Seth Stohs

What does that deal look like, and what does it mean for William Contreras?

In the second installment of this countdown of the top 20 Brewers player assets, we will dive into the choices for 11 through 15. If the Brewers want a championship-caliber roster, how might these players fit into the equation? Image courtesy of Anna Caton, Nashville Sounds (Gasser), Mike Krebs, Biloxi Shuckers (Quero), Jeff Hanisch, USA Today (Uribe) For a more through explanation on these rankings and how they are developed, check out Sunday's Part 1 introduction post. The short version: Which players currently in the Brewers organization are most crucial toward developing a championship-caliber team? To rank the Brewers players and prospects, we consider things like age, contract status, years of control, ceiling/potential, and more. Here is who ranked 16-20 in Part 1: 20. Brice Turang, 2B 19. Luis Lara, OF 18. Wade Miley, LHP 17. Garrett Mitchell, OF 16. Brock Wilken, 3B Now, let's get to our choices for numbers 11 through 15 on this year's list. 15. OF Joey Wiemer (24) Joey Wiemer has been a top prospect for the Brewers for the past couple of years and has been in the second half of the Top 100 prospect rankings. He was the Brewers fourth-round pick in 2020 out of the University of Cincinnati. The 6-4, 220-pound outfielder has big-time power potential, has plus speed, and plays tremendous defense wherever he is placed in the outfield. His best tool might be his powerful arm. Through his years in the minor leagues, his stats support his tools. He hit a ton of doubles and had over 20 homers in 2021 and 2022. He had 30 or more steals in both of those seasons. The one tool that Wiemer struggled with the most is the “Hit” tool, and that has been a more significant issue as he has moved up the ladder. In two levels of A-ball in 2021, he struck out 22%. In 2022, he played 84 games at Double-A and 43 at Triple-A. He struck out 27% of the time. In 132 games with the Brewers in 2023, he struck out 28% of the time. The big difference is in his walk rate. He walked well over 10% of the time in the minor leagues. He walked 8.8% of his plate appearances with the Brewers, but many of his at-bats were quick and lacked strike-zone control. It was a rough first season in the big leagues, but now Wiemer has a chance to work through it. Don’t forget, he still has power. He still has speed. He still plays excellent defense and has a strong arm. There is value in all of that. However, based on his minor-league track record, there is no reason to believe he can’t at least push his on-base percentage above .320 or even higher. 14. C Jeferson Quero (21) In the summer of 2019, the Milwaukee Brewers signed Venezuelan catching prospect Jeferson Quero to a $200,000 signing bonus. With the lost 2020 season, he didn’t make his professional debut until 2021, when he played 23 games in the Arizona Complex League. In 2022, he started the season by playing 75 games at Low-A Carolina and ended with 20 strong games at High-A Wisconsin. He added 15 more games in the Arizona Fall League. As a 20-year-old, in 2023, he hit .262/.339/.441 (.779) with 12 doubles and 16 home runs. After the season, he was added to the Brewers 40-man roster. Since then, the Brewers added Eric Haase to a major-league contract and veteran Austin Nola to a minor-league deal. Quero has been a Top 100 prospect the past couple of offseasons and is a consensus Top 50 prospect. As we know, catching is such an important position and can certainly be a position of attrition. So, having depth at the position is good. William Contreras is the starter and a perennial All-Star and team MVP candidate. Quero should get the bulk of playing time at Triple-A Nashville this season. Signing the veterans allows the front office to be patient with a very young backstop with a bright future. Quero is currently the #2 prospect per Brewer Fanatic. 13. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez (22) Carlos Rodriguez, the pitcher, was the Brewers sixth-round draft pick in 2021 after a season of junior college at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers. In 2022, he posted a 3.53 ERA in 19 games (13 starts) for Carolina. In 71 1/3 innings, he walked 27 and struck out 84 batters. He moved to High-A Wisconsin, where he made seven starts and went 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA. In 36 1/3 innings, he walked 13 and struck out 45 batters. The Brewers named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2022. In 2023, he began the season early and was the #1 starter for Team Nicaragua in the WBC. Rodriguez was born in Nicaragua, but his family moved to Miami when he was eight. He went to Miami Christian High School. When the regular season began, Rodriguez went to Double-A Biloxi, where he went 9-6 in 25 starts. He had a 2.77 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 152 strikeouts in 123 2/3 innings despite being more than three years younger than the average player in the Southern League. He ended the season with one start in Triple-A. He was named the Brewer Fanatic Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row, and again the Brewers choice for minor-league co-pitcher of the year with #12 on this list, Robert Gasser. Rodriguez is an interesting pitcher. He generally sits in the low 90s with his fastball, but he has hit 96 mph at times as well. He also throws a sinker and a cutter. He mixes and matches well with different speeds and movements on his pitches. Rodriguez is Brewer Fanatic's #7-ranked prospect. 12. LHP Robert Gasser (24) After a strong 2021 season at the University of Houston in which he posted a 2.63 ERA and had 105 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings, Gasser was the Padres second-round pick. He began the 2022 season at High-A Fort Wayne and was 4-9 with a 4.18 ERA in 18 starts. However, he had 115 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings. At that time, the Brewers traded Josh Hader to the Padres, and Gasser was a big piece in the return. Milwaukee has been very aggressive with him. They sent him to Double-A Biloxi, where he made four starts. His season ended with five starts for Triple-A Nashville. In 2023, he made 25 starts and one relief appearance, all for Nashville. He went 9-1 with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. And with those numbers, he was named the Brewers co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year. The southpaw throws a four-seam fastball in the low 90s and a two-seamer from a lower angle. He’s got a good cutter and has a sweeper and a changeup. He certainly profiles well as a starter. He will head to spring training with an opportunity to be in the starting rotation on Opening Day. We all know how important pitching is. Brewers fans have seen how valuable strong starting pitching can be in carrying a team. With Brandon Woodruff a free agent and no resolution to the Corbin Burnes situation, pitchers like Carlos Rodriguez and Robert Gasser are very important to the organization’s future. Gasser is Brewer Fanatic's #5-ranked prospect right now. 11. RH RP Abner Uribe (23) The Brewers signed Abner Uribe out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018 for a signing bonus of just $85,000. Blessed with a big arm, the Brewers have often been cautious with him. He pitched in just 12 games in 2018 and seven games in 2019. After the lost 2020 season, he worked in 17 games for Carolina in 2021. In 33 2/3 innings, he had 52 strikeouts but 25 walks. He then pitched in eight games in Arizona. In 2022, he pitched in just two games before injuring his knee. He had a torn meniscus and had surgery, which cost him the rest of his season. He did pitch in nine games in the Fall League and then was added to the 40-man roster. In 2023, he began at Biloxi. In 15 games, he was 1-0 with seven saves and a 1.80 ERA. In 15 innings, he struck out 28 and walked nine batters. In mid-June, he was moved to Triple-A Nashville and worked eight innings over seven games. He had 13 strikeouts and seven walks. Three weeks later, Uribe was called up to the Brewers. He worked in 32 games for the Brewers and had a 1.76 ERA. In 30 2/3 innings, he gave up just 16 hits, walked 20 batters, and struck out 39 batters. He gave up runs in just three of his first 30 appearances. Blessed with a fastball that touches 102-103, Uribe has some of the most electric stuff in baseball. His sinker averaged 99.5 mph in the big leagues. He also has a devastating slider. As you can see, he can rack up strikeouts in a hurry. However, he also can put guys on base via walk quite often. He doesn't give up many hits, so he can be very effective. Indeed, he will need to throw more strikes. If that can happen, he has the potential to be among the best closers in the league. Until then, he can set up Devin Williams. That’s all for today’s installment of five players. In the coming days, I will return and continue the countdown with our picks for numbers 6 to 10. For now, let me know what you think of the choices for 11-20. Would you rearrange any of them? Do any of them jump out to you? To recap, here is the first installment of this year's top 20 player assets lists: 20. Brice Turang, 2B 19. Luis Lara, OF 18. Wade Miley, LHP 17. Garrett Mitchell, OF 16. Brock Wilken, 3B 15. Joey Wiemer, OF 14. Jeferson Quero, C 13. Carlos F. Rodriguez, RHP 12. Robert Gasser, LHP 11. Abner Uribe, RH RP View full article

On this Brewers Spotlight, we shine the light on Brewers relief pitcher prospect Shane Smith. He was the Brewer Fanatic 2023 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. His story is interesting and one can't help but wish him health and success. After a solid high school career, he went to Wake Forest. Unfortunately, over three seasons there, he pitched a total of just 10 1/3 innings. He had a shoulder injury and redshirted his first season. He had taken over the role of closer for the Demon Deacons and was pitching well when Covid shut down the season. He began the following season as a starter but hurt his elbow and needed Tommy John surgery. Then he and his family made an interesting decision, and based on a strong return in 2023, it's looking like the right one! View full video

On an all-new Brewers Spotlight show, I was joined by Brewers minor-league reliever Shane Smith. Prospect status and player development are not linear, and it sure hasn’t been for Smith. But he had a breakout season in 2023, spending time between the Carolina Mudcats and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and ending the year at Double-A with the Biloxi Shuckers. Image courtesy of Neal Hock, Carolina Mudcats Shane Smith grew up in Danvers, Massachusetts, and he attended The Governor’s Academy in Byfield. In his school, he was successful on the football field and the basketball court, but he really stood out on the baseball diamond. While he had some offers to play football in college, he decided early to attend Wake Forest University. Interestingly, his dad played baseball at George Washington, where his coach was Tom Walter. That same Tom Walter is now beginning his 15th season as the head coach at Wake Forest. Unfortunately, as a freshman in 2019, he hurt his shoulder, had surgery, and had to use a redshirt season. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, he became the team’s closer early in the season. Unfortunately, that season was cut short due to Covid. In 2021, he moved to the starting rotation. He made two starts before an elbow injury, and Tommy John surgery ended that season. What was their sales pitch? “Take a chance. You could say my arm is low mileage because of the innings,” Smith said with a chuckle. At that point, Smith and his family had a choice. Stay at Wake Forest, rehab the elbow, and hope to play in 2023. Or, he could make it known to teams that he wanted to turn pro, rehab with professional coaches, and see how it goes. Well, that’s what he did, and with just 10 1/3 innings of work in college over the three previous seasons, it was a lot of work. What was his sales pitch? On July 20, 2021, just a week after the draft's conclusion, the Milwaukee Brewers offered him a contract, and Smith happily signed. He continued to work very hard in rehab and recovery, but in late 2022, he pitched in three innings (over three games) in the Arizona Complex League. It may seem minor, but it was important for him to know that he could pitch again before heading to an offseason. When he went to Arizona for spring training in 2023, he was excited to get on the mound again and join a team. The season, frankly, couldn’t have gone any better for him. Regardless of the numbers, he was able to stay healthy. There were certainly restrictions. For instance, not once did he pitch on back-to-back days, but that’s just smart with a 23-year-old with a strong arm and a 6-4 frame. He began the season with 19 games at Low-A Carolina, where he went 4-3 with four saves, a 2.59 ERA, and a 1.05 WHIP. In 31 1/3 innings, he walked 10 and struck out 50 batters. That earned him a promotion to High-A Wisconsin, where he was even better. He went 3-1 with six saves. He posted a 1.37 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP. In 26 1/3 innings, he had 10 walks to go with 34 strikeouts. Finally, he ended the season with two scoreless innings at Double-A Biloxi. Not a bad run at all. He tossed a total of 59 2/3 innings. He had 86 strikeouts (13.0 K/9) with just 21 walks (3.2 BB/9). He kept the ball in the ballpark (0.8 HR/9) and didn’t allow many hits (5.4 H/9). It's fair to say he was the easy call as the Brewer Fanatic Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. For more articles on this site that Shane Smith has been tagged in, click here. Smith ended the year with a couple of outings in the Arizona Fall League. Chatting with and getting to know minor leaguers and their stories and backgrounds is always fun. It’s also obvious when talking to someone who truly loves the game and knows it because he’s had to miss so much time. Join me in the comments below to wish him good health and success in 2024! Here is a quick look at the timeline of our Brewers Spotlight conversation. This interview is just over an hour, so be sure to come back and listen to more of it as you have time. Check out this and other videos here. 1:45: Earliest memories on the baseball diamond. 4:10: Did you play other sports in high school? 6:35: How good were your high school baseball teams? Did you play in the regional or national types of events? Did you play other positions? 11:10: When did you commit to Wake Forest, and what was your recruitment process? What made Wake Forest the right choice for you? 15:00: What was your major or area of study going into college? 17:50: What was the transition between high school and college, especially after missing that 2019 season with an injury? 20:40: Coaching staff at Wake Forest as well as their pitching lab? 24:30: The emotions of blowing out his elbow for him and his family. 26:00: The process of rehabbing, signing with the Brewers, and finding an interested team. What were the conversations like? What were the selling points? 28:00: The story of hearing from the Brewers about signing and more emotions. 34:00: Going into the 2023 season, what were the goals and limitations, and what was it like to get out of Arizona and to the full-season leagues? 36:20: Dominated in Wisconsin. 38:45: Ended in Biloxi. He is now where he likely would have been (most likely) had he just been drafted and healthy in 2021. Was that a goal or even a stretch goal heading into the season? 41:15: Setting Goals vs. compartmentalizing the goals and the season. 43:30: What numbers or stats do you look at? How do you use any analytics from the team? 45:50: I asked Shane to bring a baseball, and we discussed his variety of pitches, looking at the grips and what goes into the development of those pitches and new pitches. (For real, he wasn’t flipping me off.) 53:45: What was your Arizona Fall League experience? 54:50: Who are the key people in your support system and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? 57:15: How do you get away from the game, in-season or off-season? 59:20: What do you listen to, music or podcasts? 1:01:35: You grew up a Red Sox fan. Who were your favorite players and teams? Thank you so much to Shane Smith for answering our questions so thoroughly and thoughtfully. View full article

Which players provide the Brewers with the most value? Not solely in terms of production on the field, but which players are most important to the future of the ball club. We’ll try to answer that question over the next few days. Read on for the first installment, in which we'll explain the concept and profile the players I ranked numbers 16 through 20. Image courtesy of Carlos Hurtado (photo of Wilken), Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports (Mitchell), Jovanny Hernandez-USA Today (Turang) One of my favorite baseball-writing series at Twins Daily that I have enjoyed the last half-dozen years is Nick Nelson’s annual Top 20 Minnesota Twins Player Assets of the Year. Recently, Nick completed the four-part series. I thought it would be fun to bring that series to Brewers Fanatics. Over the coming days, I’ll share my thoughts on the Top 20 Milwaukee Brewers Assets, and I welcome your feedback and thoughts on each list. Since I’m stealing the series idea from Nick, I might as well use his words to define the list. How do you measure an “asset,” and how should players be ranked? This isn’t a prospect ranking. This isn’t a best-player ranking. But it considers minor leaguers and big leagues. “The idea of this exercise is to take stock of the organization's talent through the scope of team-building. The goal is to answer this question: Which current players in the organization are most indispensable to fulfilling the vision of building a champion? We account for age, contract, controllability, upside, etc. It's not strictly a ranking of trade value because that would be more team-agnostic, whereas this list aims to capture a very Brewers-specific point of view. As such, players in areas of scarcity get elevated, while those in areas of abundance get downgraded a bit. I always find compiling this list to be an interesting offseason pastime–one that brings to the surface unique conversations about the players, how we value them, and where the system's strengths and weaknesses truly lie.” As I worked on creating this list, I looked at the same factors as those mentioned above - age, team control, contract status, and more. This is an intriguing list because there is such a variety. How do you rank an MLB Top 100 hitting prospect who isn’t on the 40-man roster compared to a multi-time All-Star pitcher who could be traded at any time? In other words, we may need to update this list in another month. 20. 2B Brice Turang (24) Brice Turang grew up in southern California. The son of a former big leaguer (Brian Turang), Turang made a name for himself early. He represented Team USA on the 15U and 18U levels. In 2018, he was the Brewers first-round pick, 21st overall. His rise through the organization was slow but steady. He reached Triple-A in 2021 despite losing the 2020 season. After an entire season at Nashville in 2023, Turang made the Brewers Opening Day roster. Granted, he hit just .218/.285/.300 (.585, 62 OPS+) with nine doubles, three triples, and six home runs. He looked utterly lost at times, but that isn’t unusual for any player in his rookie season. His OPS in his full season at Triple-A was .772. If Turang can get his OPS up over .700 and continue to play terrific defense at second base, he can be a 2-3 WAR player for a few seasons. If he were to move over to shortstop at some point, his value would be even a little higher. He also has good speed and instincts. That’s evident with his range in the infield and his baserunning. He was 26-for-30 in steal attempts, and if he gets on base more, he should steal even more bases in the future. Should he remain with the Brewers and in the big leagues, he will have two more pre-arbitration years followed by four arbitration years. 19. OF Luis Lara (19) No, he’s not Jackson Chourio. However, there are enough similarities to make Luis Lara one of the most intriguing prospects in the organization. Like Chourio, Lara was pushed up to Low-A Carolina very quickly, early in April, at 18, just 15 months after the Brewers signed him out of Venezuela with a $1.1 million bonus. Despite being about three years younger than the average player in the Carolina League, he hit a very solid .285/.379/.354 (.733) with 11 doubles and two home runs. As the Brewers have done with other prospects they are high on; they had Lara finish the season with about three weeks in High-A Wisconsin (where he was over four years younger than the league average). He hit .290/.351/.377 (.727) with two doubles and two triples in 17 games. That is where he will begin the 2024 season, a complete season he will play as a teenager. In 2023, Lara had 30 stolen bases. He’s got great speed and plays strong defense. He doesn’t have power at this point, but he has excellent plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, especially for a player so young. A year from now, Lara could be a top ten player on this list, or we could look back and smile at his inclusion near the bottom. 18. Wade Miley (37) Easily the oldest player on this list, Wade Miley quickly signed this offseason to remain with the Brewers after going 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts last year for Milwaukee. A former first-round pick, Miley has over 12 years of service time since 2011. He has played for eight big league teams and spent the 2018 season with the Brewers. While Miley may not be a part of the long-term Brewers plan, there is also a mutual option for 2025. If he can do what he did in 2023, the Brewers will certainly pick up their half of the option. The expectations for Miley are what they are. In 120 1/3 innings in 2023, he had just 79 strikeouts. However, he walked just 38 batters and limited damage. With several unknowns surrounding the Brewers' starting staff in 2024 (Will Burnes be traded, and who will be healthy?), the team will need Miley to give them a chance every fifth day, even if that means five and dive. 17. Garrett Mitchell (25) Had this list been made a year ago, Garrett Mitchell likely would have ranked several places higher. He had been called up for his MLB debut in late August of 2022. He was a spark plug for the Brewers down the stretch. In 28 games, he hit .311/.373/.459 (.832) with three doubles and three home runs. On April 4th, Mitchell slugged two home runs, including one against Max Scherzer. Then on April 5th, he did this: He was 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts and used great speed to make big plays in center field. Unfortunately, on April 19, he went on the 60-Day Injured List with a left shoulder injury. He returned to the Brewers and played in three of the team’s final four games. Sometimes, player rankings of any sort come down to intangibles, and frankly, this is hard to top: Mitchell’s best tools are his speed and defense. His history says he should hit for some average and get on base. He has two more years of pre-arbitration and three years of arbitration. However, Christian Yelich is going to be around for a long time. Jackson Chourio and his new contract will handle a spot in the outfield for years. Sal Frelick should remain the third outfield starter for years. Joey Wiemer and Blake Perkins are in the organization. Tyrone Taylor was traded recently. Could Mitchell or Wiemer be dealt for pitching or as part of a more significant return for Corbin Burnes? 16. Brock Wilken (21) A year ago at this time, Brock Wilken and his Wake Forest teammates were beginning practice for a season that saw them reach the College World Series. They beat Stanford and LSU before losing twice to the eventual champion LSU Tigers. In July, the Brewers made the slugging third baseman the 18th overall pick in the 2023 draft. He posted a .983 OPS and hit 17 homers in 47 games as a freshman in 2021. In 2022, he posted a .964 OPS with 23 homers in 60 games. In 66 college games in 2023, he hit .345/.506/.807 (1.313) with 15 doubles, 31 homers and 82 RBI. A solid all-around hitter, he had 69 walks to 58 strikeouts. After signing with the Brewers, Wilken spent about a week in Arizona shaking off the rust. He moved to High-A Wisconsin for about six weeks before ending the season with a week playing for Double-A Biloxi. In 47 combined professional games, he hit .285/.414/.473 (.887) with eight doubles, four triples, and five home runs. The assumption is that Wilken is going to mash wherever he is. The key question will be, can he play third base well enough? Depending on that answer, the question becomes, how quickly can he get to Milwaukee? There’s no reason to think he couldn’t be in the big leagues by midseason. To recap, here is the first installment of this year's top 20 player assets lists: 20. Brice Turang, 2B 19. Luis Lara, OF 18. Wade Miley, LHP 17. Garrett Mitchell, OF 16. Brock Wilken, 3B Check back. In the coming days, I will return and continue the countdown with our picks for numbers 11 to 15. For now, let me know what you think of this group. View full article

Here we are, on the final day of 2023. Hopefully it has been a quality, successful year for you and your friends and family. It also means that we have reached our Top 5 most-viewed articles at Brewer Fanatic. Be sure to discuss these articles and share your Top 5 or Top 10 Brewers stories of 2023. Image courtesy of Mike Krebs, Biloxi Shuckers As always, I'm often surprised by the articles that are most successful or receive the most views. Even in the group below, you'll find some articles and not be surprised how well it would do. Others might surprise you by their randomness. More questions on the manager. Trade deadlines always create excitement. In the top 25, there were several mentions of Jackson Chourio (no surprise), but the #1 article involves another Brewers prospect with tremendous talent who should see a lot of time in the big leagues in 2024. Enjoy this list. Feel free to discuss your favorite topics of the year. Add in your ranking of the top Brewers stories of the year. And Happy New Year to you and your families! #5 So, Uh, What Happened to Sal Frelick Playing Center Field? by Matthew Trueblood Aug 7 When the Brewers acquired Mark Canha at the trade deadline, the assumption was that he would play a lot of right field and Sal Frelick would be in center field. That was the assumption because that was what manager Craig Counsell said following the trade. However, a week after the deal, Canha had played two games in left field and three games as the DH. He played one inning in right field. Sal Frelick was still playing mostly in right field with Joey Wiemer spending time in center. Over the final two months, Canha made 17 starts at DH, 14 starts in left field, 12 starts in right field, and even four starts at first base. #4 Counsell’s Confusing Late-Game Decisions Sink the Brewers by Tim Muma Sept 6 Part of the beauty of baseball, and to some degree what can make a site or forum fun, is the fact that it’s the easiest sport for second guessing. That’s even more true late in the season in a pennant race. This article came after a particularly tough loss in early September. The Brewers had only a 2 1/2 game lead. Tim looks at a few situations in which the decisions that Craig Counsell made did not work out which leads to the second-guessing. Bullpen usage. Lineup choices, and then pinch hitting choices. #3 A Fond Goodbye to a Few Brewers Who Will be Left Behind Next Week by Matthew Trueblood Sept 30 As the regular season was wrapping down, the Brewers’ lead in the NL Central was increasing and their spot in the playoffs was assured. That means that it was time to start thinking about the playoff roster. And also which players would not be on the playoff roster. The best story of the season had to be the MLB debut of Wisconsin native Caleb Boushley. His debut couldn’t have gone better. But he wasn’t going to be on the playoff roster and was removed from the 40-man roster after the season. There were several other decisions that needed to be made as well. #2 The Blockbuster Brewers Trade Possibility No One is Talking About by Matthew Trueblood July 31 As the trade deadline was approaching, Matt proposed an intriguing trade target for the Brewers. It certainly wasn’t a name that was being mentioned much around the league. We weren’t sure if the Padres were buyers or sellers, or really even what they should be. Had the Padres been sellers (they probably should have been, but they weren’t), other names such as Juan Soto, Josh Hader and Yu Darvish were often discussed as potential targets. However, this suggested player might have had the biggest impact on the Brewers down the stretch, and maybe more importantly, for the next several years too. #1 It’s Time To Push One Brewers Veteran Aside in Favor of a Young Slugger by Jake McKibbin Aug 30 As teams reach the last month of the season, and the playoffs are within reach, teams and their fans start thinking about how they can either provide a spark to their team or fill a hole down the stretch. That is the case with this fantastic article from Jake. Third base was a question mark, and veteran Brian Anderson just wasn’t getting things done. Andruw Monasterio did a very solid job with the bat and his defense was terrific. He was able to play some second base as well. Down in Nashville, former first-round pick Tyler Black was playing well in his short time since his promotion. His defense at the hot corner was improving. His approach at the plate was very solid. In 84 games at Biloxi, he hit .273/.412/.513 (.925). In 39 games for Nashville, he hit .310/.428/.514 (.942). In 123 combined games, he hit 25 doubles, 12 triples, and 18 home runs. In addition, he had 55 stolen bases in 67 attempts. He wasn’t called up to the Brewers at the end of last season, but he should be given every opportunity to make the Opening Day roster in 2024. If you missed any of the articles from this series, click here: Part 1 (21-25) Part 2 (16-20) Part 3 (11-15) Part 4 (6-10) Part 5 (1-5) View full article

Find out which articles ranked sixth through tenth among most-viewed articles at Brewer Fanatic in 2023. As the countdown continues, start thinking about what stories or events from the 2023 season you would rank in your personal Top 5 or Top 10. Image courtesy of Mike Krebs, Biloxi Shuckers Happy Day before New Year's Eve Day! Today we share part four of this series on the most-viewed articles. Today we enter the top ten. Again, it is fun to see the randomness of the viewership of articles. But today we've got articles on the top prospect in the organization and others who also have high ceilings. A look back at a controversial trade to see if it might just have been a good trade in the long term. It's obviously always fun to start thinking playoff odds and rosters. Those articles generate excitement about the team and conversation about roster makeup. Let's jump into it now. #10 Jackson Chourio Extension Report Realigns the Brewers Outfield Picture by Matthew Trueblood Nov 29 News came out that the Brewers and phenom Jackson Chourio were talking long-term contract extension. Before the deal was actually signed, Matt wrote about many of the questions that it brings to the table. Could Christian Yelich move to first base? Tyrone Taylor has already been traded. Could other talented, young outfielders be dealt? Should the team feel obligated to have Chourio be on the Opening Day roster, or can (or should) he get a little bit more time in Triple A. He will turn 20 during spring training. Clearly if Chourio is on the roster, he needs to play. He won’t be called up to sit on the bench. If he and Yelich are two-thirds of the outfield, who fills the third starting spot, or could there be a platoon option? Does Chourio need to play center field, or could they move him over to right field right away? These are all great questions that we will get answers to in March, and April, and May… #9 The Josh Hader Trade May Have Hurt in 2022 but Its Present & Future are Bright by Harold Hutchison Oct 14 It’s always important at the trade deadline to realize that, typically, one of the teams is dealing for now while the other is dealing for later. There is some overlap, especially with mid-market teams. That’s the case with the August 1, 2022,trade that sent Josh Hader to the Padres. Hader had really been struggling and was going to start getting very expensive in arbitration. Devin Williams was certainly ready to take over the ninth inning. The Brewers received veterans Taylor Rogers and Dinelson Lamet in return. Rogers struggled some but received a three-year, $33 million deal this offseason. Lamet was released right away by the Brewers. Milwaukee also received outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz and lefty Robert Gasser. Ruiz was dealt to the A’s as part of the three team deal that brought William Contreras and Joel Payamps to the Brewers. Gasser pitched well for Triple-A Nashville and was named co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2023. So did that deal cost the Brewers a spot in the 2022 playoffs, or did it help them to a playoff spot and division title in 2023? Or both? I’ll let you decide. #8 Jackson Chourio isn’t the Only High Ceiling in the Brewers Farm System by Jake McKibbin Dec 1 First things first. Jackson Chourio’s ceiling is at a completely different level than most prospects not named Holliday. But the Brewers do have several prospects that may be recently signed or drafted that do have high ceilings as well, if things go right. There are a couple of very intriguing pitchers and more hitters too. Who knows how they will pan out, but it’s fun to read about those high ceiling guys and dream of what could be. #7 It’s Clear Who Craig Counsell Wants on the Bench in October by Matthew Trueblood Sept 8 Playing time early in the season can tell us some things, but it’s more about development and providing opportunities. However, as a potential playoff team will start playing things a little differently. Players who played most everyday early in the season might only be used as a defensive replacement or a pinch runner. In doing so, you can even more clearly tell who the manager doesn’t want on the bench in October. #6 The Brewers’ Playoff Odds and Going Through the Roof by Matthew Trueblood Aug 21 Around the trade deadline, things were quite tight in the National League standings. Things were tight in the NL Central, but also there were lots of teams still alive in the Wild Card race. The Brewers had a nice two-week run and pushed their odds of making the playoffs up to over 88% and their chances of winning the NL Central to over 72% In addition, this is about the time that fans dove into Brewers Fanatic as well which made that final six weeks of the season very exciting for all of us. If you missed a previous article in this series, click here: Part 1 (21-25) Part 2 (16-20) Part 3 (11-15) Part 4 (6-10) Part 5 (1-5) - Coming Tomorrow! View full article

We have reached the 11th through 15th most-viewed articles of 2023. This is an interesting and diverse set of articles that should bring back some memories and provide plenty to think about. Image courtesy of © MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK Today's grouping of five popular 2023 Brewer Fanatic articles has a wide range of topics. Of course, there is some talk about the managerial job and search. But today is also a good reminder that there are very few givens in the game of baseball. We have an article on a player who was highly-touted and made a strong first impression, but three years later, he's out of the organization. Another top prospect debuted and had some extreme struggles. And a veteran joined the roster very late in the season with a ton of question marks and concerns. However, we begin today with a trade that will be awfully difficult to replicate in terms of its success. #15 3 William Contreras Trade-Style Moves the Brewers Could Make by Ryan Pollak Dec 14 William Contreras and Joel Payamps received. Esteury Ruiz traded. The Brewers were the beneficiary of the Atlanta Braves and Oakland A’s needing another team to complete their Sean Murphy deal last winter. Contreras was the team’s MVP. Payamps was a valuable arm near the back end of the Brewers bullpen. Ruiz finally got an opportunity to play with the A’s and led the league with 67 stolen bases. But that is a trade that Brewers fans would take every single time. But can it be repeated this offseason? Ryan mentions three trades and four names of players that might fit a similar category along with what those deals might potentially look like. #14 The Rise and Fall of Keston Hiura by Bryce Naughton Sept 6 This is a perfect title for this particular article. Keston Hiura was the Brewers first-round pick in 2017, ninth overall, out of UC-Irvine. He flew through the minor leagues and made his debut with the Crew less than two years later, on May 14, 2019. In 84 games that year, he hit .303/.368/.570 (.938) with 23 doubles and 19 home runs. Sure, he struck out in 30.7% of his plate appearances, but with this kind of production, and his youth, he was intriguing as a big part of the team’s future. In the strike-shortened 2020 season, he played in 59 of the Brewers 60 games and hit just .212, though he did have 13 home runs. He led the league in strikeouts. The shine was no longer on Hiura. He moved over to first base due to his poor defense. In 2021, he played in just 61 games and hit just .168 with four homers. He struck out over 39% of his times at the plate. In 80 games in 2022, he hit .226/.316/.449 (.765) with 15 homers, but he struck out almost 42% of the time and provided no defensive value. He was DFAd and cleared waivers. So in 2023, he played in 85 games for Triple-A Nashville and hit .308/.395/.500 (.960) with 12 doubles and 23 home runs. He struck out about 25% of the time. The Brewers had a need for offense, and issues at first base. Hiura’s numbers probably warranted a promotion but he didn’t receive it. In early October, he became a free agent. Quick rise, and equally quick fall. Hiura is now 27, so someone should give him a shot on a minor-league deal. Obviously Bryce went much deeper than I just did, but it is such an interesting story. #13 What’s Eating Joey Wiemer? by Jason Wang Aug 25 Brewers fans eagerly anticipated the big-league debut of Joey Wiemer. He was a top three prospect of the Brewers the past couple of seasons. The 2020 fourth-round pick from Cincinnati is a big, strong, athletic player who put up good power and speed numbers throughout the minor leagues. But in 132 games as a rookie, Wiemer hit just .204/.283/.362 with 19 doubles and 13 home runs. He had 36 walks, but he had 116 strikeouts. Those are just the numbers. Jason did some great digging and looked at video, Statcast data and more to try to figure out why Wiemer struggled at the plate so much and what he might be able to do to improve upon his rookie numbers. Fortunately, Wiemer is a terrific outfielder defensively with a strong arm and can find value, but improving his offensive game gives him a chance to be a full-time regular. #12 Josh Donaldson Represents the Final Test of Superstar Manager Craig Counsell by Matthew Trueblood Sept 11 Even during the season, Brewers fans knew that manager Craig Counsell would be a free agent at season’s end. The Brewers led the NL Central, but they were never really able to run away with it. Needing infield help, Matt Arnold signed 37-year-old veteran Josh Donaldson, just days after the Yankees released him. By signing him to a minor-league deal on August 31st, he was eligible to play for the team in the playoffs if needed. Of course, Donaldson comes to any new clubhouse with some baggage. Sure, he hit just .142 with the Yankees before his release, but most fans (and maybe even Brewers personnel), were more worried about the effect he might have on the clubhouse. Honestly, it could go either way. He was called up on September 11th. There were no issues with Donaldson (at least nothing publicly) in the clubhouse. Of course, in 17 games, he hit just .169/.290/.390 (.680) with four doubles and three homers. He went 2-for-7 in the Brewers playoff sweep by the Diamondbacks. #11 Brewers Manager Search Young and Hungry with Fresh Eyes by Tim Muma Nov 10 Once Craig Counsell signed with the Cubs, the Brewers had a huge decision in front of them. Who would be the next manager of the Milwaukee Brewers? There were several really strong options within the organization, and ultimately that is the direction that Matt Arnold chose to go. Bench coach Pat Murphy was named manager and Rickie Weeks was announced as associate manager. However, Tim suggested five potential managers from outside the organization. And, now Brewers fans can compare how Murphy/Weeks do, and how those options do over their career. If you missed a previous article in this series, click here: Part 1 (21-25) Part 2 (16-20) Part 3 (11-15) Part 4 (6-10) - Coming Tomorrow! View full article

Today we start reviewing our Top 20 most-viewed articles of 2023 with articles 16-20. Lots of outfield talk, and positivity about transactions. Image courtesy of Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports In today's set of five oft-viewed articles from 2023, there are several interesting topics. 2024 rotation ideas? Trade targets? The outfield situation? Matt Arnold's first year.... Read on and at the end be sure to take a few minutes to note your thoughts on these topics. Maybe your opinion has changed over time. #20 Robert Gasser and the Brewers 2024 Rotation Plans by Matthew Trueblood Dec 6 Robert Gasser was the 2nd round pick of the Padres in 2021 out of the University of Houston. The southpaw was part of the return the Brewers received in the 2022 trade of Josh Hader. In 2023, he spent the full season at Triple-A Nashville. In 25 starts, he went 9-1 with a 3.79 ERA. In 135 1/3 innings, he had 50 walks and an impressive 166 strikeouts. He and Carlos Rodriguez were named co-Brewers Minor League Pitchers of the Year. Could Gasser debut out of the Brewers, like Corbin Burnes did? Or, might the Adrian Houser trade last week open up a spot in the rotation for the lefty? #19 Brewers Trade Target Eloy Jimenez by Matthew Trueblood Dec 8 The Brewers have remained fairly busy throughout the offseason, yet they haven’t yet made a big splash. The team could certainly use some right-handed power. With the White Sox seemingly looking to unload almost anyone, could there be a match that would bring Eloy Jimenez to the Crew? The Brewers have Christian Yelich in left field. Jackson Chourio signed an historic long-term contract and should be in center field soon, if not on Opening Day. The Brewers already have highly-touted young players Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell and Joey Wiemer. Ultimately, Jimenez’s best defensive position is certainly DH. #18 What’s Happened to Christian Yelich by Jake McKibbin Sept 4 In the first half of the 2023 season, Christian Yelich had returned to form. Not MVP form, but a return to being a great player form. He was hitting the ball hard. He was hitting the ball in the air a bit more. At one point, we had articles being written on whether Yelich should be the frontrunner for Comeback Player of the Year. Then came August. His launch angle dropped. His hard-hit percentage dropped. His expected Slugging Percentage plummeted. Fortunately in September, his OPS jumped back up to .817. It was a solid 2023 season for Yelich. In 144 games, he hit .278/.370/.447 (.818) with 34 doubles and 19 home runs. He was even 28-for-31 in stolen base attempts. It was the first time he had posted an OPS over .800 since 2018 and 2019, his MVP and MVP runner-up seasons. #17 The Milwaukee Brewers’ Matt Arnold Era is Already Glorious by Matthew Trueblood Sept 17 When David Stearns left the Brewers organization after seven seasons at the helm, the reins were turned over to Matt Arnold who worked directly with Stearns his entire tenure. The article discusses several moves made by Arnold - not Stearns - that helped make the Brewers the top team in the division in 2023. First and foremost was the acquisition of catcher William Contreras and reliever Joel Payamps for essentially nothing to help facilitate the Sean Murphy trade between Atlanta and Oakland. He added Carlos Santana and Mark Canha at the trade deadline and both had huge moments down the stretch. Julio Teheran was brought in when the Brewers needed arms and innings. Even the addition of Josh Donaldson late in the season paid off. Sure, the Andrew Chafin addition didn’t help, and he’s not going to ‘hit’ .900 every season, but Brewers’ fans should feel comfortable knowing Matt Arnold is in charge. #16 Who Should Emerge as the Brewers’ Top Outfielders in 2024? by Matthew Trueblood Oct 28 Which Christian Yelich will we see in 2024? When will Jackson Chourio be ready? The Brewers already traded Tyrone Taylor to the Mets. That leaves one regular, starting outfield spot for high-ceiling prospects Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Wiemer. Blake Perkins, who is fantastic defensively, is certainly a candidate for a role. The Brewers also added Chris Roller to their 40-man roster earlier this offseason. With Yelich and four players who have been Top 100 global prospects over the past couple of years, who will emerge? More to come tomorrow, but if you missed a previous edition: Part 1 (21-25) Part 2 (16-20) Part 3 (11-15) - Coming Tomorrow! View full article

Here we are in the final days of 2023. It's been an interesting year for the Milwaukee Brewers and their fans. Let's look back at some of the key stories of the year and reflect on the good and the bad. Image courtesy of Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK Brewer Fanatic, in its current form, began in March of 2022. So, we thought it might be fun to take a look back at the Top 25 articles of 2023. It is also a fun way to look back at the 2023 Brewers season through the lens article engagement over the year. What were the popular topics at various themes throughout the season? The Brewers returned to the playoffs, but there were also several areas of disappointment, injuries and even a managerial change. #25 The Brewers Should Swap Luis Urias and Abraham Toro Right Away by Matthew Trueblood June 17 Infielder Luis Urias was a breakout player of sorts in 2022. After playing in the WBC, there was reason for some excitement about his prospects for 2023. However, on Opening Day, a leg injury put him on the Injured List. When this article came out, Urias had been back in the lineup for about two weeks and looked completely lost at the plate. It isn’t as if Abraham Toro was tearing things up in Nashville, but he was at taking pitches and drawings walks, something few Brewers were doing at that time. #24 3 Affordable Free Agent First Basemen for the Brewers by Jason Wang Dec 1 Simply put, the Brewers needed more from their first basemen in 2023. The guys who manned that position are no longer in the organization, replaced at this point by Jake Bauers (who the Yankees were about to non-tender). They must plan to add another first base option to at least split time with Bauers, right? In this article, find three free agent options that remain available that could fit. The Brewers may be pursuing a higher-caliber option, but if those options decide to play elsewhere, maybe one of these three will find their way onto the 2024 Brewers roster. #23 The Craig Counsell Situation is Coming to a Head by Matthew Trueblood Oct 26 When David Stearns left the Brewers organization in the able hands of Matt Arnold, rumors were already circling. While he claimed he wasn’t going to the Mets, he ultimately took the lead job in New York. That continued already-circulating rumors that Craig Counsell could follow him to Shea Stadium. Once the Brewers playoff run ended, there was no surprised that Counsell met with the Mets. He also met with the Guardians about potentially replacing future Hall of Famer Terry Francona. Would he be considered for manager vacancies in San Francisco or Houston? Ultimately, a team came almost out of nowhere to sign Counsell. #22 Rowdy Tellez is Demanding More Game Time by Jake McKibbin (Sept 5) As mentioned above, first base was an issue for the Brewers in 2023. A big reason was a long-term injury to Rowdy Tellez, who had 35 homers in 2022 and just 13 in 2023. In early September, he was starting to put together better plate appearances and hitting the ball harder. In seven late-August games after coming back, he hit .313/.429/.563 with a double, homer, and four walks. However, in September, he played in 19 games but made just 10 starts. He hit .189/.262/.216 with a double. And, after the season, he was non-tendered and has since signed with the Pirates. #21 Craig Counsell Leaves Brewers: Why Did He Go, and Who Should Replace Him? By Jake McKibbin (Nov 7) When news broke that Craig Counsell was leaving the Brewers to become the next manager of the Chicago Cubs last month, there was some genuine shock around the baseball world, but especially among Brewers fans. The Cubs hadn’t been mentioned. Then again, they didn’t have to ask permission to talk to Counsell because they waited until his contract with the Brewers expired at the end of October. This is an interesting look at potential managers to consider and reasons beyond the financial (which was obviously a huge factor) for Counsell to have left. We shall return tomorrow and jump into the Top 20 articles of this year. Share your thoughts on these articles or topics. View full article

I'm 100% on board with spelling out that the 1B running line is. Hopefully it eliminates some of those bad calls when the runner is nearing first base. I'm fine with the when a pitcher warms up, he needs to face a batter rule... Only happened 24 times during the year, so incredibly minor, but it does make sense. I love the pitch clock, but I tend to agree with the players on reducing it from 20 seconds to 18 seconds. Take the huge gains from 2023... and let them ride into 2024. Learn more about the impact on injury (if any). But also, 2 seconds games 250 pitches in a game (made up randomish number)... 500 seconds equals 6 1/2 minutes... Is it worth it?

Like others, I'm confused. Houser isn't great, but he's a #4/5 starter who, when healthy, could eat 130-140 innings. Taylor's a very solid #4 outfielder who can start as needed. I get there are dollars, but this has to have something else coming, right?

The area scout told me that he knew Pratt would sign and wanted to sign all along, but there definitely was a sense around the league that he might be a tough sign.

See part 1...

Last week, we shared Part 1 of Brewers Spotlight with Cooper Pratt. In it, we discussed his amateur playing days leading up to the MLB Draft in July. In Part 2, we talk more baseball, but you will also get a chance to see the personality of Pratt. Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Soon after the draft in July, Cooper Pratt went to Arizona. He signed his professional contract. He hit .356 with a couple of doubles and a triple. His Arizona Complex League team won the league championship. When the season ended, he stayed around, playing a couple of games a week and continuing to work out. Then, there was the Instructional League and another camp. It was only the week before Thanksgiving that Pratt was able to leave Arizona. Instead of heading home to Mississippi, he went to Brigham Young University in Utah. “My uncle (Trent Pratt) is the head coach here. I really like Utah. I have grandparents out here, lots of family. It’s just everything I need, everything I could ask for. There are a bunch of other pro guys out here that I can train with. It’s just kind of perfect.” There is undoubtedly a focus on continuing to get bigger and stronger, but he’s also working on all aspects of the game. “But I’m mostly just trying to get a little stronger and stay athletic. Everything I can do: hit, throw, take ground balls. Just doing what I can in the offseason, trying to improve my game as much as I can outside the field. ” Sure, he’s doing baseball work, but he’s also got many people he can hang out with in Utah. “Tons of friends at BYU, family, cousins. I just hang out. BYU friends, baseball friends, grandparents. Eating a lot. I love food.” You won’t find In-N-Out Burger or Raising Cane’s in Mississippi. There is Chipotle, though, and Pratt is a big fan! “I eat a lot of Chipotle. I like Chipotle. I’m a big fan of Chipotle. My bowl is simple, though. Way simple. Rice, chicken, cheese. That’s it. That’s all I need. No beans. Just rice, chicken, cheese. Water cup. Maybe some chips. No guac. Just salsa, extra salt. The usual.” Would it be reasonable to call Pratt a good cook? Does he have some meals that he takes pride in creating? “I can’t cook to save my life. I just learned to cook this season. I have a friend who signed with the Brewers, Blake Whiting. We would cook chicken and rice every night. And eggs and bacon, every day. It was amazing. Amazing.” He continued, “I was a professional peanut butter sandwich maker. Maybe a turkey and cheese. I’m kind of a pro at those. Cereal, I’m really good at it. I make a mean bowl of cereal.” What about hobbies? Is he good at other sports? Does baseball-like superstition come into play? “Ping Pong, I’m pretty good. I suck at golf. I went golfing one time. The day before I went golfing, I went 3-for-4 or 4-for-4, and then the day after, I went 0-for-5, so I gave it up. No more golfing for me.” Let's get back to the baseball talk. What surprised the prospect about his time in Arizona was how many meetings there were. “There’s a lot that goes on. We had a lot of meetings. A lot of stuff that I never really thought about. Things like “first-step” when someone hits (the ball) on defense. They have a lot of analytics that I’d never really thought about. The only statistics I think about are hitting statistics and exit velo. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it that you don’t think about as a high school player. It’s only stuff that can help.” Like most jobs, there can be coaching, training, and individual development plans. It always helps if the people you work with are kind, helpful, and caring. That is what Pratt likes about his first summer in Arizona. “Everyone with the Brewers is super nice. It’s a great group of people. They want to see you get better. It helps when you go from high school to pro ball.” “They have every resource you need. The training room. Nutrition. Strength coaches. They have everything you need. There is no excuse once you get to pro ball of not having something. There is everything you need.” And now, Pratt and other prospects have about six to eight weeks to rest and workout in preparation for the 2024 season. And it is good to establish and at least think about goals. Pratt said, “My goal is, as of now, to hit the ball hard and get on base. That’s always been my approach. Doubles. Gaps. Gap-to-Gap. Eventually, those doubles will turn into home runs, and those singles will turn into doubles.” That comes with added strength and experience, and that starts now. Pratt said, “I’m excited for next season to see how I’ve improved. More than 12 games. 120+ games. I’m excited to see what pro ball is actually like in a full season. I’m excited for the challenge. I can’t wait to see what happens. Hopefully, I perform, and hopefully, I move up quickly. That’s always the goal, to get to the big leagues.” View full article