Triple-A but an inability to make enough contact at the highest level to access the power that drives his profile.

Bo Naylor has been more selective in the strike zone since joining the Brewers, adopting a more all-fields approach and reducing his strikeout rate in Triple-A. That being said, he would be the third catcher on the roster, behind both Sánchez and William Contreras. There are also service-time considerations that may impact a potential call-up.

For those looking toward Double-A Biloxi, it's worth noting that Jesús Made has run into an inevitable adjustment period in August, hitting .200/.291/.280 while striking out more than has been typical for him this season. He's not a player the Brewers would want to rush under the best of circumstances, and it seems unlikely they would do so under these circumstances.

Andrew Fischer is another name on many tongues, but he seems to be getting found out a little at Double-A. Typically, players see more intensive game planning as they move through the levels, and Fischer had some trouble with spin earlier in the season that might be rearing its head again now. He's slashing .136/.289/.348 this month with a 37% strikeout rate, and he'll have some adjustments to work through before he can find consistent production at Triple-A and above.

All in all, the most likely boost is Adams. He's shown strong production throughout the year, despite a very quirky profile, and he can address the Brewers' struggles against left-handed pitching somewhat from the bench. He can also add to the second- and third-base options, with Joey Ortiz capable of handling second to make room for an all-right-handed infield on occasion. That gives the Brewers some maneuverability when it comes to finding at-bats.

Burke is a different proposition. He lacks some of the positional coverage Adams possesses, while also having less time to prove himself at Triple-A and force his way into the Brewers' thoughts. That's not to say he can't succeed—his raw power is there for all to see—and it could be particularly effective over a small sample size. Still, barring an injury, we probably won't see him this season.

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Are there any other names you would consider for the expanded rosters? Anyone who might possess some of the power the Brewers so desperately crave right now? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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[BrewerFan]

Feels like a lot of people have really written Adams off when he's just consistently hit for a poor average, but gotten on base and done some damage. 

You have to add him to the 40 man either way, so... might as well see what you have this Sept. Next year you'll potentially be without Sanchez, Vaughn, maybe Contreras(though I doubt that). 

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Adams also has to be protected anyways this offseason from the Rule 5 draft.  Burke doesn't until after the 2027 season.  So all things being equal, they would add Adams before Burke.

[WAN2]

Inertiatic?  Eschew?  Glad I had my coffee strong today.  

[Jake McKibbin]

2 minutes ago, WAN2 said:

Inertiatic?  Eschew?  Glad I had my coffee strong today.  

Matt once challenged us to find a word of the day for our articles, so I do my best!. At first, I wondered if I had made up "inertiatic" although it made sense as an adjective. Glad you enjoyed!