Brewers Call-Ups: Jason Rogers

Jason Rogers is a big man.

The 6’2, 245# infielder/outfielder was picked by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 32nd round of the 2010 June Amateur Draft. Normally, players chosen that late in the selection process stand little chance of appearing in the big leagues.

It’s taken Rogers five years, but the 26-year-old made his debut on September 2 and collected a two-base hit in his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs’  Wesley Wright.

He made his professional debut in the Arizona Rookie League, hitting 281/368/394 in 160 at-bats.

The following season, he began at Helena in the Pioneer League but moved up to Class A Wisconsin after just seven games. In 64 games, he continued to impress, slashing 275/336/429.

In 2012, he split the season evenly between Wisconsin and Advanced A Brevard County, hitting a combined 301/405/449 in 472 ABs and also tossed in 12 stolen bases as a bonus.

He spent the 2013 campaign at AA Huntsville, hitting 270/346/468 in 481 ABs. He smacked 22 homers, tying for the league lead with the Dodgers über-prospect Joc Pederson and won the RBI crown with 87.

This year, Rogers played 77 games at Huntsville (282/355/432) before moving up to Nashville for the second half of the season. There his numbers were even better, as he hit 11 home runs in 206 at-bats, slashing an impressive 316/379/568, prompting his call to Milwaukee when the major league rosters expanded in September.

I haven’t seen him play yet, but his minor league numbers show him to be at least adequate on defense, playing mostly at 1B (247 games) while making half that many appearances at 3B. He can also play a corner outfield spot in a pinch, lending to his versatility.

His minor league stolen base total is kind of surprising. Rogers has pilfered 35 bags in 43 attempts, good for a success rate of 81%, which is above average for even the best base thieves.

The right-handed hitting Rogers is still waiting for his first start, but could get it (and more) by the end of the season. He gives manager Ron Roenicke a little pop off the bench against southpaws.