Spencer Michaelis

Now that the Pipeline podcast has talked about it and it's out there more, I feel comfortable saying that I was told Levonas was unlikely to sign about a week ago. Sounds like the Brewers called him on draft night and asked if he would sign for *well* over-slot and he said no. They decided to pick him anyway. My guess is that they liked him so much, they figured that if they can convince him, that would be great. If not, they would get an extra pick in 2025, in what is expected to be a better class. (In this scenario, the Brewers could end up with #68, their Comp Balance A pick, and a pick for Willy Adames signing elsewhere in next years draft) Not sure I fully agree with that strategy, but I would get the thought process. Levonas would've been my favorite pick in the draft, so I definitely see the appeal in hoping they could change his mind (and they still have time, you never know). Nunnallee was likely picked as insurance for Levonas once they realized just how difficult he could be to sign. FWIW, I've also heard Meccage is going to be around $1 million over-slot.

Appreciate it! Definitely think being healthier has helped as well. That's always going to be part of the equation for him. It seems like whenever he gets going, he gets hurt shortly after. I agree on CFR and EBJ both being guys who I can't quite drop too far down the list, despite concerns. Doesn't hurt him that EBJ was the guy I wanted the Brewers to take with their pick that year. I like the Hamilton comp. Hamilton is probably a better base stealer but I agree that the glove is better for EBJ.

Eric Brown Jr has gotten off to a tumultuous start at Double-A Biloxi. His prospect status has tanked. Could a recent change to his stance help him get back on track? Image courtesy of Lauren Witte - Clarion Ledger I took notice of a change in the positioning of Eric Brown Jr's hands on Jun. 7, when he hit his first home run of the season. That led me to look back at prior game footage to try to figure out when, exactly, the change had happened. I came to the conclusion that Jun. 5 was the day he first debuted the new hand position, at least to its full extent. At the time of the change, Brown Jr was slashing .155/.231/.202, for a wRC+ of 33. He was only walking at a 7% clip, though he did limit his strikeout rate to 16.8%. To put it bluntly, he was off to a horrific start at the plate. While Brown was doing a pretty good job of keeping his defense up to par, and he was 9-for-12 on stolen base attempts, defense and baserunning can only take you so far. The bat has to be providing much better than 70% below league average for any player to be making a positive impact on the game. Having that batting line for any meaningful length of time in the minors means you're near the cliff; your professional future in the game is in jeopardy. These early season struggles are likely what convinced Brown to make the change in June, but what led him to this point? His hands were always in a somewhat weird spot (starting in front of his face), but he hadn’t struggled to anywhere near this extent at any point in his career. Below is a comparison of his load and swing from 2022 in the Complex League to 2023 with the Timber Rattlers (on top) and then earlier this year vs his new setup in 2024 (on bottom). Obviously, his first swing had a ton of moving parts in it. It looks somewhat Keston Hiura-esque on the lower half, and the upper half has a lot of hand movement to get into the launch position. However, this was his swing. It was athletic, and it was something he was comfortable with. While it could have caused timing issues, it had yet to do so. In the second clip, you see that he had really toned down the lower half heading into 2023, and while his hands were still out in front of him, they had less movement as well. In the third clip (which is from earlier this season), he seems to have lost athleticism in the swing, likely through the process of trying to simplify things even further. However, with his hands out in front still, and less power generated in the lower half, his bat speed was much slower than earlier in his career. In the fourth clip, we see some things clicking into place. The hands are starting behind his head, and there’s a bit more rhythm to the operation, helping him get back to a more natural-looking load and swing and get some of his bat speed back. If Brown was going to change his swing, there were likely to be some bumps in the road. He hit a big bump early in the season, but this new swing looks a lot cleaner and he looks a lot more comfortable with it. Which is great, of course, but what about the results? Giving him a few days to adjust to the change, let’s take a look at his stats from Jun. 11 through Jul. 22. In that time, Brown is slashing .275/.364/.418, which is good for a 129 wRC+ in the very pitcher-friendly Southern League. He has hit three home runs in that time, and is walking at an 11.2% clip, while keeping his strikeout rate down at 15%. Without access to batted-ball metrics at the Double-A level, we can’t say for certain that Brown Jr has been hitting the ball with more authority since Jun. 11, though he certainly appears to be. What we can do, though, is compare some of the more important offensive stats that we have access to through FanGraphs and TruMedia. The overall stats have improved, but you may be surprised by some of the batted-ball data. There hasn’t been a drastic change in his ground ball, fly ball, or line drive rates. In fact, he’s actually hitting a slightly lower percentage of line drives since the swing change. One important change is that he has lowered his popup rate from an awful 16% to a below-average 11.7%. Pop-ups are essentially a free out, just as much as a strikeout is, and he has cut that down, while increasing his actual fly-ball rate. Fly balls can turn into home runs and extra-base hits, as long as there is a little juice behind them. The surface-level numbers suggest to us that there is. Another stat that may surprise people is the difference in his rate of hitting the ball up the middle (Center%). His 41.5% rate before the change was in the 97th percentile in Double-A. For most of baseball’s existence, hitters have been told to “hit the ball up the middle,” and the implication is that they will find a lot of success doing so. The issue is that, unless you’re getting a lot of pitches over the heart of the plate, a propensity for hitting the ball up the middle at such a high rate actually often implies some timing issues. It says that you’re out in front of outside pitches a lot, and that you’re late and getting jammed on inside pitches. That’s not even touching on the fact that defensive positioning often takes away the middle of the field, in this day and age. Seeing Brown pulling the ball and going the opposite way more often since the change is a good sign. It implies that he’s both seeing the ball better, as well as being able to start his swing a bit later in the process. That gives him time to read the pitch and react accordingly. On the surface, this was seemingly a simple adjustment for Brown to make, but when you take into account where he started in 2022, this was the culmination of a lot of adjustments and a lot of tinkering. Hopefully, he’s found a comfortable setup and swing now, and it will only be smaller adjustments moving forward. Perhaps this sort of progression to go from the 2022 swing to the current one was always part of the plan. Perhaps it wasn’t. Regardless, it seems like he may have found the best combination of athleticism and simplicity for himself. If the results over the last six weeks are any indication, Brown could be making his way back up the prospect lists that he had fallen to the bottom of--or off of, completely. Had you given up on Brown? if so, does this give you some hope? Let us know what you think about the former first rounder! View full article

He's almost 20 years old already, will be next month I believe. Committed to North Florida. Swing looks solid and he was posting triple digit exit velo's off BP in 2023, but appears he struggled against good competition in the travel circuit. Would be a fun flier to take, for sure though.

The Brewers have been excellent through their first 100-ish games. But what is in store for them in the second half? The guys discuss a sluggish finish into the All-Star break, what the second half could have in store, how the Brewers could manage a potential bullpen crunch, and more. Spencer also recaps how the Brewers did in this year's MLB Draft. 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/ View full article

When the baseball industry zigs, the Brewers often zag. In a draft that was considered to be slanted toward college bats, the Brewers only used one of their four Day One selections on a player fitting that description. Instead taking a high school bat in Round 1 and grabbing two prep pitchers with picks 57 and 67. Image courtesy of © Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK What are the strengths and opportunities for improvement for these four players, as they begin their journey in pro baseball? Let’s explore. For each pick, you'll find their position, age, school, height, weight, handedness, and position on Jamie Cameron’s consensus board listed under their name. Braylon Payne, 17th Overall Pick OF, 17, Fort Bend Elkins HS (TX), 6’1, 180, L/L (56) The Brewers' selection of Payne was a surprise, to be sure. Ranked 56th on the consensus board, most saw his ceiling as being a potential late-20s or early-30s selection. The Brewers, once again, zagged in this scenario, taking the speedy outfielder at 17, and likely saved some money in the process. Payne’s profile is buoyed by his plus-plus speed. He posted an elite 6.28 time in the 60-yard dash as a Junior. His speed helps him play a really strong center field, though he relies too heavily on that sheer athleticism to be a plus defender at the moment. Still, he generally gets good jumps and takes solid routes. At the plate, Payne made some significant improvements over the course of the last two years. At one point, he was strictly a slap hitter, with a bat path tailored to hitting ground balls. While he certainly still has elements of that approach, he has flattened out the path a bit, and his hit tool is one of the better ones in the high school class. With his quick hands, he also began to show some ability to impact the ball this year (hitting three home runs his senior year), but his power is still likely to max out as fringe-average or average barring a much bigger change to his swing and approach. Bat-to-ball skills are already there for Payne, as well as a sound approach in terms of swing decisions. The Brewers will definitely need to see continued improvement in his ability to lift the ball and in his swing over the next three or four years, but the mold of a star is there for them to work with. While Payne’s defense and speed give him a relatively high floor for a prep player, his bat is still going to be the main factor driving his potential to have a successful major-league career, and there are still many questions about it. Blake Burke, 34th Overall Pick 1B, 21, Tennessee, 6’3, 240, L/L (49) Burke turned 21 about a month before the draft. Standing 6’3" and weighing 240 pounds, his frame and lack of speed confines him to a first-base only profile. Burke will not have any positional versatility, which means he is going to have to hit at a very high level. The good news? He is capable of hitting at that level. Burke has the appearance of your typical power-first “masher”, and that is certainly a big part of his profile, boasting arguably the most power in the entire class. Burke had 51 extra-base hits in 2024, including 20 home runs, one triple, and a Division I-best 30 doubles. He also showed exit velocities of up to 117 MPH on balls that left the yard. The impressive part of Burke’s offensive game is that he’s more than just a power threat. His hit tool grades out as around average, and could be a bit better. Burke limited strikeouts to a 14.9% clip in 2024 and has pretty good bat-to-ball skills in general. Breaking balls can give him trouble from time to time, and those will only be tougher in pro ball, but this isn’t a player who should have huge strikeout concerns. He is known to expand the zone more often than you would want to see, but that can be blamed on an inability to differentiate balls and strikes in the shadow zones. He’s not often flailing at pitches that are nowhere near the zone. Burke’s defense grades as well below average by most publications, but I see someone with pretty good hands. He’s mainly hurt by his general lack of athleticism limiting his range. Something of a Rowdy Tellez type, he shouldn’t make many errors, and should do well with picking bad throws, but won’t be able to get to too many balls that are outside of his wingspan. It’s an offense-first profile, but it’s the type of profile that could be a middle-of-the-order bat. He will be a fun bat to follow in the system, and could move pretty quickly at first. Bryce Meccage, 57th Overall Pick RHP, 18, Pennington HS (NJ), 6’4, 210, S/R (63) Meccage (pronounced like “message”) is a pick that feels very similar to the Josh Knoth selection in 2023. Both Northeast prep players (Knoth being from New York), Knoth could really spin the ball, and Meccage is known for a similar ability to generate spin. Both saw a jump in velocity heading into their senior seasons, too. Meccage has worked with Tread Athletics, a well-known organization that operates similarly to Driveline, since shortly after COVID in 2021. In a short feature on Tread’s YouTube page, Meccage said when he arrived at Tread he was sitting 84-86 on his fastball and had touched 89. He now sits 94-96 and has touched 98 MPH. His fastball is a solid offering, not only due to the velocity but thanks to his high spin rate on the pitch. He has struggled to find a consistent shape with it so far, which is something he will work to improve in pro ball. Meccage throws a slider in the low 80s with some sweep and some depth to it, with high spin rates as well. He also throws a curveball with more depth to it than the slider. The curve comes in a few ticks slower, sitting in the upper 70s. Meccage also throws a changeup in the mid-80s that he has improved significantly over the last couple of years, thanks in large part to Tread teaching him what they call a “kick change” to replace his old changeup. Meccage has solid command, but there's definitely room to grow in that regard. Finding consistency with his changeup and curveball, as well as improving his command will be paramount to his success, especially if he hopes to stick as a starting pitcher. Chris Levonas, 67th Overall Pick RHP, 18, Christian Brothers Academy (NJ), 6’2, 175, L/R (79) Levonas is yet another Northeast prep arm from New Jersey, though his profile is a bit different than those of Knoth and Meccage. Committed to Wake Forest, Levonas will likely receive a signing bonus well over slot value to sign. A five-pitch pitcher who throws a regular four-seam fastball as well as a cutter, Levonas has good qualities in both of them. The four-seam spins up to 2,600 RPM and has around 17” of induced vertical break, with another 10” of horizontal break--all while reaching up to 97 MPH, though it sits in the 92-93 range. It’s a good shape that plays up even more, due to the spin. His upper-80s cutter has had up to 5” of glove-side movement, which is really strong for a cutter. His breaking balls are both high-spin offerings, too. The low-80s slider, with around 13” of sweep, spins at nearly 2,900 RPM, and the mid-70s curveball (with -11 IVB and around the same amount of sweep as the slider) can spin up to 3,000 RPM. Levonas also started flashing a changeup more often this past year, and it has good life to it as well, though the velocity is only around 5 MPH lower than his average fastball. Levonas only weighs around 175 pounds right now, so he will add some mass over time, which could help him bump up that fastball velocity. His delivery is a really athletic one, with his stride looking similar to the way Freddy Peralta jumps down the mound, giving him a ton of extension for a 6’2" frame. The amount of movement in the delivery has caused some command issues as well, so that will be something he will be working to improve. If he can, he certainly has the repertoire to be a starter in the long term. What did you make of the Brewers Day One picks? Who are you excited to see debut in pro ball? Join in the discussion with a comment below. View full article

Yeah, I'd bet some of those Day Two college players only get 5 figures. I genuinely think you could see close to another $1 million or so saved on rounds 3-8. Though the 9th and 10th rounders I could see getting a bit more than $250,000 per.

The Brewers stuck to a similar Day Three plan to the one they had in 2023: a lot of pitching, and a lot of high school players. Image courtesy of © Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK By now, it's our own fault if it surprises us. Perennially one of the most aggressive teams in the league on the final day of the MLB Draft, the Brewers executed the same gameplan Tuesday. Round 11, Pick # 335: Caedmon Parker, RHP -- TCU Ranked the 220th-best player in the 2021 draft coming out of high school, Parker made his way to TCU, where he was used as both a starter and a reliever. After missing 2023 with Tommy John surgery, Parker mainly pitched out of the pen in 2024. His fastball sits in the 93-95 range, reaching back for a bit more, with a lot of life and some cut. He also throws an upper-80s cutter that can look like a slider at times. Parker completes the repertoire with a 12-6 curve that can reach 2,800 RPMs, and a changeup that lags behind the other offerings. His command (or lack thereof) will likely land him in the bullpen long-term, but he does have the ability to be stretched out. Round 12, Pick # 365: Tyson Hardin, RHP -- Mississippi State Hardin began his career at Daytona State College, playing two years there before transferring to Mississippi State. As a Bulldog, he pitched exclusively in relief and picked up three saves over his two seasons. A two-pitch pitcher, Hardin’s calling card is a mid-90s fastball with a ton of horizontal run, which he can run up to 97 MPH. Coming from his low arm slot, the fastball has a really interesting shape to it. His other pitch is a mid-80s slider that could use some improvement in its consistency. The fastball will carry the profile. Round 13, Pick # 395: Joey Broughton, LHP -- Northville HS (MI) Though Broughton is committed to Pitt, the Brewers will be hoping to sign him away. A late riser in the class, Broughton has a feel for spin that very few high schoolers have. His fastball has been up to 95 MPH, and it has a chance to be special. Generating up to 24.4” of Induced Vertical Break from a low release height, and spinning at 2,700 RPMs, the pitch is a unicorn. His upper-70s curveball isn’t quite the outlier that his fastball is, but it’s no slouch either, registering close to 3,000 RPMs with -11” of IVB and 17-18” of sweep. His changeup also shows good arm-side fade, sitting in the low-80s, though he has not used it much in games yet. If Broughton signs, his command will likely cause him some issues early on, but this is a very projectable arm with a ceiling as high as almost anybody in the class. Round 14, Pick # 425: James Nunnallee, C/OF -- Lightridge HS (VA) This Virginia commit was ranked on most national boards heading into the draft, coming in as high as No. 52 on ESPN’s list. The Brewers drafted him as a catcher, and whether he signs or heads to college, there’s a good chance he will start the next stage of his career behind the dish. Nunnallee is a very good athlete who will need some work on his receiving. His arm is below average for the position, as well. His athleticism should allow him to move to the outfield if needed, and he has spent some time in center field during his high school career. Nunnallee’s profile is largely carried by the fact that he’s just a solid overall hitter. He's flashed plus power, posting exit velocities of 105 at the MLB Combine, as well as having a strong hit tool with a good feel for the barrel. Round 15, Pick # 455: Travis Smith, RHP -- Kentucky Ranked 261st on Baseball America’s board for this year's draft, Smith is ranked 85th on their early 2025 draft board. Having spent the past few seasons at Kentucky, Smith is committed to transfer to Mississippi State next season, which could cause him to be a tough sign. The NIL era makes cases like this one a whole different animal than they used to be. Even a decade ago, buying a player out of a plan to transfer schools between seasons would be much easier. Smith's mid-90s sinker has helped him generate a lot of ground balls at Kentucky, and his mid-80s, high-spin breaking ball has induced some swing-and-miss, especially against right-handed hitters. Against lefties, Smith will bring out his mid-80s changeup, which is firm but has some late fading action. Round 16, Pick # 485: Jayden Dubanewicz, RHP -- Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) Committed to Florida, Dubanewicz’s Twitter seems to show that he is already living on campus, so he may be a tough sign for the Brewers. If he does have interest in signing, though, his appeal will be in the projectability. Standing 6’3" and weighing only 160 pounds, Dubanewicz is sitting in the low 90s, but has the type of frame to make a pretty big leap in the velocity department. His sweeping slider is his main secondary offering. Despite being very lanky, he’s got good control of his body, and commands his pitches pretty well. Round 17, Pick # 515: Cooper Malamazian, SS -- Nazareth Academy (IL) An Indiana commit, Malamazian is another in a long line of recent Day Three picks out of Midwest high schools. Area Scout Ginger Poulson clearly has a lot of trust within the organization, and with a recent track record of players like Luke Adams and Bishop Letson, well she should. Malamazian is a strong athlete, posting above-average running numbers in a showcase setting. His bat speed averaged over 76 MPH in batting practice, which shows that his max exit velocity of 99.4 is only scratching the surface of what he can become with some added strength and facing actual pitching, rather than in a batting practice setting. He shows good hands and a fluid approach to the ball in the field, and has the arm to stick at shortstop. Round 18, Pick # 545: Tyler Renz, RHP -- Fox Lane HS (NY) Renz is committed to St John’s, and has a lot of fans in the Northeast scouting community. He won’t turn 18 until late November. His 6’4" frame leaves a lot of projection to dream on, for a fastball that has already reached 92 with high spin and a good vertical approach angle. He mixes a slider and a curveball, though he classifies them as a cutter and slider. Renz will also mix in a changeup, but it lags far behind the other pitches. He is a project, but if he were to sign, it would be nice clay for the Brewers to attempt to mold. Round 19, Pick # 575: Noah Wech, RHP -- Manitowoc Lincoln HS (WI) Another Midwest prep player! Wech is the first Wisconsin high schooler to be drafted by the Brewers since 2010, when they selected Connor Fisk out of Grafton High School. This is more than a local flier. Wech is committed to Oklahoma State, which is a very good program. Equipped with a fastball that has been up to 96 MPH and averages around 19-20" of induced vertical break, and up to 7 feet of extension, Wech also throws a couple of good-looking secondaries. His sweeping slider is in the 82-84 MPH range, with spin rates around 2,700 RPM. He also mixes in a developing high-spin curveball with more depth to it than the slider, and a changeup that needs a lot of work. There is reliever risk in the profile, but also a ton of interesting traits. Round 20, Pick # 605: Henry Brummel, RHP -- Pontiac Township HS (IL) Poulson is doing her best DJ Khaled impression at this point, with the Brewers drafting *another one* from the Midwest prep ranks (point of clarification: I have been informed that Brummel is actually located in Area Scout Riley Bandelow's territory, not Poulson's, which really puts a damper on my DJ Khaled joke). Brummel is another Indiana commit, the third member of that potential class they have drafted over the past couple of days. Brummel has a lightning-fast arm, with a lot of effort in the delivery. His fastball has been up to 94 MPH this year, sitting more in the 91-92 range over the course of a start. His curveball sits in the 77-79 range, with more depth than his low-80s slider. Both have high spin rates and sharp movement. His low-80s changeup is a solid offering as well, showing some late fade and killing spin pretty well. It will be very interesting to see how many of these players the Brewers can sign. The first two days were a solid start to the class, but adding some of these players would go a long way toward solidifying another superb draft on paper. What did you think about the Brewers' Day Three? Any favorites from the group that you are really hoping will sign? Let us know! View full article

In terms of growth, it's really hard to speculate. I'd think the 16-17 year olds in particular have a decent chance of adding an inch or two in height, but not really sure. I don't think velocity is all that related to height though honestly. It's about ability to move and rotate more than anything else. I think a guy like Rodriguez will add a couple ticks by way of getting stronger, but probably never a big velo guy. I think there's more context needed for some of these things. How old are they relative to their league? Are they dealing with injury? Generally I'd usually prefer the player who is performing well more recently.

I'd guess that it will fall in the 10-15 range if national groups rank it soon, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it jump back into the Top 10 by this time next year. A lot of super interesting talent in the lower levels.

I have little to no concern with Wilken. EBJ in the last month has a 115 wRC+, so that's been very good to see, hoping to see him impact the ball more still and also to show that this is more than a hot month at the plate. I have concerns with him for sure. I think I'll be writing about a change he made a little over a month ago that may have helped spark the hot stretch. Something that has me cautiously optimistic.

Patrick is probably the one here. His stuff is good enough to make MLB starts, and the results have been so solid too. Holub has the type of stuff I could see getting picked, but I doubt they'd feel compelled to protect him unless he starts performing much better in Nashville. I like Cornielle quite a bit, but I think he probably makes it through without being picked this offseason as a starter who hasn't seen AA yet and doesn't have super big velo or anything like that. I could see him as someone they need to protect the following winter.

Jack and Spencer are joined by MLB Draft expert Jamie Cameron in this week's episode! In the first half of this episode, the guys are joined by Jamie Cameron to discuss the upcoming MLB Draft from a Brewers perspective. During the second half, they go through the series losses to the Dodgers and Pirates, discuss another strong Tobias Myers outing, William Contreras’ defense, 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/ View full article

I think it will depend. I think a couple more good starts and I'd bump him to AAA. I think there's a good chance we see him in the Milwaukee bullpen before years end though. Me personally, I think if you want him to start long term, moving him to the pen could make that more difficult. But I don't think he's going to be reliable enough to make starts this year, so if we see him I'd imagine it'll be a pen role.

I'd say all five of those guys are potential Day 1 guys this year (partially because it's a bit of a down year in terms of talent). Made, Pena and Bitonti are probably the most likely to go round 1. Anderson and Di Turi are probably a tier below, if I had to guess, could see them falling a bit lower than top 2 rounds.

We continue our MiLB Player of the Month series with June's top five relief pitchers. Image courtesy of Neal Hock, Carolina Mudcats The Brewers' minor league pitching was very impressive on the starting side, and the relievers had many strong candidates as well. Beginning with a couple of honorable mentions: HONORABLE MENTIONS RHP - Dikember Sanchez - ACL Brewers and Carolina Mudcats - 5 G, 11.2 IP, 0-1, 2.31 ERA, 4.44 FIP, 1.03 WHIP, 7 H, 5 BB, 14 K, 1 SV RHP - Craig Yoho - Biloxi Shuckers - 8 G, 11 IP, 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 0.29 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 7 H, 4 BB, 23 K He’s human, after all. One lousy outing, in which he allowed three earned runs in one inning, cost Yoho a spot on the list, but everyone has had the chance to read about him numerous times. He wanted to give some new names a chance to shine. TOP FIVE RELIEF PITCHERS FOR JUNE #5 RHP - Nick Merkel - Biloxi Shuckers - 7 G, 15.1 IP, 1-0, 1.76 ERA, 3.64 FIP, 0.78 WHIP, 7 H, 5 BB, 18 K Unranked by all publications Merkel was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Central Methodist University, an NAIA school in Missouri. Checking in at 6’7 and weighing 255 pounds, Merkel has a fitting nickname, “Large Mammal,” that he even uses for his Twitter handle. Merkel moved quickly from Low-A to High-A last year and was assigned to Double-A to begin this season. While his size might give the impression of a fireballer, his fastball only sits in the low 90s, touching 93 at times. He appears to cut the fastball and run it at other times. It does a good job getting swing-and-miss when cut and gets grounders either way. He throws two breaking balls for his secondaries. His low-80s sweeping slider has been a great pitch against left-handed hitters. His upper 70s knuckle curve has a lot more depth to it, and he uses that more against right-handed hitters than he does against lefties. In June, Merkel did something very few pitchers could do. He was generating a ton of ground balls and a ton of whiffs. He posted a ridiculous 41.4% whiff rate, placing him in the 99th percentile for the level. While his walks were in a reasonable place in June, he hit four batters, so he was issuing free passes at a pretty high rate. At the same time, he generated ground balls at a 60% clip, which was in the 95th percentile for Double-A pitchers with at least ten innings in June, which helped him work around those free passes. Merkel is 26 years old, and shows signs of the peripheral numbers you are looking for in a middle reliever. He might be in line for a promotion to Triple-A at some point in the second half, even if the surface numbers might not blow anybody away. #4 LHP - Aaron Rund - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 8 G, 11.1 IP, 1-1, 1.23 ERA, 2.69 FIP, 0.89 WHIP, 7 H, 6 BB, 15 K Unranked by all publications Rund went undrafted in the 2023 draft out of Campbell University. After playing half a season with the Florence Y’alls of the Frontier League, he signed with the Brewers this past offseason. The recently turned 25-year-old has been in high-A all season and has pitched to a 1.32 ERA. Coming from a low, three-quarters arm slot that borders on being sidearm, Rund is a sinker-baller who mainly aims to get the ball on the ground. Sitting 93 on his fastball and getting up to 95, the pitch does what it intended, as his 55.7% ground ball rate for the season places him in the 93rd percentile for High-A. In terms of secondaries, Rund uses his slider the most often. The pitch sits in the 85-86 MPH range and mirrors his fastball well, giving hitters a long tail to worry about between the two pitches. He also throws an upper-70s curveball that is used less often but gives hitters another velocity band to worry about. At times, he appears to blend those two into a low-80s slurve. Based on how the catcher throws down signs, those are meant to be the slider. In June, Rund was great at what he’s usually good at. He didn’t generate hardly any swing and miss (1st percentile whiff rate), but he did land a ton of pitches for strikes, back-dooring sinkers, and landing breaking balls on corners. His called-strike rate of 36.8% was in the 96th percentile. He also improved his already strong ground ball rate, reaching 59.5% in June. There was minimal hard contact, and even when hitters did get one on the barrel, it was usually on the ground. Rund is 25 and posting an ERA of 1.32 so far at High-A. While he doesn’t have the stuff to be a closer down the road, he does have qualities that go a long way for a middle reliever. He will likely see time at Double-A at some point this season. #3 RHP - Chase Costello - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 7 G, 10 IP, 3-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.81 FIP, 0.90 WHIP, 6 H, 3 BB, 13 K Unranked by all publications Costello was another player brought into the organization out of independent ball, signing before the 2023 season. He spent time at LSU, St Thomas, and Stetson during college, eventually going undrafted and signing with the Boise Hawks of the Pioneer League. He had a solid, if unspectacular, season in Carolina last year and has carried over similar results to the 2024 season with the T-Rats. Unlike many indy ball signees, Costello was only 22 years old when he signed and is currently 24. His fastball sat in the 92-94 range in college but is now sitting 94-95 and touching 96 at times. It has a decent arm-side run, and he commands it relatively well. He also throws a changeup in the 82-84 range, which is probably his best pitch for generating swing and miss, though his command of the pitch comes and goes. His third pitch is a short slider in the 86-87 MPH range, though it lags behind the other two pitches and lacks consistency in movement and command. Costello mostly used his top two pitches in June to keep hitters off balance. His 36.5% whiff rate placed him in the 89th percentile at the level among pitchers who threw at least ten innings in June. His 36.1% strikeout rate put him in the 93rd percentile. He did have some batted-ball luck, and his outfielders showed up for him on a couple of run-saving plays in June, but his ability to generate swings and misses is what carried him to such a strong month. Costello is unlikely to move from High-A too soon, but if his June performance is a sign of things to come, he’s a name Brewers fans will want to keep an eye on. #2 RHP - Blake Holub - Biloxi Shuckers - 8 G, 10 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.18 FIP, 0.70 WHIP, 5 H, 2 BB, 14 K, 5 SV. Unranked by all publications Acquired in the Mark Canha trade this past offseason, Holub is the fourth pitcher on this list to take an irregular path to pro ball. Holub was a two-way player at Division II St Edwards University in Texas before the Tigers selected him in the 15th round in 2021. Holub began the year with Triple-A Nashville. Unfortunately, things didn't go well there, and he was sent down to Double-A in mid-May. He took that demotion as well as one can and had not allowed a single run at the level through the end of June. Coming from a very high, over-the-top slot, Holub has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and has decent carry on it, along with a few inches of cut. He also adds seven feet of extension, which helps the velocity play up a bit higher. The Vertical Approach Angle is -5.6 in his Triple-A appearances, which means the carry he gets on the pitch doesn’t play up much, but it has been a solid pitch for him. His slider sits around 82-84 MPH and has decent characteristics, though it has been hit around a bit at the Triple-A level. He did not use his mid-80s splitter very often in Triple-A, but when he did, it was a fantastic pitch, and the characteristics grade out very well. He went to it more often in Double-A and reaped the benefits of that. Holub generated whiffs at a 42.9% clip in June, placing him in the 99th percentile for Double-A pitchers with at least ten innings pitched. His swinging strike rate of 21.2% was in the 98th percentile, and his overall strikeout rate placed him in the 96th percentile at 36.8%. Not only did he miss a lot of bats, but he also generated ground balls at a 54.5% rate, putting him in the 90th percentile. Holub got promoted back to Triple-A to begin July and allowed two earned runs in his first inning there. Something about that jump from Biloxi to Nashville is giving him problems, but he has shown he is above Double-A and should get ample opportunity to find his footing with the Sounds. #1 RHP - Aidan Maldonado - Carolina Mudcats - 9 G, 16 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.59 FIP, 0.44 WHIP, 6 H, 1 BB, 19 K, 2 SV. Unranked by all publications The Brewers 14th round selection in the 2022 draft out of the University of Minnesota, Maldonado was garnering some attention early in the spring of 2023 with his array of offspeed offerings. He got off to a strong start with Carolina but dealt with injuries and some ineffectiveness the rest of the way. A starter to begin the 2023 season, Maldonado has moved into a full-time relief role in 2024. His fastball is in the 92-94 range but seems to get on hitters more than the velocity would lead you to believe. Maldonado is a big-time “drop and drive” pitcher, and he gets really low into his back leg, causing the fastball to come out from a low slot and have strong carry through the zone. His delivery is also “herky-jerky” and has to be a tough sightline for hitters in the box, which also helps the pitch play up. Maldonado has leaned more on his curveball and changeup this year than he did last year. His curveball is an upper-70s offering with a good amount of depth. He seems comfortable landing it for strikes. The changeup sits in the low-80s and has a lot of sharp movement to the arm side and good depth. The changeup is the best offspeed offering he has. Maldonado has also thrown a slider at times. While he seems to struggle with the command, it would serve him well to use it more often, as it has good movement and sits in a different velocity band than the curve and changeup, coming in around 85-86. However, Maldonado didn’t need to use the slider too often in June. His three-pitch mix was done this month, as he struck out 19 hitters to only a single walk. That K: BB ratio put him in the 99th percentile for his level. Interestingly, despite his high strikeout total, he only generated whiffs at a 25.4% clip, the 30th percentile. He did land several pitches for strikes and had the second-highest foul ball rate at the level. When the ball did get put in play, it was often on the ground, as evidenced by his 58.8% ground ball rate. At 24 years old, Maldonado seems ready for the challenge of High-A, as even when the surface numbers weren’t great early on this season, his peripherals were in a very good place. 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

We continue our MiLB Player of the Month series with June's top six Starting Pitchers. There is a minimum requirement of 15 innings pitched to qualify for the top six. Image courtesy of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers We will begin, as always, with a bunch of honorable mentions from an unbelievably successful month by the Brewers' starting prospects. Honorable Mentions: RHP - Christopher Peralta - DSL Brewers 2 - 4 G, 2 GS, 13.1 IP, 1-0, 1.35 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 10 H, 6 BB, 15 K RHP - Dariel Jaquez - DSL Brewers 1 - 4 G, 2 GS, 16 IP, 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 9 H, 9 BB, 16 K, 1 SV RHP - Manuel Rodriguez - Carolina Mudcats - 4 G, 4 GS, 25 IP, 1-1, 2.52 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 26 H, 2 BB, 14 K RHP - Yujanyer Herrera - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 5 G, 5 GS, 26.2 IP, 4-0, 2.36 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 21 H, 11 BB, 23 K RHP - Chad Patrick - Nashville Sounds - 5 G, 3 GS, 27 IP, 3-0, 2.33 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 18 H, 7 BB, 30 K TOP SIX STARTING PITCHERS FOR JUNE #6 RHP - K.C. Hunt - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 4 G, 4 GS, 19 IP, 1-1, 2.37 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 15 H, 5 BB, 23 K Unranked by all publications Taking home the number one spot in April’s version of the Reliever of the Month list, the 2023 undrafted free agent signee transitioned to the rotation in June, and he has taken to it quite well so far. Hunt’s high-spin fastball sits in the 92-94 range and works well at the top of the zone, though he also does a good job of hitting the low and outside corner with the pitch. He has a four-pitch mix, and the secondaries are strong as well. His mid-80s bullet slider is a plus pitch that generates a ton of swing and miss. He also throws an upper 70s curveball that is a little more inconsistent but flashes as a plus pitch and has a ton of depth. Hunt will also mix in a changeup on occasion. The changeup isn’t great, but it gives a hitter something else to consider. In his first month as a starter, Hunt maintained a high whiff rate, not to the level he was showing as a reliever, but the 33.8% mark he posted was still in the 83rd percentile for High-A pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched. His 29.9% strikeout rate was in the 82nd percentile, and he kept the walks to a minimum. The month-long numbers would look much better if not for his third start of the month, in which he allowed two home runs and four earned runs over only three innings. He combined 16 innings and only one earned run in the other three starts. Hunt’s move to the rotation might slow his ascent through the minors, as he appeared to be on a fast track when he was coming out of the pen. However, the move to the rotation has catapulted him into legitimate prospect status, and he will likely find himself on some of the mid-season Top 30 updates. #5 RHP - Wenderlyn King - DSL Brewers 1 - 4 G, 4 GS, 17.2 IP, 1-1, 1.53 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 17 H, 1 BB, 21 K Unranked by all publications Signed out of the Dominican Republic in this past July’s class, King was making his professional debut this month, and the 18-year-old got it started with a bang. Equipped with a fastball that is reportedly in the 89-90 range and an ability to reach back for a bit more, King appears to rely heavily on his off-speed offerings. He throws a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. Based on the limited video available, the curveball and changeups appear to be his swing-and-miss pitches. Both have good depth and late movement. In June, King had a 21 to 1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, though that is a bit misleading considering he did hit seven batters with pitches. Still, a 21-to-8 strikeout to free pass ratio is strong for anybody in the DSL. He was able to induce seven double plays in the month. He highlighted the month with a ten-strikeout performance in his second career start on June 13th, only allowing one earned run in five innings. King got off to an incredible start to his professional career, and based on the limited video available, it looks like a starters profile. In-season promotions to the Arizona Complex League are not very common anymore, but he certainly appears to be on his way to starting 2025 stateside. #4 RHP - Enniel Cortez - ACL Brewers and Carolina Mudcats - 4 G, 4 GS, 18.0 IP, 1-0, 1.22 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 1.6 WHIP, 18 H, 4 BB, 16 K. Signed out of Nicaragua in January of 2023, and having only turned 18 on May 1st, the Brewers have aggressively moved Cortez. His first season was spent in the DSL, but he was assigned to the Arizona Complex League to start this season, and in mid-June, he was promoted to Low-A Carolina. The youngest pitcher in Low-A, Cortez’s fastball is already a really solid offering, sitting in the 91-93 range and touching 94 with a low release slot and some ride on the pitch. He throws an upper 70s sweeper as his best offering for whiffs against righties and an 83-85 MPH changeup. He’s shown an ability to throw the changeup backdoor to righties and use it as a swing-and-miss pitch against lefties. Along with the interesting three-pitch mix, Cortez shows signs of above-average command, potentially a plus. He has an 85-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his pro career, which is as strong as anybody in the system. He made two starts in the ACL and two in Carolina in June. In Carolina, he went four innings in each start and only allowed one earned run. He struck out nine and was landing pitches for strikes at a high level, which helped make up for a whiff rate of only 25.4%. He walked more in those eight innings than he is accustomed to, but full-season ball umpiring and hitters with more patience are the leading cause for that. He rarely missed badly; most of his pitches were competitive, even if they were out of the zone. As the youngest pitcher at the level, Cortez is likely going to spend an extended period there. He appears to be a very real prospect, though, and is someone to watch as a potential climber in the rankings. #3 RHP - Josh Knoth - Carolina Mudcats - 4 G, 4 GS, 19.2 IP, 2-0, 1.83 ERA, 3.49 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 12 H, 12 BB, 22 K Selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, Knoth hails from New York and was one of the younger arms in the draft at only 17 on draft day. Knoth’s fastball comes around 94-95 and can reach 98 in short stints. It plays well up in the zone, in part due to the low release point he generates with his athletic delivery. What Knoth is primarily known for, though, is his ability to spin his two different breaking balls. His curveball grades out as a plus pitch, possibly better, as it spins at over 3,000 RPMs and has many late and sharp drops. His slider also spins at around 3,000 RPMs but has a bit of an inconsistent shape right now. It shows flashes of being an above-average offering at times. He will also mix in a very occasional changeup that shows flashes but needs to improve the consistency. Knoth has not yet faced a hitter younger than him in Carolina and managed to get through some expected bumps in the road at the start of the year while still putting up solid surface numbers. He put things together in June, though. His whiff rate of 30.8% and strikeout rate of 28.6% were above average for the level, but he did most of his work through soft contact. Knoth did not allow a single extra-base hit in June, which helped him work around the 12 walks he handed out. Knoth has a long development track in front of him, but the early signs of a potential major league starter are showing. He will likely spend the rest of 2024 in Carolina. #2 RHP - Logan Henderson - Biloxi Shuckers - 4 G, 4 GS, 21.2 IP, 4-0, 1.66 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 0.877 WHIP, 15 H, 4 BB, 29 K Henderson was the Brewers' fourth-round selection in 2021 out of McLennan Community College in Texas. At that point, he was committed to Texas A&M but chose to sign with the Brewers. His first year and a half after signing was injury-plagued, but he had a largely healthy 2023 in Low-A Carolina. Unfortunately, the injury bug did bite him again this year when he injured his oblique during the Spring Breakout game in March. He returned to play in May, pitching 4.2 innings at the Arizona Complex level and then another 6.2 dominant innings at High-A Wisconsin before being promoted to Double-A to begin June. Henderson’s changeup has always been his calling card. The low 80’s offering has some airbender qualities, averaging nearly 17 inches of break. It’s a plus pitch and his go-to secondary for generating swing and miss. Henderson's fastball went from averaging around 89-91 MPH in 2023 to being in the 92-94 range and getting up to 96. Not only has the velocity improved, but the pitch's shape has also. Formerly averaging around 14-16 inches of Induced Vertical Break (IVB), it is up to 18-19 inches on average this year and has surpassed 20 inches at times. Along with the improvement in his movement profile, his low release height has helped the fastball player even further with a -3.9 degree Vertical Approach Angle, an elite number. Both pitches could be considered plus or even better, and he commands them well above average. Henderson also throws a slider, which has made strides but isn’t used much. He may need to increase his usage to continue his path toward starting pitching, and the improvements in the pitch make it feasible for him to do so. Henderson was dominant in June, his first month at the Double-A level. He racked up whiffs and strikeouts with his fastball and changeup combo. His 32.7% whiff rate placed him in the 89th percentile for Double-A pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched. His 35.4% strikeout rate was in the 97th percentile. Henderson also did a fantastic job of limiting walks, and his 7.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio was in the 90th percentile as well. Two different ten-strikeout games highlighted his month, which matched his single-game high from last year. Henderson has been so dominant in Double-A, and his stuff has stepped forward so much already, the Brewers will likely consider pushing him to Triple-A quickly as well. It’s probably not super likely, but his fastball/changeup combination could play well in a pen role. So much so that he might be a candidate for an MLB promotion at some point this season. #1 LHP - Tate Kuehner - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 4 G, 4 GS, 22 IP, 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 0.82 WHIP, 10 H, 8 BB, 25 K. Unranked by all publications The Brewers' 7th-round selection in 2023 out of Louisville, Kuehner, was used as a swingman by the Cardinals his senior year. He only threw three innings at the Complex League level last year after being drafted but began the 2024 season with High-A Appleton, where he has continued that swingman role but in a more consistent starter role. All four appearances in June were as a starter, and nine of twelve for the season have been starts. Kuehner was sitting in the upper-80’s as a junior in college but jumped into the 92-95 range as a senior, which is where he is now. He throws from a low slot and started generating more runs on the pitch his senior year. That slot allows the pitch to play well up in the zone due to the Vertical Approach Angle and down because of the run. His best secondary offering is his low-80s sweeper, which has a lot of sweep but also quite a bit of vertical drop and is his best swing-and-miss pitch. He mixes in a changeup as well, which appears to be in a better spot than where it was at Louisville, where he struggled to land any of his secondaries for strikes. In June, he posted a whiff rate of 35.8%, placing him in the 92nd percentile for High-A pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched. His 29.1% strikeout rate placed him in the 79th percentile. His ground ball rate of 46% in June was solid, but it doesn’t stand out among the crowd. Despite that, Kuehner only allowed one extra-base hit (a double) in June. He only allowed two in May, and his 1.9% extra-base hit rate is second in all of High-A over that period (minimum of 30 IP). Kuehner has been generating a lot of swings and misses. When the ball is put in play, it is rarely hit with authority. In terms of performance, Kuehner has been one of the biggest surprises so far this year, and he seems to be getting better each month. He started the season on a rough note, with an ERA over seven in April. After dealing with some walk issues in May, he cut his walk rate from 14.7% to 9.3% in June. His WHIP went from 2.18 in April to 1.24 in May and down to 0.82 in June. Kuehner is 23 years old, so he’s certainly a candidate to see Double-A at some point this year and given his continued development each month, he might be ready to make that jump very soon. Please share your opinions! Who should have made it that didn’t? Who made it but should not have? View full article