Harold Hutchison

He can draw a lot of walks, so he is a solid option.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bring some surprising returnees and exciting prospects for 2023. These are players facing some real tests–some of whom may not make it past this level. But at the same time, there are legitimate prospects for Brewers fans to be excited about, and they play right in many fans’ neck of the woods. Image courtesy of © Danny Damiani/USA TODAY NETWORK- via Imagn Content Services, LLC The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bring some surprising returnees and exciting prospects for 2023. These are players facing some real tests–some of whom may not make it past this level. But at the same time, there are legitimate prospects for Brewers fans to be excited about, and they play right in many fans’ neck of the woods. So, who might Brewers fans get a glimpse of this year? Let’s take a look. Pitching While the Shuckers bullpen is extremely exciting, the Timber Rattlers have a rotation headlined by Stiven Cruz and Alexander Cornielle, followed by comeback candidate Max Lazar. Russell Smith, Cameron Wagoner, and Joseph Hernandez also look to take time in the rotation. The bullpen looks to be led by Michele Vassalotti, Karlos Morales, and Joey Matulovich, with Taylor Floyd and Ryan Brady among others in the mix. Ryne Moore, a potential rotation candidate, is starting the season on the 60-day injured list. Catchers This position has a couple of surprises. Darrien Miller, who had an excellent offensive season in 2022, returns to Wisconsin. He will be joined by organizational soldier Alex Hall, who performed well in the Australian League in the 2022-2023 winter season, and Jesus Chirinos, who primarily played first base but has experience at catcher. This could be a very potent offensive group, but the defense may be an issue. Infielders First baseman Ernesto Martinez also returns to Wisconsin after spending a lot of time on the shelf in 2022. He is joined by second baseman Robert Moore, who dominated at Brisbane over the 2022-2023 winter season in Australia. Eric Brown and Eduardo Garcia will be competing at shortstop, with Brown having an edge there. Ben Metzinger will end up the primary third baseman. Jose Acosta will be the primary backup for second and third base, while Chirinos may see a lot of time at first, especially if Martinez can’t avoid the IL. Outfield Some legit prospects are in the Wisconsin outfield, even if they aren’t as hyped as Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Wiemer. We start with Joe Gray Jr., who has flashed a three-true outcome bat with some solid defense. He’s joined by Hendry Mendez, who brings superb OBP skills, but a suboptimal swing, and Je’Von Ward, who missed playing last season barring a short AFL stint. Ernesto Martinez could see time here, too, along with backups Terence Doston and Micah Bello. Overview A lot of the players in Wisconsin have potential, particularly in the rotation and in the middle infield. For others, this is a make-or-break season. Miller and Martinez are potentially significant contributors, but one has to find a defensive home, and the other needs to stay healthy. Ward is in a similar situation. Gray needs to hit higher than the Uecker line, Mendez needs to fix his swing, Garcia has to show he can hit reliably, and Lazar must show he is back. We will probably know more in a couple months about how these questions will shake out – the Brewers tend to aggressively promote prospects at times, and should some of those in the make-or-break get moved to Biloxi, it will be a good sign for them and the Brewers. If not, we could see some very heartbreaking cuts take place. View full article

Wiemer's got the strongest arm, which argues for keeping him in right, if you ask me. Frelick in center, Wiemer in right, Yelich in left.

Can't have too much depth. I say bring up Frelick either way.

While I'm glad Corbin feels better, I really wish they'd just skip a start. Better safe than sorry, for Corbin and the Crew.

Perhaps good defense is helping on that front. Wiemer, Mitchell, Turang, all were very good defensively. Yelich a 2022 Gold Glove finalist in left... Adames very good defensively...

Same with Narvaez when he came to Milwaukee. Too bad the bat got inconsistent.

I did point to Yelich's Marlins years as a comp. Would LOVE to see Mitchell end up as Yelich 2018-2019, but think the batting average would still be a little lower.

After he won Sunday's game almost singlehandedly, Garrett Mitchell looks increasingly entrenched not only in the Brewers' lineup, but in the hearts of Brewers fans. Let's try to get a firmer handle on his future, by looking to similar players of the past and present. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports After he won Sunday's game almost singlehandedly, Garrett Mitchell looks increasingly entrenched not only in the Brewers' lineup, but in the hearts of Brewers fans. Let's try to get a firmer handle on his future, by looking to similar players of the past and present. Garrett Mitchell hasn’t been in the majors long, but already, he’s proven to be an exciting player for Brewers fans to watch. He effectively replaced Lorenzo Cain late in the 2022 season, roughly two years after being selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. Who hasn’t enjoyed Mitchell’s home runs or defensive gems? In fact, in some ways, he seems familiar to Brewers fans. As a left-handed hitter with no shortage of pop so far, he seems very suited for American Family Field. He has also flashed elite speed over his career. Now, who does that sound like? Why, a one-time All-Star center fielder who was also involved in some transaction drama that helped create the run of success the Brewers have had since 2017. Carlos Gómez Gómez twice led the league in the Power-Speed Number, and from 2012 to 2015, he notched a Gold Glove and two All-Star Game appearances. He averaged 20 homers and 32 stolen bases in that timeframe, production that Mitchell could easily match, given the dimensions of American Family Field. They also share powerful arms: Mitchell racked up three assists in 17 games as a right fielder in the minors in 2022, while Gómez once led the NL in assists by a center fielder. But while both Mitchell and Gómez bring potent bats to the mix, the comparison isn’t exact. The biggest area, of course, is OBP. Mitchell has demonstrated superior walk-drawing skills in the minors, and has not done badly in a small MLB sample. Then, there’s the fact that they hit from opposite sides of the plate. So, to completely describe Mitchell’s skills, we probably need to look to another player–one who was with the Crew for just a short time. Curtis Granderson Curtis Granderson spent less than one full season with the Brewers – that magical 2018 run to the NLCS – but in understanding Garrett Mitchell, he is perhaps the other part of the hybrid that Brewers fans should look at. Granderson played a lot of center field, and he could draw walks like nobody’s business – he had 12 in 54 plate appearances with the Brewers. Like Mitchell, he batted left-handed. Granderson, though, brought far more power than Mitchell seems to, hitting as many as 43 home runs in a season. Mitchell’s power potential seems a bit lower than that, based on what we have seen so far. Given that Mitchell is playing in American Family Field, though, 30 homers a season doesn’t seem out of reach, but it may be more likely to see Mitchell approach double figures in doubles, triples, homers, and steals than to challenge the home run record set by Prince Fielder. Then again, Granderson famously had a season that was special in just that way, when he hit 38 doubles, 23 triples, and 23 home runs in 2007. He also stole 26 bases in 27 tries that year, and Mitchell could produce similarly in that dimension. Other Players One can’t help but look at Keon Broxton as another contender–albeit, perhaps, as a worst-case outcome for Mitchell. Broxton handled center field following the Gómez trade, providing defense, power, and speed. Christian Yelich’s years with the Miami Marlins (2013-2017) could also be an interesting comparison for Mitchell, especially given that both were center fielders who could slide over to a corner spot. Looking more to the past, the 1980s version of Fred Lynn could be interesting, if you ignore Lynn’s lack of larceny on the basepaths. Overview Garrett Mitchell could very well be in the heart of the Brewers lineup for five years or more. He may not stick in center field–but that will be due to the fact that the Brewers could place other superb talents like Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio in that spot. But Garrett Mitchell could force his way into the top 5 list at center field–or any outfield position--in Brewers history. View full article

Uh-uh. None of Chourio, Mitchell, Frelick, Black, or Wiemer. I'll consider one of the shortstops outside Brown: Zamora/Garcia/Guilarte and package with a second-tier OF (Lutz/Perez/Mendez) and maybe someone from Nashville for help. One thought: See if a smaller deal - Hedbert Perez for Brent Suter can be worked out. I'm sure there are similar options.

This is just... beyond crazy.

I'm thinking a right-handed Burnitz with speed, myself.

Joey Wiemer has been a pleasant surprise for Brewers fans since he was called up after Luis Urias went on the disabled list after Opening Day. As of this writing, he’s been a key part f the Brewers' 8-2 run since Urias was injured, with a home run, two doubles, and some excellent defense in right field. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Joey Wiemer has been a pleasant surprise for Brewers fans since he was called up after Luis Urias went on the disabled list after Opening Day. As of this writing, he’s been a key part f the Brewers' 8-2 run since Urias was injured, with a home run, two doubles, and some excellent defense in right field. When Brewer Fanatic did their top 20, Joey Wiemer was behind two other outfielders, Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio. There was even a credible case that Wiemer and Frelick deserved spots on the Opening Day roster, only to be blocked by trade acquisition Jesse Winker and long-time standby Tyrone Taylor, who’s been no slouch in center. But Wiemer is a top prospect, but who could he be compared to? Let’s take a look. Hunter Renfroe Wiemer’s right-handed power bat and strong arm immediately remind Brewers fans of the team’s regular right fielder in 2022 – Hunter Renfroe. Wiemer’s bat could easily rack up 25-30 home runs in an MLB season, as Renfroe has on average since becoming a major-league regular in 2017. But he also has a cannon for an arm, posting double-digit outfield assists totals – and he’s already snuffed out a runner from the outfield in the majors. But Wiemer doesn’t have some obvious weaknesses seen in Renfroe’s game. For instance, Renfroe has struggled to draw walks and get on base consistently. Wiemer’s been a consistent walk machine, even in the majors. Then there is speed – Renfroe hasn’t flashed the ability to engage in on-base larceny, while Wiemer has. Corey Hart The Brewers’ long-time right fielder, Corey Hart, was a mainstay in right field during two playoff runs in the 2006-2011 timeframe, having moved there from initially playing first base to third base. Hart demonstrated speed in his early MLB career and the minors, posting 20-20 seasons in 2007 and 2008. Hart, like Wiemer, also proved to be credible in center field early on before finding a permanent home in right. While Hart was able to hit 30 home runs later in his career, his bat was more a gap-power bat with 45 doubles in 2008 and 9 triples in 2007. Wiemer’s been more of a pure power bat. Hart’s OBP skills were solid but relied a bit more on being plunked at the plate – which can be a hazardous way to do so. Jeromy Burnitz Another comparison could be Jeromy Burnitz – who handled right field for the Crew in the last 1990s and early 2000s. Burnitz had the power and the OBP skills, albeit he was a left-handed batter. Much like Wiemer, Burnitz also provided decent play in center field. The biggest breakdown was that Burnitz was never much of a speed merchant on the bases, averaging seven swipes a year. Wiemer is a threat for a 30-30 season. Other Players Ryan Braun was a right-handed power bat with power and speed over his career but lacked the OBP skills and defense to compare to Wiemer. Rob Deer offered the power and OBP but not the speed. Overview On many teams, Wiemer would be the top prospect in the system, and the fact he plays a clear third fiddle to Frelick and Chourio speaks well for the team’s depth. But his ceiling includes some Brewers who were among the best in team history in right field. View full article

St. Louis: So many to choose from among the focus of evil in the NL Central, Cubs: If I had to pick, I'd say Rizzo, but the Cubs don't annoy me as much as their fans do, especially when they crash AFF/Miller Park Pittsburgh: Adam Laroche - over the no-hitter we all know CC Sabathia had. Cincinatti: Ex-Cardinal Scott Rolen, just for being with the focus of evil in the NL Central. Houston: Lance Berkman. Sharpie did NOT balk that time in 2004 (https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL200406110.shtml), that was an exceptionally awesome pickoff move. Whoever called that move a balk makes Angel Hernandez look like a good umpire.

This is where maybe extending Houser would not be a bad idea. He'd probably come reasonably cheap ($5 million or so), and having him as a solid back-of-the-rotation guy at worst probably helps moving forward. At this point, go with a five-man of Burnes, Rea, Lauer, Peralta, Miley, then expand to six when Houser finishes his rehab. Start stretching out Ethan Small to fill in for the rotation, and have him, Junk, and Gasser ready to backfill any holes.

Fifteen games is, in baseball terms, practically nothing. It’s less than 10 percent of a season. It’s enough to affect many fans’ feelings about offseason moves, though. In that spirit, let’s take a look at the Hunter Renfroe trade. Image courtesy of © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Fifteen games is, in baseball terms, practically nothing. It’s less than 10 percent of a season. It’s enough to affect many fans’ feelings about offseason moves, though. In that spirit, let’s take a look at the Hunter Renfroe trade. The Brewers had a tough decision to make around the non-tender deadline just prior to the Winter Meetings, and they elected to pull the trigger on a trade that would give them some budgetary flexibility and bolster their pitching depth, at the expense of a powerful bat. Los Angeles Angels Received OF Hunter Renfroe Milwaukee Brewers Received RHP Janson Junk RHP Elvis Peguero LHP Adam Seminaris The Brewers embarked upon the 2022-2023 offseason with multiple prospects in the outfield, including Garrett Mitchell, who performed well in September 2022; Joey Wiemer, who showed power, speed, and defense in a rapid climb after being drafted in the fourth round of the truncated 2020 MLB Draft; and Sal Frelick, the team’s 2021 first-round pick. Mitchell, Frelick, and Wiemer were all in the Top 101 prospect list Baseball Prospectus issued prior to the 2023 season. Given the proximity of all three players to the big leagues, the organization needed to make some room. In the meantime, with the departures of Brent Suter, Brad Boxberger, Trevor Gott, and Taylor Rogers, there was a need for some new bullpen arms. The Angels were looking for a corner outfielder to upgrade from Jo Adell, their disappointing former top prospect. The deal with the Angels helped the Brewers address both needs, and let the Angels move Taylor Ward to left with Renfroe taking over in right. Assuming Christian Yelich moved to being the primary designated hitter and Tyrone Taylor became the fourth outfielder, the Brewers had space for all of their prospects, and all five of the Crew’s outfielders on the MLB roster could play at least a decent center field. That’s some pretty enviable depth on a 26-man roster. Then came the Kolten Wong trade, and Jesse Winker became the primary DH. That re-formed the outfield logjam that had been cleared by the Renfroe trade. Ultimately, Luis Urías and Taylor going on the injured list led to Mitchell and Wiemer seeing plenty of time in Milwaukee, while Frelick started 2023 at Triple-A Nashville. Going into Saturday’s game, Wiemer and Mitchell had each posted 0.6 WAR, according to Baseball-Reference, tied with Willy Adames. That’s an outstanding pace this early in the season, especially with Wiemer’s struggles at the plate. Frelick is scuffling a little in Nashville. In Los Angeles, Renfroe has produced a .937 OPS and boasts his best walk rate since 2019, delivering 0.5 WAR for the Angels. Junk, Peguero, and Seminaris are all in the minors, with Junk coming up to replace Brandon Woodruff after the Brewers’ co-ace went on the injured list, too. When one considers that the Brewers are 10-5 after a loss to the Padres Saturday, while the Angels were 7-6 going into Saturday, things have worked out reasonably well for the Brewers in this deal over the short term–albeit not perfectly, given Wiemer’s struggles to hit for average at the MLB level in a very small sample. But trades don’t just have a short-term outlook. Take, for instance, the deal in the 2015-2016 offseason wherein the Brewers traded Adam Lind to the Mariners for three pitchers who hadn’t even gone to full-season ball. The Mariners got one year of decent production (Lind had an OPS+ of 94), but Freddy Peralta made his Brewers debut in 2018, and since then, he’s been third fiddle to Corbin Burnes and Woodruff in the rotation. Similarly, the Josh Hader trade of last year, while roundly panned given the struggles of Rogers and how Dinelson Lamet ended up a waiver wire claim by the Rockies, saw the Brewers flip outfielder Esteury Ruiz for William Contreras, Joel Payamps, and Justin Yeager in a three-team deal this offseason, and Contreras has been producing well so far for the Brewers, while Payamps has been decent in the lower tier of the Crew’s bullpen hierarchy. Will Renfroe stay with the Angels? If so, this deal will look better for the Angels, because he will provide more production for them. Will he walk? If so, the Angels could find themselves watching Junk, Peguero, and Seminaris contribute to Milwaukee’s success for years to come, while the Crew’s young outfielders shine. The short version of all this is: we have a long way to go until we can really evaluate the Hunter Renfroe deal. It seems to be working for both teams so far, but there’s a lot of time to go before the full effects of the deal this season are known, not to mention what it means in future years. View full article

While much attention of fans will be directed to the Nashville Sounds, the Biloxi Shuckers are almost as crucial. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK While much attention of fans will be directed to the Nashville Sounds, the Biloxi Shuckers are almost as crucial. The jump from A+ to AA is where many prospects hit the wall. So this is a proving ground – prospects either prove they live up to the hype, take a big step forward, or never see the majors. The Biloxi roster features a number of players at that crossroads and others looking to take that next step. Let’s see who is there. Pitching The Shuckers staff featured the only player on that team to be on the 40-man roster, Abner Uribe, whose fastball regularly hits triple digits. He, James Meeker, and Ryan Middendorf form the core of a bullpen that should be able to lock down games once the Shuckers have a lead. Adam Seminaris will headline the rest of the pen. The rotation will be headed by breakout prospect Brandon Knarr, Brewer Fanatic top 20 prospects Carlos Rodriguez, and Justin Jarvis, who has been solid during his pro tenure, with Nick Bennett and TJ Shook rounding out that group. Catchers Jeferson Quero, unsurprisingly, headlines the catchers opening 2023 with the Shuckers. The real surprise is that Darrien Miller, who performed well at A+ Wisconsin, was kept there, leaving Nick Kahle and Jason Lopez as the backups. Wes Clarke has spent time behind the plate during a brief 2022 stint in Biloxi but may be seeing a lot of action at first base due to the absence of other players. Infielders Since Ernesto Martinez is joining Miller for another Opening Day with the Timber Rattlers, Clarke will become the primary first baseman in the early going, where he has been solid defensively while posting good offensive numbers. Zavier Warren will be opposite Clarke on the infield at third base while Freddy Zamora, Felix Valerio, Tyler Black, and Ethan Murray fight it out for playing time in the middle infield. Outfielders MLB Pipeline’s new #1 overall prospect, Jackson Chourio and Tristen Lutz headline the group and will likely man center field and right field, respectively. While listed as an infielder on the official roster, Noah Campbell is likely the primary left fielder and has played there a lot. Still, Tyler Black and Felix Valerio have seen some time in the outfield, Black in center and Valerio in left. Given the crowded state of the Shuckers' middle infield, one or both could be in left. Overview The Shuckers have some talent, but the front office also made a couple of confusing calls. The Shuckers could have had Quero, Miller, and Clarke as their catcher group, with Martinez manning first base. However, they will have to use left field and designated hitter to handle a surplus of talent in the middle infield. The pitching staff has some real potential, as well. It is easy to imagine that this team could have at least a half-dozen players up with the Brewers for Opening Day 2025. View full article

First of all, any DL stint for our big three (Woodruff/Burnes/Peralta) is bad news. That said, I think that being cautious is the right move for the Crew and for Woodruff. Best to take the time now, and figure out what's up now, and maybe it doesn't end up an Ashby situation - or worse, a Neugebauer. That said... this is why waiving Brent Suter was probably not the best of ideas.

Sal Frelick had a very exciting spring. Between Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic, posting a .808 OPS in some abbreviated spring training action before he took the WBC by storm with a slash line of .303/.333/.435 for Italy. Image courtesy of © Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin via Imagn Content Services, LLC Sal Frelick had a very exciting spring. Between Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic, posting a .808 OPS in some abbreviated spring training action before he took the WBC by storm with a slash line of .303/.333/.435 for Italy. Despite that superb performance, he’s in Nashville right now, awaiting his shot – collateral damage from the Kolten Wong trade that cleared space for fellow top prospect Brice Turang, who we discussed earlier because the return included DH/OF Jesse Winker. Like Turang, Frelick is not quite a clone of some past or current stars, he’s a bit of a hybrid, but a very obvious comparison can be made from the get-go. Ichiro Suzuki The similarities between Frelick and Ichiro are quite noticeable. Both are outfielders with superb defense, hit for a high average, and can swipe a lot of bags. Add in Ichiro’s NPB stats, and the comparison becomes somewhat stronger. Frelick is a classic leadoff hitter who could contend for a batting title. But the comparison breaks down into one key area. Unlike Ichiro, though, Frelick has shown a solid ability to coax walks over his minor-league career. That ability didn’t quite show up as strongly in the WBC and spring training in 2023, but it is nice to know that Frelick has that capacity. But who could it be comparable to if the walk drawing doesn’t come from Ichiro? Paul Molitor Frelick’s walk drawing ability seems to be reminiscent of another iconic player, the Ignitor himself. To be precise, we’re talking the Paul Molitor from 1987 to the end of his career in 1998 when he averaged as many walks as strikeouts. Frelick’s career minor-league totals (as of the morning of April 5) of 158 games, 745 plate appearances, and a .327/.403/.473 slash line, 36 doubles, ten triples, 13 homers, 38 steals, and 76 walks are comparable to the average of Molitor’s 1991-1992 seasons. That said, the Molitor comparison does break down because, in the later years, Molitor was more of an RBI threat and flashed much more power than Frelick seems to show. Frelick, who is 5’10” and 182 pounds, gives up a couple of inches to Molitor (6’, 185 pounds) in height and is built a bit more like Ichiro (5’11”, 175 pounds). Other Comparisons If you want to talk about other comparisons for Frelick, it is hard to ignore three former Brewers: Lorenzo Cain, Carlos Gomez, and Nori Aoki. Cain, like Frelick, offers speed and a good ability to hit for contact while also providing excellent defense. That said, Cain’s ability to draw walks was nowhere near what Frelick offered. Gomez was a superb defender with speed, but he didn’t have Frelick’s ability to hit for contact or draw walks. Aoki was a contact hitter with speed, and some OBP skills, who primarily played corner outfield positions. Overview Frelick’s floor is probably that of Nori Aoki, but with the ability to play defense at a near-Gold Glove level in center field. Not a horrible outcome and extremely valuable, but that is the floor. The ceiling is more akin to that Ichiro/Ignitor hybrid, a regular threat to provide double figures in doubles, triples, homers, and steals while walking 65-70 times a season and hitting .300. Truly a special player and one who the Crew should consider extending as soon as possible. View full article