Milwaukee Brewers: Triple-A Outfield, Rotation Overloaded with Talent

The Milwaukee Brewers may have too many near-Major-League-ready prospects. You heard it here first.

One of my favorite things about the Milwaukee Brewers‘ excellent farm system is the bizarre drawbacks. For example, many solid Brewers prospects get little coverage because so many great names are ahead of them.

Another “downside” is the massive influx of talent the Brewers have at the highest tier of the minor leagues. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox look to have five noteworthy outfielders on their roster, and at least seven pitchers competing for spots in the starting rotation.

We’ll begin with the outfielders who have been officially reported as heading for AAA:

• Lewis Brinson || Age 22 || AAA Stats: 1.036 OPS (130 PA) || Brewers prospect rank: 1

Brinson is the standout of the bunch, and is typically agreed to be the Milwaukee Brewers top prospect overall. It will depend what happens with high-risk Keon Broxton and Domingo Santana in the Brewers outfield, but Brinson looks to see real time with the Crew in 2017.

Brinson handles center field well, and has serious power/speed potential.

• Ryan Cordell || Age 24 || AAA stats: N/A || Prospect rank: 16

Cordell isn’t as obvious a choice for Triple-A as Brinson, but he would be old for Double-A at this point. Plus, Cordell already proved himself in AA last year, slashing .264/.319/.484 with 19 home runs in just 445 plate appearances.

Cordell profiles as a fourth outfielder or second-division regular, with steady play both at the plate and in the field.

• Brett Phillips || Age 22 || AAA stats: N/A || Prospect rank: 10

If you’re curious what an organization does with a prospect they believe in, look at Phillips. He struggled noticeably in AA in 2016, but looks to continue up the minor league ladder nonetheless. In his first full season in AA, Phillips saw his strikeout rate jump to 29.8% and his batting average drop to .229.

His modest .729 OPS came as a surprise after Phillips’ brief but successful stints in AA two years ago. A return to Biloxi seemed in order, but the Brewers clearly believe in Phillips, and are willing to move him along.

Personally, I would have placed Phillips in AA and allowed him to be the first man up to Colorado Springs when an opening was found. We’ll see if the Milwaukee Brewers’ confidence pays off.

A big part of Phillips’ potential is his solid center field defense and his canon arm.

Now on to the outfielders who should be in AAA, but haven’t been officially announced.

• Michael Reed || Age 24 || AAA stats: .731 OPS (640 PA) || Prospect rank: 28

Reed has reached the Majors in each of the last two seasons, but looks destined to begin in AAA again in 2017. Reed is a tweener, as he is not a stellar centerfielder defensively, and he lacks the preferred power of a corner outfielder.

This makes Reed a likely bench player at the Major League level, who specializes in on-base percentage, but he faces serious competition for even that job with the Brewers current crop of outfielders.

Reed has good speed, swiping 105 bags over the last four minor league seasons.

• Kyle Wren || Age 25 || AAA stats: .736 OPS (634 PA) || Prospect rank: N/A

Wren is a lot like Reed, but with a better hit tool, though less power. Between Double- and Triple-A in 2016, Wren slashed .322/.412/.412 with two home runs, but also eight triples.

He’s likely a truer centerfielder than Reed, but with a lesser arm. Like Reed, Wren is quick, and swipes a lot of bags (111 since 2014). Unlike Reed, Wren has the significant advantage of hitting left-handed.

I think Wren has the Big League edge over Reed here, especially coming off of a better year. Still, one or both of them may have to find their Big League footing with a less outfield-heavy organization.

The crowded starting pitching scene – Part I

• Hiram Burgos || Age 29 || AAA stats: 3.98 ERA (319 IP) || Exceeded rookie limits in 2013

Burgos has had an interesting journey with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the team’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2012. Then Burgos was released just two years later, after struggles and injuries.

He was re-signed the next season, and has been steady– if unremarkable–since. If Burgos sees time with the Brewers in 2017, it’d be his first taste of the Majors in four seasons.

Burgos is one of those players you expect to see with the organization even after his playing days are over. He’s well-liked in the clubhouse, and is a story worth rooting for.

• Paolo Espino || Age 30 || AAA stats: 3.63 ERA (426.2 IP) || Prospect rank: no

Espino signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers back in November. He’s coming off of yet another good year in Triple-A (3.30 ERA in 152 2/3 innings), but still hasn’t pitched in a Major League game.

The journeyman consistently strikes out four times more batters than he walks, K’ing 253 and walking just 59 over his last two seasons. He’s clearly durable, and could serve as a the Brewers swingman if a spot opens up.

• Josh Hader (L) || Age 22 || AAA stats: 3.81 FIP (69 IP) || Prospect rank: 3

Hader is ranked as the top lefty prospect in the country by MLB.com, and it’s well-deserved. He has electric stuff, with a plus fastball and slider, a developing changeup, and deceptive delivery.

The keys to Hader’s future are the keys for many young pitchers: develop the changeup and tighten your command. If Hader does that, he’s a potential star in the Major Leagues.

If he fails to make either of those strides, he still has a great chance to be a dynamic back-end reliever.

• Taylor Jungmann || Age 27 || MLB stats: 4.50 ERA (146 IP) || Exceeded rookie limits in 2015

Jungmann is one of the few guys on this list who might make the Brewers roster out of Spring Training. If he does, it’ll be as a reliever, but his potential AAA role isn’t as clear. He was a solid Major League starter in 2015, but collapsed last season.

He walked 35 batters in 31 innings after a demotion to Triple-A, but pulled himself together in Double-A.