Spencer Michaelis

Image courtesy of Parker Freedman, Biloxi Shuckers This was a strong month for relievers in the Brewers system, with quite a few making a strong case for this list, which means we will need to begin with a few honorable mentions: HONORABLE MENTIONS LHP - Tyler Jay - Nashville Sounds - 7 G, 8.0 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.46 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 6 H, 3 BB, 9 K RHP - Craig Yoho - Nashville Sounds - 7 G, 8.0 IP, 2-1, 2.25 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, 6 H, 5 BB, 12 K, 1 SV RHP - Will Childers - Biloxi Shuckers - 9 G, 13.2 IP, 2-1, 2.63 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, 6 H, 8 BB, 19 K, 1 SV RHP - Garrett Hodges - Carolina Mudcats - 6 G, 9.1 IP, 2-0, 0.96 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 1 H, 9 BB, 11 K TOP FIVE RELIEF PITCHERS FOR MAY #5 RHP - Justin Yeager - Biloxi Shuckers - 7 G, 9.1 IP, 1-1, 1.93 ERA, 1.51 FIP, 0.78 WHIP, 7 H, 2 BB, 12 K, 5 SV Unranked by all publications The third piece that the Brewers received in the infamous Esteury Ruiz for William Contreras and Joel Payamps trade, Yeager was drafted in the 33rd round by the Braves in 2019. His mid-90’s fastball plays extremely well when he gets it up in the zone, due to an Induced Vertical Break averaging close to 20 inches. Yeager’s cutter has more of a short slider shape, and sits in the 86-89 range with a lot of late bite to it. Both pitches have the ability to be above average or better, but they can play down at times due to his lack of command. In May, Yeager led the organization in saves, with five. He struck out 34.3% of the batters he faced and generated whiffs on 27% of swings. Yeager finished the month on a high note with a two inning save on May 30th against Rocket City, not allowing a single baserunner and striking out three of the six batters he faced. Now in his third season with the Brewers organization, and after a strong 2024, Yeager has somewhat surprisingly remained in Double-A to begin 2025. Perhaps another strong month of May will change that. #4 RHP - Tyler Bryant - Biloxi Shuckers - 9 G, 11.2 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.12 FIP, 0.84 WHIP, 4 H, 6 BB, 10 K Unranked by all publications Tyler Bryant had his contract purchased by the Brewers from the Quebec Capitales of the Frontier League in June of 2024. He split the rest of the season between Carolina and Wisconsin, pitching to a 1.82 ERA in 24.2 innings, striking out batters at a 32.4% rate. He was assigned to Double-A Biloxi to begin this season, where he got off to a slow start in April, before quickly turning things around in May. Bryant is equipped with a fastball that borders on being a plus pitch, sitting in the 94-97 MPH range, and touching 98. It is thrown from a very low release height, with around 16 inches of Induced Vertical Break. In spring training it averaged a -3.8 Vertical Approach Angle. When he locates it up in the zone, it can be really difficult for hitters to square up. He also throws a slider and a curveball, both of which are thrown at similarity velocities in the mid-80’s, but with distinct shapes. Bryant didn’t allow a single run in May, after giving up 12 in eight April innings. His strikeout rate of 23% and whiff rate of 25.4% were both average for the level, but he limited hard contact extremely well, which allowed him to work around a walk rate of 12.8%. Bryant’s May got off to a great start when he went 8.1 innings without allowing a single hit. Looking forward, if Bryant can continue to pitch similar to how he did in May, he will be someone to watch as a potential big league bullpen option in the next year or so. He has the stuff for it. #3 RHP - Jack Seppings - Carolina Mudcats - 11 G, 9.0 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.95 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 9 H, 5 BB, 13 K, 1 SV Unranked by all publications The Brewers signed Seppings as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft, out of Brown University. The right-hander had a four inning stint with the Mudcats in 2024, and has returned there to begin 2025. Seppings’ four-seam fastball sits in the 91-93 MPH range with around 19 inches of Induced Vertical Break. He throws an 86-88 MPH cutter/slider which appears to have some similarities to Chad Patrick’s cutter in that he seems to be capable of changing the shape of the pitch depending on whether he’s trying to get a whiff or to land it for a strike. He also throws a sweeper in the low-80’s that he’s comfortable using in any count. In May, Seppings worked around a lot of traffic on the bases, both in terms of hits and walks, to avoid allowing any runs. He struck out over 30% of batters he faced, and he was able to generate whiffs on 34.1% of swings. He recorded his lone save on the month on the 7th, working the final 3.1 innings of a 1-0 victory and striking out four along the way. As a 22 year old, Seppings is one that could be pushed to High-A if he continues to have productive months like he did in May. #2 RHP - Zach Peek - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 10 G, 14.1 IP, 2-0, 2.19 ERA, 2.03 FIP, 1.14 WHIP, 9 H, 6 BB, 22 K, 1 SV Unranked by all publications Peek was a Minor League Rule 5 selection by the Brewers this past winter. Coming off numerous injuries, he had not pitched much in professional baseball over the last year and a half. He was sent to High-A this year and has gotten himself off to a solid start, and a very strong May. Peek throws a number of pitches, including a four-seam and a two-seam variation of the fastball. The fastball sits in the 91-93 MPH range and touches 95. He throws a slider in the mid-80’s and he uses it quite a bit. The curveball is thrown in the 78-80 range, with a 12-6 shape. It’s a pitch he goes to when he’s looking for a strikeout against either lefties or righties. He also mixes in a mid-80’s changeup that shows flashes of being an above average pitch. In May, Peek posted a 38.5% strikeout rate and a whiff rate of 29.5%. He was a multi-inning reliever multiple times over the course of the month, and some of his best work happened in his final outing on the 31st, in which Peek threw two innings in extra innings. He allowed only one of the “Manfred Man” runners to score in extra innings, helping lead the Rattlers to an extra inning win. Peek is 27 years old. He should likely get a shot in Double-A sooner rather than later and performances like May only make it more likely that will happen. #1 LHP - Mark Manfredi - Biloxi Shuckers - 8 G, 10 IP, 0-0, 0.90 ERA, 1.43 FIP, 0.80 WHIP, 3 H , 5 BB, 16 K, 1 SV. Unranked by all publications The Brewers used their ninth-round pick in 2023 on this Dayton University left-hander. Manfredi was assigned to High-A Wisconsin in 2024, where he got off to a strong start but struggled with command down the stretch of the season. He did strike out 95 batters in 76 innings and showed flashes of brilliance in his long-relief role. His time in the Arizona Fall League did not go well, with the command issues catching up to him against higher-level offensive competition. He walked 13 in 5.1 innings and posted a 13.5 ERA in his time there. Manfredi’s velocity was down a couple of ticks in the AFL, and it’s possible he was just exhausted from his first full season of professional baseball. Despite his struggles, the Brewers still assigned him to Double-A Biloxi to start 2025. Manfredi is working mostly around his fastball, which is sitting in the 93-96 MPH range and topping out at 97. His upper-80’s changeup has been a big weapon for him as well, especially against right-handed hitters. He rounds out his repertoire with a slider in the mid-80’s that he uses mainly in matchups with lefties. Similar to Tyler Bryant, April did not go all that well for Manfredi, as he again could not find the strike zone with any regularity, walking ten batters in only 6.1 innings pitched and posting an ERA over seven. May was a completely different story. Manfredi’s May was highlighted by striking out 44.4% of the batters he faced, which was well above average for the level. His whiff rate of 31.6% was strong as well. His month was highlighted by his first professional save on May 23, which was of the two inning variety. He did not allow a hit, though he did walk two in the outing. The changeup mentioned earlier was the pitch he used to record the final out. Manfredi’s command is going to continue to be a linchpin for his success, but when he is in and around the zone regularly, there is not a lot of hard contact and quite a few missed bats as well. Thanks for following along with this three-part series on the Brewers' minor league system. Let us know your thoughts below! Did we miss anybody? View full article

I think the missed time may have thrown off his rhythm a bit. I think pitchers are adjusting to him a bit as well, now that they have a report on him as a hitter. He will have to adjust back. The swing is a little inconsistent right now as well and I specifically think he's opening himself up for some vulnerabilities on pitches away from him, and he will have to fix that. But he's still one of the youngest players at the level, and some struggles are to be expected, honestly. Like you said, you can see the tools are definitely there.

Think it's dangerous to rely too much on the running numbers. Many pitchers at that level are downright horrific at holding runners. Obviously, there's not much else to go on currently, so I totally get why people are looking at those numbers, but I think it still just has to be a wait and see situation for the arm. We will know once he gets back in Nashville. Personally, I'm guessing that's next week. Caught a full game yesterday for the first time and has started the last three at catcher instead of DH. I think another full game or two and he will be back, though still with plenty of days off mixed in when he gets to Nashville.

Jack and Spencer recap a chaotic week culminating in a split in Pittsburgh and a sweep at home over the Red Sox, signs of life from a few struggling hitters, whether DL Hall and Aaron Ashby can ease the bullpen's workload, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View full article

Went through his stuff. I’ve seen a decent amount of video with velo attached to it, but it’s obviously not the highest quality of video so it’s mostly an opinion based on watching that.

Actually talked about Wenderlyn King last night on the podcast that was supposed to come out today but will, I assume, come out tomorrow now (blame Jack) but wow what an outing from him today. 4 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 9 K and 1 ER Will be interesting to see if he gets the 9th as well

I do think there are very legitimate similarities yeah. The build and the athleticism and the chance to be a really solid all-around hitter are all there. I will say though that Lucroy doesn't get enough credit for just how good his defense was in Milwaukee; he was an elite defender back there in his prime.

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images This is the first installment of a weekly article focused on prospects who caught my attention during the past week of games. The Brewers system is chock-full of talent right now, and while there may be weeks when this article will feature the likes of Jesus Made or Luis Pena, I also want to draw attention to some of the other names—those who may still be flying under the radar, or those who may have fallen off the radar, like Luis Lara. All statistics are season-long, unless otherwise noted Luis Lara - OF: 116 wRC+, 17.8 K%, 14.4 BB%, 18 SB, 0 CS Once a consensus top-10 prospect in the system, the switch-hitting Lara split his age-18 season between Low-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin, while posting an above-average line at each level. His return to High-A, still as one of the younger players at the level, did not go very well in 2024, and his Arizona Fall League stat line was underwhelming, as well. That said, I spoke with a few scouts who watched him in Arizona, and they all believed that Lara performed much better than the stats would tell you. He was hitting the ball hard but running into quite a bit of bad luck. Fast-forward six months, and the Brewers seemed to agree that he had made strides below the surface. They were once again aggressive, assigning Lara to Double-A Biloxi as a 20-year-old. After a slow start at the plate in April, Lara has settled in at the level, as evidenced by his slash-line of .325/.409/.403 and 140 wRC+ so far in May. The big difference for Lara in 2025? His swing decisions. His swing rate is down 4% from 2024, and he is more selective early in counts. While his strikeout rate is up a couple percentage points, his whiff rate is down by a similar number. His walk rate, however, is up over 6% for the season, going from well below average in 2024 to well above average in 2025. This more selective approach has helped him draw more walks, but has also helped him impact the ball more, allowing him to get his “A” swing off more regularly. This week, he had five batted balls over 100 MPH, including roping a two-run double at 103 MPH on Saturday and a 106-MPH fly out to right field that would have been a home run on many days—but on this particular day, was knocked down by the wind. Power will never be a massive part of his game, especially given his 5-foot-8 frame, but he is showing that he can impact the ball enough to keep pitchers honest. Lara was always a plus runner, and had 75 steals between 2023 and 2024, but he was also caught 24 times. This season, he has been much better at getting reads on the pitchers. His jumps have improved, and when you pair that with the plus speed, he has yet to be caught stealing in 18 attempts. Defensively, his reads and jumps have always stood out, but he has looked even better in 2025. Lara is a comfortably plus defender in center field with a plus throwing arm, and that could be underselling his abilities. His willingness to run through a wall and to lay out for balls is reminiscent of Sal Frelick. The smoothness of his defensive game evokes Lorenzo Cain and Blake Perkins. In fact, a Blake Perkins type of player is a relatively safe projection for Lara. Both are switch-hitters with glove-first profiles and enough bat-to-ball ability to be competitive offensively. If the bat continues to improve, you can also see a world where Lara is a switch-hitting version of Sal Frelick. Lara has been pushed aggressively, but after seemingly falling behind in 2024, he is catching back up. Marco Dinges - C: 185 wRC+, 12.2 K%, 16.8 BB%, 4 HR A personal favorite of mine since draft day, Dinges was promoted to High-A this week, and it was well deserved. Posting a 199 wRC+ with the Mudcats, he likely would not have lasted at the level as long as he did if not for battling some injuries, while continuing to get comfortable as a catcher. Offensively, Dinges has looked the part the whole season. His walk rate is higher than his strikeout rate, and he clearly was too much for Low-A pitching. In his first week with the Timber Rattlers, he didn’t show many signs of slowing down, as he crushed his first High-A home run, which left the bat at 111 MPH. When it comes to Dinges, the question for most has been whether he will be able to stick behind the plate defensively. He’s still extremely new to the position, having only caught his senior year of high school and then his one season of junior college ball. He did not catch during his draft season with Florida State. He has been showing growth all season and was able to show off his biggest weapon multiple times in his first series with Wisconsin. His arm is plus, if not better. (Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs has a 70 grade on his throwing.) He caught South Bend Cubs runners sleeping multiple times this week, pulling off two different back picks at first base. While it’s clearly a talented arm, Dinges does have inconsistent footwork on his throws, particularly to second base, which has sometimes caused struggles with the accuracy of his throws. This is something he will continue to improve upon as he gets more comfortable at the position. His receiving continues to be a work in progress, but there’s been noticeable improvement, especially on pitches at the bottom of the zone. It can still look clunky when he’s catching pitches up in the zone, but that’s not uncommon for any catcher, especially one with only two prior years of catching experience. Notably, he has not allowed a single passed ball in his 130 innings behind the dish this year. Dinges is a much better athlete than most catchers, though with a slighter frame, both of which allow him to move around well behind the plate, giving him the potential to be an above-average blocker. To this point, there have been ups and downs, but the flashes are there. He also has good hands, which allows him to pick some of the pitches he doesn’t have time to block. As I watch him progress this season, I believe he will stay as a catcher long-term, which will only make his bat more valuable. Dinges’s stock will continue to rise as more people buy into his ability to handle the position. The Brewers look to have found a good one in their 2024 fourth-round pick. Jesus Flores - RHP: 3.04 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 24.5 K%, 7.5 BB%, 30.1 Whiff% After a tough debut in Low-A to finish last season as a 19-year-old, Flores has gotten off to a better start this season, and there has been a noticeable uptick in the quality of his stuff. Flores first caught my eye in his outing on May 18, when he went four innings in relief, striking out six batters and walking zero. He allowed two hits and one earned run. In my viewings last season, Flores sat in the 89-91 MPH range, touching 93. In 2025, he has sat 91-94, even touching 95 a few times. He throws both a four-seam fastball and a two-seamer. To my eye, neither has an extraordinary shape, but they have different shapes, allowing him to keep hitters from locking in one of them. The uptick in velocity helps them play better than they did last season. Flores’s best pitch—his bread and butter—is his slider. It’s the pitch he is most comfortable with, able to land it for strikes or to try to get a chase, and he’s willing to throw it in any count to both lefties and righties. Coming in around 83-85 MPH, it’s late-breaking and sharp. Without knowing any of the metrics on it, it appears to have a high spin rate and be hard for hitters to pick up. He repeatedly used the slider in his 11th-inning save this past Saturday, striking out the final two hitters he saw with the pitch, stranding the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Flores also mixes in an interesting, upper-80s changeup that shows flashes of generating solid depth. Though you would, ideally, like to see more separation between the velocity on the changeup and the fastball, a pitcher like Freddy Peralta has shown this season that you can compensate for the lack of separation with good shape and good tunneling. He still has work to do in both of those regards, but you can see the flashes, including on the one he threw in the video above. After struggling with command and control in his short stint with the Mudcats last season, he has shown much improvement in the strike-throwing department so far this season. He’s lowered his walk rate by over 10%, and his strikeout rate has improved by nearly 4%. With his whiff rate hovering in the 30% range, Flores likely has more room to grow in the strikeout department as well, in terms of putting hitters away when he has the chance. Flores’s fastball shape worries me a bit, but seeing him go four innings in relief was interesting. With a four-pitch mix and the velocity holding up well over that long a stint, I have to wonder if they will look to stretch him out as a starter at all. At only 20 years old, there are some signs that this could be a pop-up prospect to keep an eye on moving forward. That’s all I’ve got for this week; let us know what you think in the replies! View full article

The guys discuss renewed concerns over Pat Murphy's aggressive reliever usage, what Tobias Myers needs to work on in Triple-A, why Caleb Durbin's swing is not working in the big leagues, recent moves in the bullpen, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View full article

Talked to one person who has seen him, and he said that he thinks Montero could pop if he just elevates a bit more. Said it's a downhill path (makes sense, given the lack of fly balls in general), but that he actually hits the ball pretty hard. He's a good athlete especially at his size, has good bat to ball skills and strike zone recognition. Definitely seems interesting.

It has already, and I think it will continue to do so. His issue is entirely footwork related with the throws, in my opinion. Given his lack of experience back there, I don't think that's too surprising, and I think he will continue to clean it up as he gets more comfortable.

One other Dinges highlight today was his back pick at first base

Marco Dinges' first High-A HR gives the T-Rats a 2-0 lead!

Some video of Dubanewicz: Here are a couple angles of Encarnacion's GS:

Not to make light of his release, but no idea when else I could have ever posted this video I found on Yeferson Tales’ TikTok this offseason. He certainly pitched with emotion! Edit: video appears to work on mobile but not on a computer. I have no idea how to fix this. v09044g40000cqld8rfog65q9qm34cj0.mov

Not a huge deal but I have it on good authority that Dorchies has *touched* 95 but sitting more 92-93 so far this year. Think BA just worded it incorrectly.

It was a rough road trip for the Brewers, prompting Pat Murphy to call another team meeting. The guys discuss whether the series finale in Cleveland was a breakthrough, what's wrong with Christian Yelich, whether it's time to promote Jacob Misiorowski, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View full article

The guys recap a .500 homestand, whether the Brewers' frequent blowout losses should be cause for concern, mixed signs from Quinn Priester's first six outings, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View full article

Thanks! Letson's sitting more in that 92-95 range, but with the extension it likely plays more like 94-97 and he has been all the way up to 98 in shorter stints. His stuff is very fun. For my money, probably the second highest SP ceiling behind Misiorowski in the org.