Spencer Michaelis

Welcome back to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! In this edition, we will take a deep dive into Tyler Black. Black slots in as the number four prospect in the system, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. Image courtesy of Mike Krebs, Biloxi Shuckers #4 IF Tyler Black (Biloxi Shuckers, Nashville Sounds) The Brewers took Black with their Competitive Balance Round A pick in 2021. Coming out of Wright State, Black was a small school, model-based type of pick. After battling some tough injury luck in his first full season in 2022, Black stayed on the field in 2023 and broke out in a major way at the plate and on the bases. What to Like: Black’s profile is going to be carried by his bat. At Wright State, he showed some in-game power, hitting 13 home runs in his final season. However, his batted ball profile didn’t point to a ton of power in his future. He had a max exit velocity of 102.2 while in college. Jacob Wilson and Black are the only two first-round picks in the last three seasons with a 90th percentile exit velocity under 100 MPH. In his first 400 plate appearances of his career, that batted ball data appeared to be a more accurate sign of his power than the 13 home runs, as he only hit five home runs in that period. In 2023, that changed, and it changed pretty dramatically as Black hit 18 home runs. It doesn’t appear to have been a fluke either, as his batted ball data has improved significantly since he entered pro ball. From 2022 to 2023, his 90th percentile exit velocity improved by four MPH, and his max exit velocity in Triple-A was up to 109.6 MPH. He cut his ground ball rate by over 11% to prove that his power jump is sustainable. The two main ingredients for sudden power upgrades are to hit the ball hard more often and to hit it in the air more often. Black did both in 2023. Even if the power isn’t there for Black, he does a fantastic job controlling the zone and has the ability to spray the ball to all fields. His walk-to-strikeout ratio of 0.88 was sixth highest amongst the qualified hitters in the Brewers organization and second highest if you remove the short-season qualifiers. He has the tools to be a very good, all-around hitter at the major league level. On the bases, Black stole 55 bases in 2023, the most in the Brewers system. Unlike most minor leaguers who stole bases at a clip similar to him, Black stole that many bases largely due to his instincts and his feel. Those paired well with above-average speed, but a step below being plus speed to make him a threat all season long. What to Work On: Defense is the question mark for Black. If he were an above-average defender, he would have a case for being a top-25 prospect in baseball. Coming into 2023, there were questions on whether he could handle the infield at all. He spent time in center field in 2022, and the outfield looked like a legitimate possibility for him. However, considering the amount of outfield depth the Brewers have, the organization knew that keeping him on the infield would be the best outcome for him and the team if he could handle it. To Black’s credit, there was a definite improvement from him on the infield dirt this year. His actions improved from 2022 to 2023, looking more comfortable with his footwork and showing more range than in the past. While his arm isn’t the strongest, it does appear that, at least glove-wise, third base would be a better fit for him than second base. Another possibility for Black moving forward would be seeing time at first base. He saw his first in-game action there this season, and it looks like a spot he could handle. It would lessen the importance of his arm, and he should be able to handle it with his athleticism. What’s next: A Ben Zobrist role is not out of the question for Black when he first reaches MLB. He’d be playing an everyday role but doing it by constantly moving around to give other players the day off. Black made a case to be called up at the end of 2023, and given he plays three positions that are pretty big question marks for the organization as they head into the offseason, Black will likely have a good chance of making the team out of camp. The fact that he is now making Top 100 lists around the league won’t hurt him either, as he will most likely be one of the players eligible for the possible draft pick that comes with Rookie of the Year voting. What are your thoughts on Tyler Black? Should he be on the Opening Day roster in 2024? Let us know in the comments! View full article

Welcome back to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! In this edition, we will be taking a deep dive look at Robert Gasser. Gasser slots in as the number five prospect in the system, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints #5 LHP Robert Gasser (Nashville Sounds) A second-round draft pick by the Padres in the 2021 draft, Gasser was in the midst of his first full season when the infamous Josh Hader trade went down at the trade deadline in 2022. He finished his Padres career at the High-A level, having thrown 90.1 innings for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. The Brewers decided that was plenty of experience at that level and assigned him to Double-A Biloxi to begin his Brewers career. Four starts later, Gasser and his 2.21 ERA and 11.5 strikeouts per nine were headed to Triple-A Nashville. This is where he would finish the 2022 campaign and where he spent all of 2023. What to Like: Gasser throws five pitches total, and three of those are above-average or better pitches in his four-seam fastball, slider, and cutter. He generates a lot of ride with the fastball, and because of that, it works best at the top of the zone or above. He usually sits in the 91-93 range and can get up to 94 or 95. His slider is best described as a sweeper and is a pitch he will throw in any count or situation. The sweeper sits in the low 80s and was his biggest swing-and-miss pitch in 2023. He does a decent job of landing it for strikes when the situation calls for it, as well. Since coming to the Brewers organization, Gasser has been mixing in his upper 80s cutter more often than with the Padres. It was the pitch that he was able to show the most improvement with during the 2023 season, landing it in the zone more often than any of his other offerings and consistently keeping it off of barrels. Regarding production, Gasser’s final season line may not look special compared to what we expect from an MLB starting pitcher. When the numbers are looked at in the hitter-friendly Triple-A environment, however, Gasser stacks up extremely well. Among the 38 pitchers who threw at least 100 innings in Triple-A, Gasser finished first in total strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings; he finished second in ERA and FIP while also having the second-highest K: BB ratio. Gasser got off to a slow start in the walk department, walking 5.5 per nine innings in April. From May forward, though, he only walked 2.88 per nine, which brought his total for the season to a more reasonable 3.33 per nine. What to Work On: As mentioned, Gasser has a total of five pitches, and while the four-seam fastball, slider, and cutter all show signs of being plus pitches, his other two pitches still need to catch up a bit. His changeup is an average offering that comes in a bit firmer than you would hope, usually sitting in the upper-80’s. While he would benefit from being able to take a bit more velocity off of it, he does get some good late action on it, and it could act as a counter to right-handed hitters. He also mixes in a sinker that is in a similar velocity range to his four-seam, though he does not use it all that often. Gasser will also mix in a lower arm angle on some of his four-seamers, which have been classified as sinkers at times. In reality, he’s dropping his arm angle, causing the pitch to generate less vertical break than his regular four-seamers. Improvement in those two would go a long way toward rounding out his repertoire. Right now, his best pitches all move toward a right-handed hitter; the sinker and changeup go the other way. That could help him improve his platoon splits. While Gasser did get the previously mentioned walk number down to a more reasonable number over the course of the season, he will likely be aiming to drop it even further and be under three per nine moving forward. One other thing that will need to be monitored is Gasser’s line drive rate. His 28.6% line drive rate was the highest among Triple-A pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched, and as Freddy Peralta has demonstrated at times, a four-seamer like Gasser’s can have a propensity to get barreled. Continuing to locate the fastball at the top of the zone or higher will help keep it above barrels. When it leaks down into the zone, then hitters can get a pretty good look at it. Improvement to the sinker and/or changeup could be another way to keep the ball out of the air more often. What’s next: Gasser appears to be ready for the MLB rotation, and during most times in Brewers history, he likely would have already debuted during the 2023 season. Pitching depth has been a strong suit for the organization during the Stearns and Arnold era, but they will enter this offseason with perhaps the most questions since the offseason going into 2018. That should help Gasser’s chances. The unfortunate recent news of Brandon Woodruff being out for the 2024 season probably raises his chances of making the rotation directly out of spring training even further. What are your thoughts on Robert Gasser? What are you hoping to see from him in 2024? Let us know in the comments! View full article

Welcome back to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! In this edition, we will be taking a deep dive look at Brock Wilken. Wilken slots in as the number six prospect in the system, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. Image courtesy of Carlos Hurtado, Biloxi Shuckers #6 3B Brock Wilken (ACL Brewers, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Biloxi Shuckers) Wilken, the Brewer's first-round selection in the most recent 2023 draft, had an extremely successful career at Wake Forest. The career home run leader for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with 71, Wilken set that record over the course of only three seasons as a Demon Deacon. What to Like: As one might gather, based on the home run record mentioned above, Wilken possesses a ton of raw power. At Wake Forest, he posted multiple exit velocities over 115 MPH and carried a 90th percentile exit velocity of over 108 in his final season. His 71 career home runs were topped off with 31 in his draft year, which was second in the country behind potential top-five pick in 2024, Jac Caglionne of Florida. Power carries the profile in many evaluators’ eyes, but the hit tool also looks like it could be at least average. He makes fantastic swing decisions, and while it’s only an average contact rate, he has been posting plus exit velocities and barrel rates in his first 203 professional plate appearances. On the defensive side, Wilken has a plus throwing arm and decent enough hands to handle third base. He had some issues with errors during his time in Appleton and Biloxi, but they were largely the product of fixable mistakes with his footwork. Wilken has below-average speed overall, but he shows signs of being a smart baserunner. He had a couple of good dirt ball reads in Appleton, where he could advance a base on a ball most players with his speed wouldn’t have been able to. He also took advantage of pitchers being predictable with their timing when the opportunity would arise, going four for four on stolen base attempts. What to Work On: When it comes to the offensive side of the ball, there aren’t many concerns. One that may pop up the higher he climbs is a propensity for taking hittable pitches early in counts. During his time at Wake Forest, Wilken became much more patient. Patience is good, to be sure, but at times, that patience would turn to passivity and cause himself to get buried in pitcher counts. When he does that, he puts himself in a situation where he will see the pitcher’s best secondary offerings and already has his back up against the wall. We will need to keep an eye on the strikeout numbers, as they did climb during his short stint at Double-A. It was far too small a sample to jump to any conclusions because of, but it will be something to monitor in 2024. On defense, while he has the arm and the hands for third base, there is a definite lack of range. In particular, he struggled to go to his backhand in his pro debut. He appears to get better reads on balls hit to his left. Perhaps the Brewers will have him play closer to the third baseline to counteract that. What’s next: Wilken is well developed already, being drafted out of a school with as many, if not more, resources as some MLB organizations. He will likely begin 2024 back in Biloxi, but the bat could push him to Triple-A quickly, and it would be hard to rule out an MLB debut during the 2024 season. Wilken has middle-of-the-order potential at one of the two corner infield spots. It’s something the Brewers have been struggling to find at first base since Prince Fielder and at third base since Aramis Ramirez. Wilken could be the guy to hold down one of those spots for the next 6-7 years. What are your thoughts on Brock Wilken? What are you hoping to see from him in 2024? Let us know in the comments! View full article

That's definitely not a bad comp. A couple extra pitches for Rodriguez and Chacin used the changeup pretty sparingly, but I can 100% see that one.

I would definitely agree with that. I do worry that the strikeout numbers will come down a bit at the MLB level and walks are less likely to naturally decline at higher levels than strikeouts, so I think it will take genuine improvement in that regard to keep the K/BB ratio looking as good as it did this year.

To be clear, I'm not including players who debuted or are in MLB! Among the actual prospects still out there, I would put him first. If I included, Mitchell, Wiemer, Perkins, etc, then he would not be first.

Welcome back to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! In this edition, we will be taking a deep dive look at Carlos F Rodriguez. Rodriguez comes in as the number seven prospect in the system, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers #7 RHP Carlos F Rodriguez (Biloxi Shuckers, Nashville Sounds) The Brewers selected Rodriguez in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. They took him out of Florida Southwestern State Junior College, adding him to a growing list of Junior College pitchers that have succeeded, or are on their way to success, in the Brewers system. Rodriguez is a six-pitch pitcher who throws the kitchen sink at hitters and keeps them off balance, but he is more than a “junkballer.” A number of his pitches come in as above-average offerings. What to Like: Rodriguez throws three different “fastballs.” He throws a four-seam fastball, a sinker, and a cutter. The four-seamer is a riding fastball with which he can throw up in the zone and miss bats. He throws the four-seamer in the 90-93 range and can get up to 96 on occasion. His sinker moves quite a bit, and it is the pitch he gets most of his ground balls. The sinker sits in a similar velocity band to the four-seam. His cutter is a bit slower, usually in the upper 80s, around 86-88 most days. He uses it to keep the ball off the barrel. It isn’t a big swing-and-miss offering for him now, but he can get soft contact with it, especially against left-handed hitters. He also throws three different offspeed pitches along with the three fastballs. His offspeed offerings include a changeup, two different breaking balls, a slider, and a curveball. The changeup is probably his best pitch out of any of the six. Usually thrown in the 82-85 MPH range, it’s his go-to swing-and-miss pitch, and he can generate ground balls with it. It pairs well with his sinker. The slider is his second-best offspeed pitch. With a velocity usually hovering around 80 MPH, it shows flashes of being another big-time swing-and-miss pitch, but with some inconsistencies in the command of the pitch, the results he gets have a lot of variance. His curveball is mainly used to “steal a strike” by landing a slow one in the zone. When he’s throwing it as a swing-and-miss pitch, the velocity is usually around 73-75 MPH. When he wants to land it for a strike, he has dropped into the 60s at times. It isn’t a great pitch on its own, but he can use it to help all his other offerings and to give a hitter more velocity bands to think about. What to Work On: As mentioned earlier, Rodriguez’s slider is on the precipice of being a really good pitch. Continuing to build consistency with that pitch will be very important for him, as it can be his best put-away offering against right-handed hitters. Cutters and curveballs are two pitches the Brewers have done a great job developing during the Stearns/Arnold Era, and for Rodriguez, there is room to grow with both of those pitches. Sharpening up the curveball, in particular, would go a long way toward adding another swing-and-miss offering to his repertoire. With his feel to spin the ball, that type of improvement isn’t out of the question. Rodriguez’s walk numbers improved dramatically after the Southern League went away from the pre-tacked baseball and back to the MLB baseballs. However, his season total walks per nine number of four is probably too high for a player who doesn’t throw in the upper 90s with his velocity. His number of 2.9 per nine, after they changed the baseballs, would be much more in line with where he will likely need to be at the MLB level. What’s Next: Sans the pitch-timing theatrics, Rodriguez shows some traits similar to Johnny Cueto on the mound. He received some invaluable experience by pitching for Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic this past spring and doing quite well against an MLB-laden Puerto Rico lineup. Rodriguez made one start in Triple-A to finish the 2023 season, and it seems likely he will find himself back there to start 2024. He will almost certainly be in Major League camp this spring, and it will be a great opportunity for him to get continued reps against MLB level hitters and to work with the MLB catchers. Assuming he does return to Triple-A to begin the season, Rodriguez’s fastest path to an MLB roster spot is likely by proving that the walk numbers, after the change in baseballs, are more indicative of what he truly is as a pitcher than the ones he had shown with the pre-tacked balls. What are your thoughts on Carlos F Rodriguez? What are you hoping to see from him in 2024? Let us know in the comments! View full article

Oh this is definitely nit-picky and partially to list something to work on, for the defensive side of the ball haha. I did notice it a couple of times though, and also like I said, it's the type of ball a lot of fielders can struggle on at times. Even the best in baseball. I would personally call Lara the best defensive outfielder in the system, and that is definitely saying something, given there's a lot of defensive talent at every level.

I think he's a future 70 grade glove, and that he gets absolutely great reads. But the only slight concern (which has been backed up by a couple in person looks) is really the reads he gets on balls hit right in front and right over his head. I'm not sure the first video that cuts to Lara 2 seconds after it's hit is able to show that he got a good read. The last one he definitely got a good read on. But highlights will tend to be showing the good ones haha.

Welcome back to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! In this edition, we will be taking a deep dive look at our number eight prospect, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community, Luis Lara. #8 OF Luis Lara (Carolina Mudcats, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) The Brewers signed Lara in their 2022 International signing class, and he was one of the bigger signings for the Brewers in that class. He received the third-highest bonus in the class at $1.1 Million, behind only shortstops Jhonny Severino and Johan Barrios. After getting off to a scalding hot start in the DSL, Lara slowed down dramatically for a few weeks before a strong finish. While his 2022 stats didn’t look all that special, a 12% K-Rate and 9% BB-Rate were great signs for a player his age. He began 2023 in Extended Spring Training but soon proved too talented to be sent to the Arizona Complex League and was promoted to Low-A Carolina a month into the season. What to Like: Lara has the potential for a plus hit tool, potentially even elite. A switch hitter from the left side, he has a very compact swing. He appears to have very good rotational mobility, and that mobility helps him swing his bat at an elite rate of speed. That bat speed, combined with his hand-eye coordination, gives Lara tremendous bat-to-ball skills. He posted a 90% contact rate on pitches in the zone in 2023, which would have been a top 25 number among qualified MLB hitters. His swing can look Ronald Acuna-esque from the right side at times, though the results were not very good against left-handed pitchers this year. As for the defensive side of the ball, Lara combines his plus speed with good reads and routes. At his peak, he could be an elite defender in center field. His arm is borderline plus as well, and because of that, if he needs to, he could also handle right field with no issue. The aforementioned speed also comes in handy on the offensive side of the ball. It especially shows when he puts a ball in the gap or goes first to third on a hit. He did have a pretty successful season stealing bases, with 30 overall. However, while certainly not bad, a 75% success rate for a guy with plus speed isn’t exactly what you’re looking for. What to Work On: Power is the biggest question mark for Lara moving forward. Despite his diminutive stature, Lara has shown flashes of raw power in a batting practice setting and even some in-game power from both sides of the plate. However, both of his home runs in 2023 were from the right side, and he possesses more of his in-game power from that side. His swing from the right side is much more aggressive and has more moving parts than the left. It allows him to get to his power more, but as mentioned earlier, his results from that side could have been better in 2023. His OPS of .593 from the right side was nearly .200 points lower than the .770 OPS he posted from the left. The one thing Lara will be looking to improve upon defensively is on batted balls that are hit straight at Lara. He sometimes struggles to get good reads on a ball hit directly over his head or in front of him. Many consider that particular part of playing the outfield the most difficult part of the position, so this isn't abnormal, but he will need to get better at it if he wants to stick in center field full-time. Lara's other “weakness” is the lack of baserunning instincts, which results in being caught stealing 25% of the time. As a younger player, pitchers often struggle with the concept of holding runners, allowing a baserunner to build some bad or lazy habits. Catchers also don’t possess the same type of arms they see in full-season ball. There’s a very real chance that Lara will improve greatly in that regard simply by getting more and more reps on the bases against professional pitchers and catchers. What’s next: Lara was 18 years old for the entirety of the 2023 season, and after his birthday in November, he will spend all of 2024’s season at 19. The Brewers have generally been extremely aggressive with their prospects the last couple of years, and Lara was no exception. Being pushed to High-A at 18 shows how much they believe in him. However, a Double-A assignment would seem over the top to start 2024. It seems likely that Lara will begin back in Appleton, WI, next spring. Barring a power breakout, he probably won’t ever be a top 10-20 prospect in baseball. However, Lara could find himself in the Sal Frelick territory of the top 50 if he continues to perform as one of the youngest players at each level. What are your thoughts on Luis Lara? What are you hoping to see from him in 2024? Let us know in the comments! View full article

Welcome back to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! In this edition, we will be taking a deep dive look at Cooper Pratt. Pratt comes in as the number nine prospect in the system, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports #9 SS Cooper Pratt (Arizona League Brewers) The Brewers selected Pratt in the sixth round in 2023, a pick that many evaluators considered the steal of the draft at the time. Pratt was ranked the 25th overall prospect in the draft by Fangraphs, 45th by MLB Pipeline, and 63rd by Baseball America. Much like Mike Boeve, Pratt was a pick that was based on a mix of analytics and pure scouting. He would stand out in most teams' models, but he also stood out to the pro scouts watching him on the prep circuit over the last few years. What to Like: On the defensive side, Pratt has a good chance to stick at shortstop despite his 6’4 build. He has good hands and solid actions at the position. He gets good reads off the bat and does especially well when coming in on the ball. If he does have to move off of shortstop, he should be a plus defender at third base. Offensively, Pratt’s approach at the plate was considered one of the best among all the high school selections. During his time on the tournament circuit, according to Baseball America, “Over a 668-pitch sample, Pratt had just a 12% overall miss rate and 17% chase rate. His miss rate falls to just 6% on pitches in the zone.” Those are fantastic numbers for a player his age. Pratt has a small leg kick and extremely quick hands. Those traits combine to form a smooth swing that keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time and allows him to hit the ball with some authority to all fields. Currently, Pratt is not providing too much in-game power. Still, his frame shows the potential to grow into much more, and evaluators say he is already showing it in batting practice, especially to the pull side. What to Work On: As mentioned, on the defensive side of the ball, a move to third base is still well within the range of possibilities for Pratt. The main reason he may not be able to stick at shortstop is that he struggles to move laterally at times. Going side to side is incredibly important at the shortstop position, but at third base, you don’t need that same level of range. It is something that a player can get better at by increasing their mobility, but a player of Pratt’s size will have a harder time making those improvements. At the plate, Pratt’s improvements are most likely to come in the form of adding power. Beyond that, simply adjusting to professional pitching will be the biggest thing for Pratt in 2024, as he did struggle with strikeouts in his pro debut, not to an extreme degree, but a bit more than his profile would suggest. Remember that the 26.6% swinging strike rate Pratt shows in his 54 PAs at the Complex level likely isn’t correct, as the pitch-by-pitch data at the rookie levels isn’t very accurate. What’s next: Pratt received Gunnar Henderson comps throughout the draft process, and it’s easy to see why, given his build and fluidity at that size. Henderson only hit one home run in his first 121 plate appearances in rookie ball, but he started tapping into his power during his first full season in pro ball, and the hope is that Pratt will do the same. Pratt’s assignment next season will likely depend on how he looks in spring. It seems most likely that he will stay in extended spring training for a while and then either be assigned back to the ACL Brewers or pushed to Low-A Carolina if he is showing what the Brewers hope to see. What do you think about Cooper Pratt? What are you hoping to see from him in 2024? Let us know in the comments! View full article

As far as I know, it’s pronounced BO-vee. That’s how I’ve been saying it, how the T-Rats broadcaster and PA announcer said it, and it looks like the Journal Sentinel reported it as BO-vee as well in their draft article

Just to clarify, I do believe that Joe Ayrault mentioned on one of the post game shows that Boeve was, in fact, injured and that was what caused the assignment. Probably just figured it wasn't worth a true designation at the very end of the season, and given that he was probably going to spend time in the Instructional League either way.

Agreed. I like Boeve quite a bit, and even listed him as a guy I thought the Brewers should draft and as someone I thought they would like quite a bit. But I think people got a little high on his ACL start and bumped him up way too far, way too fast.

Welcome back to Brewer Fanatic's 2023 top 20 prospect rundown! In this edition, we will be taking a deep dive look at Mike Boeve. Boeve comes in as the number ten prospect in the system, as voted on and compiled by the Brewer Fanatic community. Image courtesy of Omaha Baseball #10 IF Mike Boeve (Arizona League Brewers, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) The Brewers' second-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Boeve stood out as a player the franchise could have interest in. Even going back before the draft, he possessed some analytical traits that any team would like. The Brewers aren’t one of the franchises that are strictly model-based when making draft decisions, but they value them quite a bit, and Boeve was a model darling. What to Like: Boeve is the definition of what one would consider a “Moneyball” profile. He's not a “good-looking” player, but he's pretty good at everything he does. He was always known for making a lot of contact during his time at Nebraska-Omaha. He was actually hit by the same number of pitches in 2023 as his strikeout total, both of which were nine. That strikeout total resulted in a minuscule 4% strikeout rate, which paired extremely well with his 15.2% walk rate. While he struck out even less than he had in the past, he wasn't sacrificing any of his power to get the bat on the ball. Boeve’s contact quality also took a major step forward this past spring. Coming into the season, he was viewed as a bit of a punchless bat, but he hit his first ball over 110 mph in college during the 2023 season and posted a 90th percentile EV above 105 mph. His home run numbers actually dropped from eight in 2022 to four in 2023, but the quality of contact is more likely to translate to pro ball than his home run numbers. While he wasn’t putting up the exit velocity numbers of a future 40-home-run hitter, he showed that he is more than a punchless bat. After signing and reporting to the Arizona Complex League, Boeve posted wood bat exit velocities of up to 112 MPH in his few weeks down there. His build should also be able to add power to the profile as he gets stronger and continues to adjust to pro ball. What to Work On: Defensively, Boeve isn’t the most graceful-looking player on the infield, but he does appear to get good reads at third and second bases. His arm is around average for third and a little above average for second. He struggles at times with keeping his feet moving on grounders, especially when he is at second base. He was caught flat-footed and ended up fielding the ball off to his side more than a couple of times during his time with the Timber Rattlers. On the offensive side of the ball, as mentioned above, Boeve got off to an incredible start with the Arizona League Brewers, hitting four home runs in what essentially amounted to his first week's worth of games with the team. He was quickly promoted to High-A Wisconsin, completely passing by Carolina. He hit another home run in his first game with the Timber Rattlers but struggled to close out the season. While he had seen some higher velocity and good secondary pitches at times in college, he did play in a smaller conference at the NCAA level. He certainly hadn’t seen that level of stuff with such regularity as he did at High-A. The strikeout rate of nearly 21% in pro ball, compared to that measly 4% in college, illustrates the difference in the quality of pitchers he was seeing. Boeve has been said to be great at making adjustments, so it would not be a surprise to see things revert to somewhere in between the pro ball numbers and the college ones. What’s next: Overall, there are a lot of Tyler Black similarities at the plate, including his swing. Black is a much faster player than Boeve, but Boeve would get the nod on the defensive side of the ball. Given his struggles toward the end of the season, Boeve is a clear candidate to begin 2024 back at High-A Wisconsin. During his time there, he will most likely spend time at third and second bases as he continues to work through his footwork and consistency in the field. Boeve will be getting more reps against this higher-level pitching, and the Brewers hope to see him tap into more of his power. This could be tough to do, as the cold and the wind throughout the Midwest League in April and May can present a very tough-hitting environment, especially in terms of power output. As a college draft pick who moved quickly to High-A, early success next year could place him on a fast track up the minor league chain. We will learn more about Boeve in 2024, but he made a strong first impression. What are your thoughts on Boeve? What are you hoping to see from him in 2024? Let us know in the comments! View full article

Yeah, I had somewhat forgotten about the potential first round pick if he makes the OD roster and then win ROY. I am going to change my guess to Opening Day. The potential for an extra first is worth an incredible amount to a team like Milwaukee.

I have Moore about 15 spots lower than Boeve. I've been a big believer in him since before the draft, but I do agree with the premise on EBJ being a pretty easy choice over Boeve. I was pretty shocked by that one... Just don't agree with it at all. But a full breakdown on Boeve is forthcoming. The Top 10 all will have their own individual, deeper dives coming out over the next few weeks.

Agreed completely. My personal top 20 actually has EBJ 8th. I really like Boeve, but like you said, there’s a much higher floor with Brown due to the other things he does well.