Milwaukee Brewers’ Prospects: #15 Tyler Wagner

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Tyler Wagner‘s name is never the first that comes up when Milwaukee Brewers’ pitching prospects are mentioned, but there is no reason that it shouldn’t. With each passing season, Wagner has continued to prove that he is one of the best young arms in the organization. Here is a look at Wagner, our 15th best prospect in the Brewers’ system.

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Though he wasn’t even a starter in college, Wagner has been one of the best starting pitchers in his respective league each season as a professional. After finishing in the top-10 in ERA during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, Wagner lead the Southern League in ERA in 2015, as he was an anchor of the great Biloxi Shuckers’ pitching staff.

Making 25 regular season starts with the Shuckers, Wagner went 11 and 5 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Wagner not only kept opponents from scoring and getting on base, but he also averaged 2.7 walks per nine innings, the best rate of his professional career. Like many others in the organization, his stuff gets a lot of ground balls, which is excellent for Miller Park.

Wagner pitched well enough in AA this season to even earn a few starts in Milwaukee. While the first two didn’t go as hoped, Wagner pitched very well in his final outing against a tough Chicago Cubs’ team, allowing one run through six innings in a loss.

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Though he will probably begin the 2016 season in AAA, I expect to see Wagner in the big league rotation at some point this season. Many times he has been overlooked as a professional, but he has proved everyone wrong each season. He continues to attack hitters and keep his team in games. I can’t wait until he is in the rotation full-time and I envision him as a middle of the rotation starter for years to come.