The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for Brewers Arizona Fall League Prospects This Week

Image courtesy of Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

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The Milwaukee Brewers made quick work of the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series, meaning the Arizona Fall League is our only semblance of American professional baseball before what could be a dark and tumultuous offseason. Milwaukee’s prospects have shown a wide range of results, and with two weeks to go in AFL play, here’s what we know.

Eric Bitonti’s Power Travels

Eric Bitonti has held one of the more potent bats not just in the Brewers system, but in all of Minor League Baseball this year. The 20-year-old California native is already wrapping up his third full season in professional baseball, reaping in the benefits of being a high school draft pick back in 2023.

Bitonti has dazzled in 15 games of Fall League play, slugging two home runs, driving in nine and slashing .275/.383/.451 over 60 plate appearances with the Scottsdale Scorpions. The left-handed-hitting corner infielder is filling out his 6-foot-5, 218-pound frame and has a violent swing. His strikeout numbers are still worth monitoring, though. Bitonti, who ended the regular season in Double-A Biloxi, has 19 strikeouts so far. This equates to a 31.6% strikeout rate.

The former high-dollar signee struck out (32.9%) or walked (16.6%) nearly half the time this year, but he still pummeled 25 homers and ran a .916 OPS with the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Few prospects can match his game-wrecking potential; he's just one key adjustment from unlocking it.

Braylon Payne’s October Struggles Deviate From Bigger Picture

Braylon Payne has had a microscope on him ever since the Brewers used their first-round pick on him in 2024. The 20-year-old high school draftee has shown promise, finding himself in Double-A by the conclusion of his second full pro season. Using a combination of power, range and an impeccable glove, Payne made big strides in 2026.

His nine-game sample in Scottsdale may be a little off-putting to fans of the Brewers’ farm. Over 40 plate appearances, Payne has slashed just .200/.275/.314. The alarming part is his strikeout rate, as the outfield prospect has punched out 16 times for a 40% strikeout rate.

His speed has still been on display. Payne has used the field dimensions to leg out triples for two of his seven hits. Payne’s 41.3% chase rate plagued him in Double-A this year, but his aggressivness on balls in the zone (79.8% zone-swing percentage) is one of the many reasons he makes for a dangerous at-bat. If the 20-year-old gets more selective, he could work himself into the big-league team’s outfield plans soon.

Ryan Birchard Sputters Down the Stretch

The Brewers have been touted for having a pitching laboratory, especially in the minor leagues. After a 2026 campaign in Biloxi that featured a 2-3 record and 4.68 earned run average, 23-year-old righty Ryan Birchard has run into some struggles in the desert. The 2023 fifth-round pick has struggled mightily with command, resulting in a 23.40 ERA over a five-appearance, five-inning sample. Birchard has given up 13 earned runs, and while he has allowed only five hits, the 12 walks have plagued the righty. This was a common theme in Biloxi this year, as Birchard gave up 57 free passes in 50 innings. He's also allowed 150 walks in 175 career professional innings.

If the Milwaukee farm system can turn Birchard’s command around, it’d be a remarkable story, but this seems to be a long and winding road. The good news, for now, is that Bitonti continues to look like a budding star slugger, so the 2023 draft will continue to yield big returns for the Brewers.

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