#FreeWily (David Banks-USA TODAY Sports)

Peralta.

Peralta baffled Cubs hitters through six and two-thirds innings, striking out five. He surrendered two earned runs after exiting the game in the seventh after throwing only 94 pitches when noted LOOGy Michael Gonzalez came in to face left-hander Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs and threw three pitches: two erratic balls and a flat slider that fell for a two-run double.

Arguably, it was the best start of the season for any Brewers pitcher, even with the trouble Peralta fell into in the seventh. Why? Let’s take a glance.

Command & Delivery

Peralta didn’t fall into any trouble getting behind batters, throwing 18 of 29 first-pitch strikes. He walked Rizzo twice (the only two free passes issued), but was missing low and, for the most part, it was a case of Rizzo not chasing close pitches.

On a cold night, Peralta relied primarily on his fastball (we’ll touch on this later), which he attacked batters with. He commanded the inner half all night. He made three to four “mistake” pitches, though none were completely awful, and only one of which was turned around for a base hit.

Peralta’s large frame isn’t the only reason for his exceptional velocity. He works out of a three-quarter arm slot and puts his whole body into each pitch. That, mixed with an effective, heavy two-seamer, created a 6:1 GB/FB rate on Tuesday.

Grade: B

After letting two runners on in the third and a talk from Lucroy, Peralta got an easy grounder off the bat of Alfonso Soriano to avoid any runs. (David Banks-USA TODAY Sports)

Fastball

With the temperatures so cold that the Ninja Brewers came out at Wrigley, Peralta kept the fastball buzzing. He opened up around 92-93 mph, topping out at 94 in the first inning. From the second inning forward, he lived between 93-96, not losing any of the velocity as the game went deeper.

The two-seam/sinker was Peralta’s best pitch on Tuesday. It was the main inducer of those 12 grounders and Yuniesky Betancourt’s 12 related nightmares after the game. Usually buzzing in around 95 mph, batters never got full extension on it. In the second inning, he threw four consecutive two-seamers to Nate Schierholtz–all strikes–and got the fourth one in on Schierholtz’s hands that led to a lazy fly ball.

Over 29 innings last season, Peralta threw fastballs just over 70 percent of the time. Last night, 37 of his first 40 pitches (93%) were heaters.

The movement on both Peralta’s two-seam and four-seam was incredible. The two-seam tailed in and dove right at the hands of right handers. It was heavy and effective.

In full counts, Peralta went to the two-seamer most of the time. Missed close on a 3-2 offering to Rizzo, but froze Brent Lillbridge on a 96 mph pitch that painted the black. Got into trouble when he left the four-seam over the middle to outer half of the plate.

Grade: A

Off-Speed

The off speed arsenal includes a diving slider and a changeup.

Possibly due to the cold, Peralta’s use of the change was limited, but effective. He didn’t throw one until the second time through the order, and it wasn’t put in play until Schierholtz was way out in front of one, grounding out to third to start the fourth.

Peralta’s slider wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen, but didn’t get him into big trouble. Kept it down in the zone and starting mixing it in more

Ron Roenicke took Peralta out after 6 2/3, after which the game went downhill for Milwaukee. (David Banks-USA TODAY Sports)

in the fourth and fifth innings. In the seventh, nearly 33% of his pitches were sliders. Stayed in the mid-80′s, a good drop off from the hard fastball he was featuring.

Possibly his best at-bat of the day came against Wellington Castillo in the second. He touched 96 on three consecutive fastballs before putting Castillo away with a slider just out of the zone that drew a weak, protective swing and a miss.

After getting ahead with the fastball, Peralta could go to work with the slider.

Grade: B+

Summary: 

Wily Peralta deserved a win on Tuesday night. His defense turned a would-be double play grounder into an error that put runners on second and third, which led to an unearned run scoring on a weak grounder. He didn’t get the chance to finish the seventh, as Gonzalez determined that Peralta would get a no-decision for the night. Had a good feel for the game and pitch sequencing. Worked the two-seam in on right handers effectively.

Overall Grade: B+

Like it or not, those are the facts. The response and reactions by Brewers fans have been decidedly polarized, many arguing that Lohse is just going to be another Jeff Suppan, while many others believing that his success with the St. Louis Cardinals will translate to Milwaukee. After all, Lohse doesn’t have to start against the Brewers anymore—a team he owns a career 4.44 ERA against.

This article isn’t really about what I believe regarding Lohse, what I think about the reactions, or anything like that… though my opinions will be present in my evaluation of him. It’s just that I’ve been sitting here racking my brain trying to figure out how this is going to impact the starting rotation. Who’s in, who’s out? How will those chosen to carry the starting torch perform? And what will the outsiders looking in be left to do?

To start, we’re going to go with the three certainties of this rotation. Barring injury, these first three pitchers make a formidable punch in the National League (which is somewhat hinting at my opinion on Lohse).

1 – Yovani Gallardo 

The ace of the rotation, even though the man just signed gave up 0.8 less runs per nine innings than Gallardo last season. That’s not a knock on Gallardo—he’s the best pitcher in this rotation until someone definitively shows otherwise. His ERA is consistently bloated by a few really, really bad starts every year. For roughly 27 games, you can expect Gallardo to go on the mound and be one of the best pitchers in baseball. For the other five, you have to watch his 93 MPH fastball get clobbered out of the ballpark over and over again. His stat-line last season was pretty decent—16-9, 3.66 ERA, 204 IP, 204 K, 1.304 WHIP—but it’s only a glimpse of what he’s capable of.

Gallardo always puts together numbers similar to those… a K/9 of around 9.0, an ERA in the mid-3′s, and pretty good numbers everywhere that just don’t shout “ace”. To see the ace in Yovani, you have to go deeper than the numbers and realize that he’s better than his statistics indicate. He’s a dominating presence on the mound almost every time he steps out, he’s capable of going the full nine (even though skipper Ron Roenicke won’t allow it), and he will give you 200 good innings a season. He has the stuff of an ace, with a fastball sitting around 92-94, a new cutter around 90s, a slider/cutter hybrid in the mid-80s, and a huge power curve in the low 80s.

He will continue to be the ace for the foreseeable future… hopefully a contract extension is in the works.

2 – Kyle Lohse

The man that started the article, the man that is lighting up Milwaukee fans around the country, and the man that everyone is glad to see find a home, if for no other reason than to end the news cycle. Lohse’s free agency expedition is well documented and commented on, and may very well be the catalyst in reforming some of the draft-pick compensation rules that came with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. A client of Scott Boras (AKA: He Who Must Not Be Named, You Know Who, LORD VOLDEMORT), Lohse naturally came out of the season and into the winter aiming for the stars, seeking a deal for as long as five years at $15 million a year. Yeah right. If the Brewers had jumped on that grenade, maybe then I’d be a little perturbed.

Behind Gallardo, Lohse is going to carve a nice home in the Keg. The many doubters out there will point to his mediocre-to-bad seasons, primarily when he was in the American League, but it’s a lot easier for me to look at the very recent success he’s had in a division he’s very familiar with. The Suppan comparisons are, quite frankly, outrageous. Lohse has some very good pitches, and since he’s developed his low-90s two-seam fastball, he’s been one of the best pitchers in the NL Central, leading the league in win percentage last season (16-3), and as I mentioned besting Gallardo by a significant margin in ERA with a sparkling 2.86 ERA in 2012, and another great ERA of 3.39 the year before. Suppan had a fastball that sat at 87 MPH, and didn’t have much else. He was a bum and a bad signing, period. Lohse is not the same pitcher.

He’s a ground ball pitcher, not relying much on the strikeout. That’s okay though, because Aramis Ramirez played Gold Glove defense at third, Jean Segura is a young and very talented shortstop, Rickie Weeks will commit his fair share of errors, but is an altogether solid defender at second, and once Hart is back in action, he’ll be fine at 1st.

Lohse probably won’t replicate his sub-3 ERA with Milwaukee this season. I’m expecting him to give them around 200 innings of mid-3 ERA work. My official prediction: 209 IP, 3.48 ERA, 135K, 1.110 WHIP. Good enough to be a strong No. 2 behind Yo.

3: Marco Estrada

Entering Spring Training, long before the addition of Lohse, Estrada was pegged as the No. 2 starter behind Gallardo. I don’t think he’s going to have his feelings hurt being knocked down one peg to number three, especially when it’s an established veteran like Lohse taking his No. 2 spot.

I’m a huge Marco Estrada fan, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. The fact that the Brewers obtained him for pretty much nothing and have turned him into an absolutely fantastic pitcher is a beautiful thing to me. He had a remarkable season last year, with a sparkling stat-line (5-7, 3.64 ERA, 138.1 IP, 143 K, 1.142 WHIP, and a ridiculous K/BB of 4.93), and a solid pitching repertoire that has continued to blossom. He hits his spots with his low-to-mid 90s fastball, and he misses a ton of bats with his strong cruve, and his bread and butter, a fading change-up in the low 80s.  Estrada can strikeout batters in droves, and in most starts, he looks like Yovani Gallardo 2.0 (with an even better ERA and K/BB!)

This will be his first season entering opening day as a starter instead of a long reliever. Given this immediate boost, and barring an injury, Estrada will be another pitcher who gives the Brewers 200 innings and he will deliver a K/9 around 9.0, similar to that of Gallardo. The thing is, I think Estrada isn’t just going to be as good as last year—I think he’s going to be better. If his strong spring training is any indication (1.88 ERA, 14.2 IP, 12 K, 9.5 OppQual), Estrada is going to emerge as a household name in 2013, and could very well outshine the two high-profile names above him. Don’t be surprised if Estrada posts an ERA in the low-3′s. His method of pounding the strike zone while still getting hitters to miss the ball is an ability no other Brewers pitcher has. It could be special.

4. Chris Narveson

Okay, here’s where things start to get tricky. Narveson has performed fairly well this spring, and appears to have come back from a season ending torn rotator cuff that limited him to two (bad) starts last season. He’s a lefty with a lot of major league experience, and he knows how to pitch in the majors. I’m not wild about Narveson, and in most other rotations, I believe he’d be the No. 5 starter at best, but we’ll get there in a minute.

Realistically, Roenicke and pitching coach Rick Kranitz are going to keep Narveson on a very, very short least, especially to start the season. Five inning outings, and any sign of trouble will result in Narveson being pulled and evaluated. Narveson doesn’t have any pitches that blow you away, and his fastball only touches 90 once every blue moon, but he mixes his pitches well, and even with his lack of knockout pitches, he still does a good job of striking batters out, owning a career K/9 of 7.4 (compared to Lohse’s 5.6). The fact that he’s done well this spring and is a left handed pitcher gives him the upper-edge over the other guys vying for the last two spots in the rotation. You can expect a so-so year from Narveson as long as he stays healthy. Around 160 or so innings, an ERA in the mid-4′s… you know the drill with Narveson. Nothing that will astonish you (except on the occasional night when he looks like an ace), but nothing that will repulse you.

5. Wily Peralta AND Mike Fiers

Okay, okay. I know. One spot, two pitchers. But think about it… does platooning the fifth spot not make at least a little sense? Mike Fiers clearly showed us last year that he is more than capable of pitching in the majors, and was, at one point, the most un-hittable man on the mound in the country. Peralta is a young fireballer who saw success in his limited time as a Brewer last season. Both are ready to start in the majors (even if their spring training numbers haven’t been great), and both are good enough to earn this fifth spot. After the top three, the Brewers are going to be doing a lot of mixing and matching, so why not start the season out with a six-man rotation, having Fiers and Peralta start once every 10 days each, with some bullpen time inbetween to keep their arms active? It’s an experiment worth trying when you’re looking at two candidates both deserving of the job.

If the powers that be in Milwaukee decide it has to be one or the other (which they probably will), I’d have to say they’re going to give Peralta the job, but have Fiers on speed dial ready to make a run like he did last year in place of an ineffective or an injured pitcher. Giving the nod to Peralta is because of his upper-90s fastball and devastating slider… two pitches that are just too good to pass up, and even though his spring numbers aren’t much to look at, I think he’s going to be just fine if he’s given the opportunity.

The rest of it. 

Mark Rogers is out of minor league options and to say that he has underperformed this Spring is an understatement. He’s suffering from a case of “dead arm” right now, lowering his velocity and greatly limiting his control. He’s confident this will blow over and he’ll be ready to contribute to the team. But when… well, if this happens, what role will Rogers serve? Tom Gorzelanny is the long reliever, and Melvin already made plenty of upgrades in what was the the worst bullpen in the majors from last year.

Rogers is going to start the season as a middle relief pitcher, probably getting a few long relief appearances if Gorzelanny is seeing too much action in too short of a time. There’s no way the Brewers risk placing him on waivers to go to the minors, because any number of teams would scoop him up in a heartbeat, and there goes a fifth overall draft pick with seemingly unlimited, but still unrealized potential. If this dead arm phase passes, and Rogers starts to perform, what happens to the rotation? What about Tyler Thornburg and Johnny Hellweg, both sent to AAA Nashville, but both nearly ready to make it in the bigs?

A lot of people are saying this rotation lacks depth, but I’d argue that they’re suffering from a bit too much, though that’s not really a bad problem, given the fact that any number of these pitchers could be injured at any point (knock on wood).

I love the addition of Lohse. Without him, the rotation is too young and too volatile. I think he’s going to perform well in Milwaukee, and I think the comparisons to Jeff Suppan are pretty outlandish.

If nothing else, with the addition of Lohse, the Brewers’ top three starters combine to make a formidable punch, and the bottom of the rotation (along with the outsiders looking in) contain massive upside. This is not a rotation to be overlooked.

In part one, let’s a take a look at the top two candidates fighting for a spot .

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In Phoenix, Arizona as we speak the Milwaukee Brewers are taking the first crucial steps towards success in the 2013 season, by bringing together the pitching and catching staff to shake off the rust and get back to the business of Milwaukee Brewers baseball.

As usual, leave it to a guy like me to take some of the fun away from a day like today. Though every Brewer fan is excited about the return of baseball, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some things that we will be keeping our eye on.

Here’s three things the Milwaukee Brewers pitchers would be wise to answer in the days to come.

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Recently, Reviewing the Brew’s very own Colin Bennett released his N.L. Central predictions. You can find them here. He has the Brewers finishing third, behind the annoyingly silly chirping St. Louis Cardinals and the choke artists of last year’s postseason, the Cincinnati Reds. I agree with Mr. Bennett but not without reservations. Milwaukee will have to fight tooth and nail to avoid sitting alongside the miserable Chicago Cubs in the cellar…and nobody wants that.

Ryan Braun won’t be enough for the Brewers to contend in 2013. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

You may ask why I’m being such a Debbie Downer but the truth is, I’m not. The Brewers made three noteworthy moves in the offseason by acquiring Burke Badenhop and signing Tom Gorzelanny and Michael Gonzalez. That’s it. Do you really think those acquistions are enough to skyrocket the Crew into first place? Not a chance. Hell, the Cubs had a better offseason than the Brewers.

The improved bullpen adresses the team’s most blantant problem from a year ago, but it’s not fixed; there’s a difference between the two. Great bullpens have an absolute stud that goes out, takes over a game, and completely shuts the opposing team down. I ask you, who’s that stud reliever for Milwaukee? It was John Axford in 2011 but everyone knows the story of 2012. The Reds had Aroldis Chapman (who’s now a starter) and the Cardinals had a plethora of ridiculously good relievers. The Brewers have none.

Wasn’t one of Doug Melvin’s top priorities this winter to sign a veteran starting pitcher? What happened to that train of thought? What happened was that the Brewers were unwilling to ink a free agent to a deal longer than two years. When that became apparent, free agents turned a cold shoulder and pursued teams who could dim the dollar signs in their eyes. Frankly, the Brewers didn’t have the money and, as a result, the starting rotation is going to suffer. And by suffer I don’t mean pitch a couple of bad games here and there. I’m talking about total disaster.

Yovani Gallardo may be the Brewers ace, but he’s not one of the top pitchers in baseball. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Yovani Gallardo is not a true bonafide ace. Granted, he is the Brewers top dog but he is nowhere near elite. In the five seasons in which he has made at least 17 starts, Gallardo has never posted an ERA under 3.50. That’s impressive for a No. 2 or 3 starter, but not for a so-called “ace”.

While Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta will occasionally show flashes of brilliance, neither of them will have memorable seasons. Estrada gives up home runs like Santa gives out presents; there are just so many. Peralta, just named the Brewers top prospect, is still a year away from figuring out the big leagues. I know he garnered attention while posting a 2.88 era in six appearances (five starts) last season but I’m calling that beginner’s luck. However, watch out for him in 2014.

Milwaukee’s offense won’t be an issue. Unless Aramis Ramirez starts showing signs of old age or Mat Gamel is a horrific replacement of Corey Hart, the bats will be fine. Ryan Braun can’t go down with a season-ending injury, though. That would destroy any shred of hope.

With all my negative talk and gloomy expectations, I have probably made some of you think I despise the Brewers. But I promise that I love them and would give both my kidneys to see them reach the postseason this year. Sadly, that’s not what the future has in store for Ron’s Wrecking Crew but I shall have my fingers crossed nonetheless.

What are your predictions for the upcoming season? Do you believe the Brewers can compete? Leave comments and questions below! Follow Justin and @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too.

If you follow the Milwaukee Brewers, it might not be your proudest moment from a farm system standpoint. That’s because of all the Milwaukee Brewers players on any level – only one broke the list.

That player’s name is Wily Peralta.

Does this mean that Milwaukee is – as popular opinion would dictate – losing the war in player development?

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Brewers RHP Wily Peralta is big league ready this season. #FreeWily

Unlike in years past, General Manager Doug Melvin spent 2012 acquiring prospects. After trading away prospects Brett Lawrie, Matt LaPorta, Jake Odorrizi, and Jeremy Jeffress for big league pitching talent within the previous four years, Melvin instead traded Zack Greinke – whom the Brewers received in exchange for Odorrizi and Jeffress, among others – to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Milwaukee’s now-starting shortstop Jean Segura and starting pitchers Johnny Hellweg (number 7 on our list) and Ariel Peña (number 15).

The Brewers selected catcher Clint Coulter (number 11) and outfielders Victor Roache, Mitch Haniger, and Tyrone Taylor (numbers 10, 16, and 17, respectively) with their first four picks.

Many new faces emerged across the farm system, as well: Shortstop Yadiel Rivera displayed much of his raw talent in low-A ball, outfielder Khris Davis continued to post flashy numbers, and starting pitcher Hiram Burgos vaulted toward the top of the rankings with one of the best seasons in all of minor league baseball.

Milwaukee’s farm system doesn’t yield any Jurickson Profar’s or Gerrit Cole’s, but there is an increasing amount of depth to it, particularly at starting pitcher and in the outfield. I could easily see seven or eight of the names on this list playing for the parent ballclub as soon as this season.

The staff of Reviewing the Brew each ranked their top 15 prospects which combined to form the top 20 prospects according to the site. Following each player’s name in parentheses are how each staff member ranked the player. The order goes: (Ben, Justin, Curt, Lou, Colin)

20. OF Khris Davis (–,12, –, –, –)

Scouting Report: Davis, the 2010 Brewers MiLB Player of the Year, has put up impressive numbers over from

Davis has flashed power and good speed in his minor league time. (Photo courtesy of MiLB.com)

rookie ball to Triple-A, but his ceiling looks to have been reached. His power numbers should decline and strikeout rates pile up with his long swing over a full season with Nashville. Another season with crazy offensive output from Davis could land him a chance in spring or October of 2014.

19. SS Yadiel Rivera (–, 7, –, –, –)

Scouting Report: Rivera, a 20 year-old shortstop from Puerto Rico, is still coming into his own defensively and at the plate. He could become a plus defensive player with sound mechanics at the plate and slightly more power than recent Brewers prospects Alcides Escobar and Jean Segura. Rivera’s skills are raw and he’s very much still coming into his own.

18. RHP Donovan Hand (9, –, –, –, –) 

Scouting Report: Ben was the only one to rank Hand, an experienced reliever in the system, explained his ranking: “He’s someone who could very well be with the Brewers either this year or next. He’s a career 3.60 ERA pitcher, 27 wins, 25 losses, average strikeout rate, but definitely someone to keep in mind. He’s done well in Triple-A the past two season so maybe we’ll see him sooner than later.”

17. OF Tyrone Taylor (–, 15, –, 11, –)

Scouting Report: The Brewers took Taylor as a second rounder in last summer’s draft. A high school running back, his speed and natural athleticism are evident. He’s only 19 years old and will advance through the levels just based on potential. He hit .385 in rookie ball last summer.

Brewers prospect Mitch Haniger displays good pop in his bat.

16. OF Mitch Haniger (–, –, 12, 13, –) 

Scouting Report: Haniger was taken in the first round, 38th overall, last summer. He finished the season in Low-A ball and held his own, OPSing .808. Plays like a pro with good instincts and a wide stance that produces a lot of pop. Not a ton of speed mixed with a strong arm projects him as a big league corner outfielder.

15. RHP Ariel Peña (11, –, –, –10) 

Scouting Report: Pena, the third return in the Zack Greinke deal, throws a 98-mph fastball and a low-90s sinker. Was tearing it up with double-A Arkansas in the Angels system before struggling down the stretch with Huntsville. Hopefully his big arm can make him a four or five starter down the road.

14. LHP Jed Bradley (–, –, 13, 15, 8) 

Scouting Report: Even after a rough, rough first pro season, I’m still optimistic on Bradley, a first round selection in 2011 out of Georgia Tech. Command and road starts were the issue for him with Brevard County; the word is that it was a learning season for Bradley. Now that he’s adjusted to the pro game, hopefully he can show his major league potential.

13. RHP Michael Olmsted (7, –, –, –, 6) 

Scouting Report: Ben and Colin were both very high on Olmsted, whom the Brewers signed to a minor league deal. He’s a physically imposing (6-6, 245) guy with huge strikeout numbers who posted a sub-2.00 era over the last two seasons. Wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him trotting out from the Miller Park bullpen in 2013. Related: he has an epic mustache.

Photo courtesy of MiLB.com

12. RHP Jimmy Nelson (–, 9, 10, 9, 12) 

Scouting Report: A guy with a large, Olmsted-like frame, Nelson has the potential to be a workhorse guy. One of lots of minor leaguers the Brewers are hoping pans out (some of them have to, right??). Mid 90′s heater and a sharp slider resulting from his frame. Needs to address command issues, but emerged in 2012. My man Alec Dopp interviewed him recently, definitely go and take a look at that.

11. C Clint Coulter (–, 8, 4, 14, 14) 

Scouting Report: After being taken in the first round last summer, Coulter first impressed me in a mid-game Fox Sports Wisconsin interview in the booth. He’s a talented all-around catcher with above-average pop who already has a season of rookie ball under his belt. Good eye, comes across as a lover of the game, especially for a 19-year-old. Obviously, I was really high on Clint.

10. OF Victor Roache (–, 5, 9, 8, –) 

Scouting Report: Roache is a muscular guy and it shows in his power numbers. Arguably the biggest power hitter in last year’s draft (taken one pick after Coulter), he’s projected to possibly be a 30-homer guy some day. Not a defensive nor a speed guy, he’ll make the bigs as a big hitter. Watch out: he rocks the number 28, just like a previous Brewers slugger.

9. OF Caleb Gindl (6, 14, –, 6, 11) 

Scouting Report: A stocky left-handed power hitter, Gindl has produced well over the last two seasons with Triple-A Nashville. He has 66 homers over the last four minor league seasons. He’s been given plenty of AB’s in spring training with the Brewers and seems to be stuck in that almost-ready fringe. Only issue for me was a low-to-medium ceiling in an already-crowded outfield.

8. RHP Hiram Burgos (8, 7, 8, 10, 15)

 Scouting Report: Hey, look! Someone we all ranked! Burgos was nowhere near these kinds of lists before 2012 but an explosive 2012 – he was named Brewers MiLB Pitcher of the Year – catapulted him from A-ball to Triple-A, where he pitched 46.1 innings. He’s a crafty pitcher with upper 80′s velocity mixed with a good change, cutter, and slide piece. A good start to 2013 mixed with someone’s struggles in Milwaukee, and we could see Burgos in 2013; if not, I still think it’ll be sooner than later.

7. RHP Johnny Hellweg (12, 11, 7, 12, 4) 

Scouting Report: The second piece of the Greinke deal, Hellweg is an intimidating figure on the mound at 6-foot-9. Good delivery mixed with the height makes his mid-90s fastball look even faster. He’s been impressive as a starter, though five of his seven appearances after the trade came from the ‘pen. High K-rates to go with high walk rates. Needs to polish up a bit before being big league ready, though I ranked him one higher than Burgos based on a higher ceiling.

Taylor Jungmann was a power pitcher for the Texas Longhorns.

6. RHP Taylor Jungmann (10, 6, 5, 7, 7) 

Scouting Report: A Longhorn and the Brewers’ first pick in the 2011 draft, Jungmann, 23, had a positive first-year campaign. He’s already polished and has the makeup of a two or three starter in the near future. Some scouts project him to arrive in Milwaukee for a glimpse by the end of 2013. Has a good fastball coming off a 6-6 frame, but his off-speed stuff might be even more effective. Needs to continue to get ground balls to counteract low strikeout figures.

5. 1B Hunter Morris (4, 3, 6, 5, 9) 

Scouting Report: Morris tore it up in Double-A Huntsville last season and will be big league ready soon. His power bat has developed and he turned into a doubles machine while with the Stars. Named Brewers MiLB Player of the Year. A solid bet for first baseman of the future and, with the injury to Corey Hart, it’s tempting to see what he could do in limited time right now. Non roster invitee for big league camp this year.

4. CF Logan Schafer (3, 13, 11, 2, 2)

Scouting Report: As I wrote, I’m very high on Schafer this year and hope for him to replace the void left by Nyjer Morgan in this year’s Brewers outfield (in production, that is, and not in noise level). He’s a speedy guy with great range fit for a center fielder and defensive instincts. Can be a left handed pinch hitter who handles the bat well and doesn’t strike out often. MLB-ready. Produced in limited action during a late season playoff push for Milwaukee. In retrospect, he was probably too low on my list.

Gennett played second base for the USA in the Futures Game this past summer. (Image: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports)

3. 2B Scooter Gennett (5, 4, 3, 4, 5) 

Scouting Report: The 5-9, wiry middle infielder plays like a spark plug. He can be a plus hitter in the majors but needs to sharpen up his defense. Is crowded out and being kept in Triple-A by Rickie Weeks. When Weeks’ contract expires, it will be interesting to see if the Brewers go with Gennett. Looks like a left-handed slap hitter, but shows surprising gap power.

2. RHP Tyler Thornburg (2, 2, 2, 1, 3) 

Scouting Report: After what we saw in 22 innings with the Brewers in 2012, there’s no doubt that Thornburg can be a big league starter. He’ll be vying for a spot in the starting rotation this spring. Generates good velocity on his fastball for his Tim Lincecum-like size and possesses a mean power curve. Gave up eight homers in his time in the majors, which should be fixed with time. Not an incredibly high ceiling, but, in a farm system full of questions, Thornburg seems to be a viable number four starter down the road.

1. RHP Wily Peralta (1, 1, 1, 3, 1) 

Scouting Report: Peralta can embarrass hitters at the highest level with a mid-90′s fastball, arm-action change, and a lethal slider. No doubt in my mind that the nearly-unanimous number one on the list is big league ready. Can’t see him not making the Opening Day roster; there’s not much left to develop in the minors with Peralta. Projects to be a workhorse middle of the rotation starter down the line.

Also receiving votes: Fautino De Los Santos, Kyle Heckathorn, Jesus Sanchez, Hector Gomez, Nick Bucci.

 Comments? Questions? Concerns? Queries? Posers? Leave them below! Who did we miss? Follow @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter and/or the author (and most active Twitterist of the staff), Curt Hogg. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too, for constant updates.

In part one, we’re going to talk about my first wacky prediction of 2013, which is (drum roll please):

Wily Peralta will win the NL Rookie of the Year. (more…)

One of the most comforting parts of the Milwaukee Brewers team of 2012 was the starting pitching. With a few exceptions aside, the starting rotation of the Brew Crew was consistently giving this club a chance to win every time they stepped to the mound. Whether it was the high-paid star, the staff ace, the spot starter or the rookie, it seemed like every one of the starters knew what they needed to do and how to handle the pressure.

With so many great performances, it was hard to pick just one. So we didn’t.

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Tthe pitcher underwent an MRI scan to determine the seriousness of the injury, and according to Yahoo! Sports and several sources close to the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Ron Roenicke had cleared him to pitch in his scheduled start October 2nd against the San Diego Padres. That has since changed, and Peralta has been shut down.

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