Harold Hutchison

Image courtesy of © Aaron Doster-Imagn Images The upcoming draft is a time of excitement for Brewers fans. Over the last decade, the Brewers have developed arguably the best minor-league organization in MLB, reflected not only in the talent they've found, but in the ability to develop players without standout pedigree or tools into valuable pieces. It takes time. One doesn’t know how well a pick really works out for a major-league team for years. First, it takes time for a player to rise through the farm system. Often, it also takes a while for them to finish their development in the bigs, and the final variable in the equation that expresses the value of the pick is what (if anything) the team eventually gets for them when they leave. The final reckoning for the 2014 draft will not come until the end of the 2028 season at the earliest, when Christian Yelich's contract could end. (Second-round pick Monte Harrison and 12th-round pick Jordan Yamamoto were parts of the package Milwaukee sent to Miami in the 2017-2018 offseason to acquire Yelich.) The ideal path is for the talent to become a reliable contributor to the major-league team. Brice Turang is one of the best examples of the traditional approach—a first-round pick who turns into a cornerstone of the team for multiple years. Then, there are the non-traditional paths to make a draft pick work out well for the Brewers. One is the late-round steal. They’re not one of the guys who get a huge seven-figure bonus after being picked in the first round. They’re picked later (Brandon Woodruff, an 11th-round pick in the 2014 draft), sometimes way later (Brent Suter, 31st-round pick in the 2012 draft), but these players are where the scouts and the coaches in the organization have really earned their money. Hitting on later picks not only means amassing depth that creates flexibility in trades, but positions a team to extend players who thrive. Clubs have more leverage over lower-round, lower-bonus selections in contract talks later on. The other, of course, is the return in a trade. This is how some somewhat disappointing prospects can redeem themselves (2014 first-round pick Kodi Medeiros, for instance, was traded for Joakim Soria in 2018). Other times, the blue-chip prospect can turn a season around in a deal (2007 first-rounder Matt LaPorta, who brought CC Sabathia to Milwaukee in 2008). In some cases, a traded prospect can be a force at the MLB level long after the Brewers’ return has faded away (see Michael Brantley, the player to be named later in the Sabathia trade). It's tempting to put an arbitrary timeline on evaluating a draft, but the timeline can always change, and a grade can change from year to year. Keston Hiura looked like a superb selection after the 2019 season, but his struggles and inconsistency in later years arguably lowered the grade. Tyrone Taylor looked like he wouldn’t pan out, until he did. Seven years after being selected in the 2019 draft out of high school, Darrien Miller is now in Triple-A and could end up with Milwaukee if he continues his hot hitting, which could alter the draft’s grade were he to become a contributor with the Brewers. He'll never be more than a role player, but finding a viable third or fourth catcher for the organization in the ninth round is a win. In other words, even the 2018 draft’s grade could fluctuate over the next few years. Every class since then has at least as fluid a tag on them. It will likely be a lot of fun finding out, but assessing the draft is so tricky that it's vital to remain circumspect. How do you evaluate the success or failure of draft years? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Perhaps Yoho needs to add a two-seam fastball to his four-seamer. It would probably be the easiest for him to "tunnel" and it might just throw hitters off enough. Two-seam, cutter, four-seam as fastballs, then use the change and curve to draw swing-and-miss.

Craig Yoho and Tyler Black seem to have the same problem: They're square pegs that Pat Murphy tries to force into a round hole. Yoho's got the stuff to be a closer, it's more a case of Hook and company figuring out the best use of what Yoho CAN do as opposed to continuing to try to force him to fit a mold that may not work.

True, but the first-round picks are the ones that a team should hit on, And in the case of Brown, I don't think he should be written off - he could still provide a lot of value. Will admit, I feel less optimistic about Brock Wilken.

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images For the Milwaukee Brewers, the 2018 season wasn’t just the culmination of building a team that came within a game of the World Series. It was the beginning of a golden era. One of the big reasons for this is their farm system, which they've built by hitting on a lot of their top picks each June. The current Brewers active roster features three first-round picks, with another one that has seen a few cups of coffee. So, how have the Brewers’ first-rounders (including Competitive Balance A and compensation picks) fared? Let’s grade them. 2B Brice Turang, 2018 1st-round pick GRADE: A+ In 2018, as the Brewers made big memories with a Game 163 win over the Cubs to secure the NL Central title and top seed in the playoffs, they also drafted Brice Turang in the first round and gave him a little over $3.4 million as a signing bonus. In three-plus seasons, he’s arguably become the best second baseman in franchise history. The real question is how long he will be in Milwaukee. LHP Ethan Small, 2019 1st-round pick GRADE: D+ Ethan Small’s signing bonus was only $1.8 million, but early on, he rose rapidly through the system, earning a spot in the 2021 Futures Game. However, he also started having injury trouble. In 2022 and 2023, he wasn’t quite the same, and after four games with Milwaukee, he was purchased by the San Francisco Giants, but never got to the majors with them. OF Garrett Mitchell, 2020 1st-round pick GRADE: B Garrett Mitchell’s got talent; that is undeniable. But he’s also missed large parts of two seasons with injuries, and there is an offensive vulnerability to strikeouts. Still, he is under team control through 2028. With a lot of prospects in the minors, the Brewers may need to make a decision about whether to hold onto him for the longer term, but he's been productive—especially this year. OF Sal Frelick, 2021 1st-round pick GRADE: A- Frelick was selected in the first round of the 2021 draft and collected a cool $4 million as a bonus. He first made the majors in 2023, earned a Gold Glove in 2024, took an offensive step up in 2025, and has been solid (though far from spectacular) in 2026. Like Mitchell, there is a fair bit of team control left, and the Brewers may need to make a similar hold-or-deal decision on Frelick, but not quite yet. OF/1B/DH Tyler Black, 2021 CB-A pick GRADE: C+ After his breakout 2023 season at Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, Black seemed poised to make inroads with the team in 2024. He started getting reps at the hot corner, and at first base. Then the Brewers acquired Oliver Dunn and Joey Ortiz, while his path at first base was blocked by Rhys Hoskins and Jake Bauers. Since then, he’s been on the Nashville-Milwaukee shuttle, and his last option year has been used. In fairness, though, he also hasn't seized the few chances he's gotten. IF/OF Eric Brown Jr., 2022 1st-round pick GRADE: C- Eric Brown Jr. was seen as an exciting pick when selected in 2022, but he missed significant chunks of the 2023 and 2025 seasons with injuries and struggled at Double-A Biloxi in 2024. He’s seen a bit of a resurgence since, even as he was caught behind Jesus Made and Dylan O’Rae, but he’s still showing enough to make his way to Milwaukee as a more potent version of Andruw Monasterio, who became a cult hero out of nowhere. Still, the Brewers could have had Dalton Rushing at that spot, setting up a nice 1-2 punch behind the plate with William Contreras and/or Jeferson Quero through the rest of this decade. 3B Brock Wilken, 2023 1st-round pick GRADE: D+ Brock Wilken looked like a very potent right-handed slugger at the hot corner when selected in 2023. The next April, he suffered facial fractures when he was hit by a pitch, and his career seems to have never really recovered. After a decent 2024 at Double-A Biloxi, he missed more time with a knee injury in 2025. In Triple-A Nashville, he’s hitting 25 points below the Uecker line. Colt Emerson and Kevin McGonigle were drafted later, and both are contributing in the majors. OF Braylon Payne, 2024 1st-round pick GRADE: B Braylon Payne was one of the youngest prospects in the 2024 MLB draft, and the Brewers managed to sign him for a $3.44 million bonus. Although he had some relatively high strikeout totals in 2025 at Single-A Carolina, he’s had an offensive breakout at Advanced-A Wisconsin, and looks to be ready to make his climb to the majors relatively quickly. 1B Blake Burke, 2024 CB-A pick GRADE: B+ The pick the Brewers used to select Blake Burke was acquired in the Corbin Burnes trade, and there’s a chance it may be the best asset they got in that deal. Burke has a chance to be a better version of Bauers at the plate, which could enable him to provide Milwaukee the most stability at first base since Prince Fielder came up to the majors for good. That's not yet likely, but it's possible, which is impressive. 3B/1B Andrew Fischer, 2025 1st-round pick GRADE: B Andrew Fischer just got a promotion to Double-A Biloxi in his first full season of pro ball, after he mashed 20 homers for Advanced-A Wisconsin, posting a 1.118 OPS there. That, in turn, came after he made a name for himself in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. If there is a concern, it’s his high strikeout total, but so far, he’s looking very good. SS Brady Ebel, 2025 compensation pick (for SS Willy Adames) GRADE: B Ebel had a rough start, but has since taken his season OBP to .401 as of June 24. He’s adding some speed, a little pop, and proving to be a solid defender. So far, he’s also working out well for the Brewers, who have several other talented players in the middle infield in the system. 2025 CB-A Pick (Traded to Boston for RHP Quinn Priester) GRADE: A+ While the trade for Quinn Priester was a worst-case scenario for the 2025 Brewers due to the rotation's injury situation, Priester broke out for the team, becoming a stopper in their rotation. While he will miss the rest of 2026 with thoracic outlet syndrome, he remains under team control through 2030, and given the track record the Brewers have shown in helping pitchers revitalize their careers after various forms of adversity, the Brewers can feel good about the use of this pick. If you think about it as a draft pick that actively helped the team win that year's division title, the deftness of the move comes into focus. How would you grade the Brewers’ top picks since 2018? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Made's bat could play anywhere. I could see moving Made to left, Chourio to right in a few years, and having Ebel slide in at third. There are a lot of options.

Jesus MadeLuis LaraCooper PrattLuis PenaBlake BurkeJett WilliamsJeferson QueroCraig YohoAndrew FischerJosh AdamczewskiLuke AdamsMarco DingesTyler BlackBraylon PayneTyson HardinMike BoeveBrady EbelBishop LetsonEric BitontiJosh Knoth

I'd see Made settling in at third, Pratt at shortstop, Turang possibly getting an extension (thanks to the MLB salary floor), with Luis Pena becoming a utility player who spells all three of them and keeps them fresh over the season.

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Brewers have made some long-term plans in 2026, making it clear that shortstop Cooper Pratt and center fielder Luis Lara will be around for a long time via extensions that (if all options are exercised, and if they're not traded) will keep them both in Milwaukee until 2035. So, while they could now be key components of the major-league team for nine-plus seasons each, could they be assets for the Brewers today? There are certainly some ways in which they could, with each of them filling holes and allowing the team to make major improvements. What Luis Lara Can Do For Milwaukee In 2026 First, let’s look at the most recent extendee. Before this season, Luis Lara looked like a more pesky version of Blake Perkins, who was a 2024 Gold Glove finalist and who was not horrible at the plate. Lara had on-base skills from the get-go, and he was also a threat on the basepaths. Something did seem to shift for Lara in 2025, when his doubles total shot up to 32 over a full season. (His previous career high had been 23 the previous year, split between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Peoria in the Arizona Fall League.) Lara also drew a lot more walks in 2025: 89, compared to a previous high of 53. In the wake of the news of his new deal, our Jake McKibbin wrote a great piece detailing those improvements in swing decisions and the uptick in power, in terms of what they do for his long-term outlook. What could Lara do for Milwaukee in 2026? Defensively, he could take over center field and be a defensive improvement over Garrett Mitchell. In the short term, that would probably sacrifice some offense, but the team could also consider moving Mitchell to right field and further reducing Sal Frelick's playing time—or optioning him to the minors for an offensive reset. Offensively, his biggest contribution could be to take over the leadoff slot, currently split between Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio. Not that the Brewers are doing poorly, but Yelich and Chourio are (arguably) better used as big boppers in the lineup, and Lara could simply get on base to come around when one or both of those players comes up with an extra-base hit. In all likelihood, he's not ready to translate his minor-league on-base skills to the majors so well as to merit that top spot in the order. But if he can deliver elite outfield defense and even act as a second leadoff man at the bottom of the lineup card, he has value for this team as they look toward October. What Cooper Pratt Can Do For Milwaukee In 2026 Joey Ortiz is one of the Brewers whose continued presence in the starting lineup has been understandable, yet baffling. Ortiz is an incredible defender; nobody disputes that. The problem is that his offense makes people yearn for the likes of Yuniesky Betancourt and Orlando Arcia. Pratt received his $50 million extension at the end of March. Like Lara, Pratt’s been an exceptional defender, picking up a Minor League Gold Glove. Pratt, though, is a pure hitter in many aspects: he doesn’t strike out much, he can draw walks, he can steal a lot of bases, and he’ll even take a free base by getting plunked occasionally. At that performance level, Pratt’s a good investment at shortstop, especially since some reports indicate he is also a very positive presence in the clubhouse. The tantalizing part is that there may be power in his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. That part is likely to take more time to unlock. But even at his current level, Pratt has a chance to be a viable lineup extender with the speed to make some good things happen. (Despite being so big, he's stolen 79 bases and been caught just nine times in his pro career.) He could allow David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo to split time at third base, and the Brewers to get the upgrade they desperately need at shortstop. Lara and Pratt now have clearer spots in the future of the Milwaukee Brewers, but that future could start a lot sooner than some people think. They have to show the team their offensive processes are good enough to justify them supplanting Frelick and/or Ortiz before their turns will come, but their exceptional defense and athleticism make that a real possibility. View full article

This is just... awful all around. Hernandez is a special pitching prospect, IMO, and this... words are failing me right now.

My thinking? DFA Perkins, select Lara to be the starting CF, move Mitchell to right, and have Frelick become the backup outfielder.

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sitting atop the National League Central with a five-game cushion, the temptation might be for Milwaukee to stand pat. But perhaps some trades are in store, especially as top prospects keep making noise at Triple-A Nashville. Dealing from the major-league roster can be a bit risky. The Josh Hader trade of 2022 (and the Crew’s near-miss in the playoff race that year) might have some people feeling a little worried about tinkering with the clubhouse chemistry. Then again, the Hader trade has been a long-term winner for Milwaukee, based solely on the return for Esteury Ruiz: William Contreras. So, which players on the active roster could be moved? Let’s take a look. OF/1B Jake Bauers Bauers has arguably been the team’s offensive MVP this season, leading them in home runs and RBIs. So why might he be on the block? The answer is all too typical for Brewers fans: Impending free agency. With the way he’s hitting, Bauers is going to get a healthy pay bump from the $2.7 million he’s receiving in 2026, and it will probably be a multi-year contract. The Brewers won't risk making a qualifying offer, which would be necessary to secure draft compensation. There is a potential partner for the Brewers in this deal: The Rays. The Tampa outfield’s offensive production has been about as problematic for them as the production at shortstop and third base has been for the Brewers. They would have to believe in Bauers's defense in the grass, because they have Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz at first base. The Brewers would have to get something good in return, and have considerable faith in someone like Blake Burke or Tyler Black, but it's not entirely out of the question that they could trade Bauers. OF Garrett Mitchell Mitchell has managed to stay healthy, and he’s been reasonably productive on offense, with some excellent defense in center. So why move him? Here’s one reason: Luis Lara. Lara’s tearing it up in Nashville, and he looks to not only have Gold Glove defense, but his toolset could also take the leadoff spot. The current leadoff hitters for the Brewers are Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio. To clear space for Lara, someone’s going to need to be moved, and Mitchell may be the guy to go. The team wouldn't trade Mitchell just to hand things off to Lara, though. Again, it depends on the return they're offtered. RHP Trevor Megill Megill has rebounded in terms of velocity, after having figured out how to get batters out without it. He’s a top-tier closer, but the Brewers have youth moving through the minors, and could land a decent return for Megill, just as they did with Devin Williams and Hader before him. This might seem counterintuitive, but the Brewers have a lot of young relief talent in Nashville (Will Childers and Blake Holub spring to mind) and some guys they could move to relief if needed. Again: the team has the luxury of waiting to see if anyone bowls them over. RHP Chad Patrick Patrick has been one of the most reliable and versatile parts of the Brewers' pitching staff since the start of the 2025 season. That said, the Brewers have a lot of pitching talent moving up, and it might behoove them to move some of the second-tier pitchers to teams in need. The goal here is to secure a higher return than might otherwise be obtained. Trading such a useful piece of pitching depth is almost unfathomable for a team with World Series aspirations, but like Megill, Mitchell and Bauers, Patrick could become available in just the right deal. After what Matt Arnold did to the Red Sox when he seemed to be innocently trying to shore up pitching depth by moving Caleb Durbin, the big risk might be that teams won't even answer his calls anymore. Which players do you think could be a surprise trade candidate? Let us know in the comments below! View full article