Brewer Fanatic 2024 Offseason Top 20 Prospects - No. 9: Mike Boeve

9. Mike Boeve (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Biloxi Shuckers)

The Brewers' second-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Boeve stood out as someone the franchise could potentially have interest in even before he was taken, due to some of the analytical traits he possessed. The Brewers aren’t strictly model-based when making draft decisions, but they do value them quite a bit, and Boeve was a model darling. After a strong start in the Arizona Complex League, Boeve finished 2023 in High-A with Wisconsin and struggled a bit with the Timber Rattlers. He began 2024 back in High-A, and proved to be up to the challenge this time around, posting a .553/.642/.632 line in 13 games before a quick promotion to Double-A Biloxi. He would remain there the rest of the season, battling injuries throughout but producing whenever he was playing.

What to Like:
Boeve is not the most visually appealing player of all time, but he seems to consistently get the job done, and also stands out in a lot of analytical models.

Always known for making a lot of contact during his time at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, he capped that off in his senior season by posting a minuscule 4% strikeout rate, paired with a 15.2% walk rate. He has continued that trend in the minors, with a very strong 15.8% strikeout rate, and an above-average 11.7% walk rate. Even beyond the plate discipline numbers, his whiff rate of 16.1% was in the 97th percentile for all of MiLB. He has plus-plus bat-to-ball skills, and makes strong swing decisions.

At one point seen as a contact-only type of bat, Boeve has shown a few signs of being more than that. After signing and reporting to the Arizona Complex League, he posted wood-bat exit velocities of up to 112 MPH in the couple of weeks he spent down there. While he only hit six home runs in 2024, he was posting strong exit velocities throughout the year and broke 110 MPH on multiple occasions. The other good sign is that the power was coming around as the season progressed, including hitting three home runs in a three-game stretch in August. His build shows signs of being able to hit for more power, especially if he can pull the ball a bit more often, and if he can get some of his hard-hit line drives to turn into fly balls.

Turning some of those line drives into fly balls could help Boeve’s power numbers, but the 29% line drive rate he posted in 2024 is an elite number in its own right. His hit tool shows signs of being plus. He wouldn’t want to sacrifice much of that to be able to get to the previously mentioned power potential, so finding the right balance will be important for him moving forward.

What to Work On:
After being drafted, Boeve had played second and third base for the Timber Rattlers and in the ACL. His arm is fringe-average for third and average for the keystone. However, he didn’t spend any time at second base in 2024, instead exclusively occupying the corners. He essentially split his time with Biloxi between first base and third base. He did well at first, despite having minimal experience, showing pretty good hands and comfort with the requisite footwork. Third base is a spot where he appears to be able to hold his own as well, but at both spots, he could use improved work on his range, especially going to his forehand. 

At the plate, the raw power will need to show up in games more consistently, if he wants to reach his full potential. The good news is that he has the juice in his bat to do it; he simply needs to alter his batted-ball profile a bit. That's easier said than done, to be sure, but pulling the ball in the air a bit more often could help Boeve rapidly increase his power production.

The power is especially important for Boeve because, while a plus hit tool is certainly a positive, that profile doesn't play as much if the hitter lacks speed, which Boeve does. Players who live on line-drive singles would ideally steal a decent number of bases and “turn singles into doubles,” which he is not able to do.

What’s next:
Boeve dealt with a lot of injuries in 2024, so he only played in a little over half of the games available to him. Because of this, he might begin 2025 back in Biloxi, simply to get a bit more experience. However, his production does point to a player who is ready for the challenge of Triple-A, so neither assignment would be a big surprise. Depending on what the Brewers do this offseason, third base could be a wide-open position at the MLB level, and first base may end up needing some help, as well. If Boeve can stay healthy, show improvement in the areas mentioned above, and things break right for him, a 2025 MLB debut can’t be ruled out.

What are your thoughts on Boeve? What are you hoping to see from him in 2025? Let us know in the comments!

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