Milwaukee Brewers: Ranking the top 20 prospects, Part II

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Welcome back to the official Reviewing The Brew top 20 Milwaukee Brewers prospects. Recently, we’ve covered prospects 11-20. Today, we take a look at the top 10. Let’s dive right in. MLB rankings are in parentheses.

If you missed part one of the top 20 Milwaukee Brewers prospects, you can check it out here.

10- Tristen Lutz OF (8)

Lutz has been on a tear since the Milwaukee Brewers drafted the high schooler this year. He’s a big bodied, big bat, corner outfielder, who will make an impact in the Major Leagues.

At 6’3″ and 210 pounds, Lutz has prototypical size. His MLB scouting report grades his power as above average. As he matures, Lutz should hit 20+ home runs a season, easily. He also receives an above average grade for defense. That is what will help him advance through the system.

Lutz won’t be stealing many bases, but shows good base running skills. He moves well enough to play either corner position in the outfield. His highly rated arm allows him to play a solid right field. To improve his versatility, Lutz has seen time in center field so far this season.

He has not disappointed so far. Although it is a small sample size, at the Rookie League level this season, Lutz has 4 home runs and 14 runs batted in through his first 90 plate appearances. He has struck out a lot, 19 times, with only six walks. However, his 1.018 OPS is outstanding.

Only 18 years old, Lutz has the potential to be in Milwaukee by the time he is 20. He is a powerful right-handed bat that will hit at every level he plays. As a Brewer, he could shift to first base. That would be a waste of his arm, but sitting on the bench would waste his huge bat.

9- Lucas Erceg 3B (10)

Drafted in 2016, Erceg came as advertised. He has huge power and a strong-arm. His scouting report gives him an above average grade for his power, and a plus grade for his arm. That arm will profile well at the hot corner.

After getting off to a slow start this season, Erceg has shown improvements. He doesn’t walk enough, and that will be an issue moving forward. However, with his left-handed bat in the middle of the order, he will drive in runs.

Through 415 at bats with the Carolina Mud Cats this season, he is batting a pedestrian .243 with an on base percentage of .282. He has hit 12 home runs, while driving in 65 runs. That’s great run production, but he needs to get on base more to have a real impact. He has 13 errors at third base this season. That’s not great, but not terrible.

With Travis Shaw enjoying a breakout year, Erceg will have plenty of time to work on his game. He provides a solid glove in the field and has shown versatility. The Milwaukee Brewers second base situation this season hasn’t exactly been ideal.

If Jonathan Villar is unable to reach the level he was playing in 2016, Erceg could factor into the mix there. However, Villar is a good player and is a prime candidate to bounce back next season. Furthermore, the Brewers have a few other prospects who will push Villar in due time.

Erceg will have a productive MLB career, just not any time soon in Milwaukee. The Brewers are set right now at third base with Shaw. Unless he switches over to the other side of the diamond, his impact may only be felt in September for next few seasons.

8- Isan Diaz SS (6)

When the Milwaukee Brewers traded Jean Segura to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Diaz was the prize of the deal. Remember, that trade also featured the Brewers acquiring Chase Anderson. That’s how high the ceiling is for Diaz.

He did not disappoint in 2016. In 135 games for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Diaz hit 20 home runs with 75 runs batted in. He slashed .264/.358/.469 with an OPS of .827. Those are great numbers from a middle infielder.

However, after advancing to High-A Carolina this season, he has struggled. Hitting only .225, he does have 12 home runs with 52 runs batted in. His .339 on base percentage shows he takes walks. With nine stolen bases, he is not a threat on the base paths.

He has played a lot of shortstop, but he projects better at second base. He receives average grades for his fielding, hitting ability, and arm. He’s graded as above average for his power as well as his overall grade. He could be the mainstay at the cornerstone within a year or two. Unfortunately, he’s still blocked at that position for the near future.

7- Corey Ray OF (2)

The Milwaukee Brewers used the fifth pick of the 2016 draft on Louisville outfielder Corey Ray. A toolsy player with plus speed, Ray was supposed to shine in pro ball. Unfortunately, injuries have hampered him early in the 2017 season.

Ray has the potential to be a superstar at the Major League level. His speed, combined with his raw power, are tantalizing to any organization. However, he has yet to show the same offensive prowess in the Minors that he showed in college.

In 149 games in the Minor Leagues, Ray has hit only .242, with 11 home runs and 57 runs batted in. When he gets on base is when he can make an impact. He has 30 stolen bases in 42 attempts. He strikes out too much, which seems to be a common theme in baseball presently, but he has shown an ability to take walks.

With his speed, Ray will only help the Brewers defensively. He has to show he can get on base before that happens. Keon Broxton is as much fun to watch, as he is frustrating. If Ray wants to make it to the Majors, he has to show some consistency with the bat.

His ceiling is definitely higher than this ranking. However, number seven is where he belongs, for now. He is not in a position to help this team right now or next season. A potentially special player down the line. Without question, Ray will make a difference. It just won’t be until late 2018 at best.

6- Corbin Burnes RHP (7)

What else can be said about Burnes that hasn’t already been said? He has been unbelievable over the last two seasons. He has made everybody, from the Rookie League, to the Major Leagues take notice.

Burnes made his first appearance in Rookie League on June 24th, 2016. After dominating through two levels of the Minor Leagues, he was called up to Double-A Biloxi this season. He lost his first game on June 28th, 2017, more than a calendar year after beginning his professional baseball career.

The 6’3″ righty throws an above average fastball and slider. As well as an average curveball and below average change-up with above average control. His fastball sits in the low-mid 90’s, and he shows swing and miss ability.

This season, across two levels of the minors, Burnes is 8-3 with a 1.58 ERA in 21 starts. He has 122 strikeouts with only 25 walks in 119 1/3 innings pitched. He has shown he can command the strike zone while limiting base runners.

It is only a matter of time before Burnes finds his way to the Major League level. The Milwaukee Brewers have needs in the starting rotation moving forward. He should find his way into the conversation as early as next season. He could even provide a jolt for the staff this September. Either way, Burnes figures prominently into the Milwaukee Brewers future.

5- Brett Phillips OF (12)

Phillips is this high on the list because of the impact he has had for the Milwaukee Brewers this season. With his plus speed, he could be the solution at the lead-off spot.

2016 was a disappointment for Phillips. It is that simple. He did club 16 home runs and had 62 runs batted in. However, he hit a meager .229 in 124 games. He walked a career high 67 times last season. He also struck out a whopping 154 times. Strikeouts have plagued him for his entire career.

This season has been kinder to Phillips. In 86 games, playing for Triple-A Colorado Springs, he has hit .310 with 17 home runs and 69 runs batted in. With 104 strikeouts, he still needs to show improvement, but he has only scratched the surface of his potential.

He also has very good speed. If he can get on base consistently, he will be a terror on the base-paths. He hasn’t shown the propensity for stealing bases to this point in his professional career. But that is something that should come easy for him as he matures.

He can play anywhere in the outfield. His speed allows him the ability to cover a lot of ground in center field. He has a cannon for an arm, so right field would be no problem for him. In the coming seasons, Phillips will have a big impact at the major league level.

4- Mauricio Dubon SS/2B (9)

Dubon has gone from a 26th round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2013, to a top prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers system this season. His speed and ability to get on base has helped. It doesn’t hurt that he plays a slick shortstop.

With Orlando Arcia at shortstop for the foreseeable future, Dubon will have to find a different path to the majors. As luck would have it, Jonathan Villar’s struggles this season may have wedged his window of opportunity open.

In his first season in the Brewers system, he has shown what the excitement is all about. He doesn’t hit many home runs, but he can run like a gazelle. When he gets on base, the likelihood is high that he’ll be running.

Having speed does no good if you cannot reach base, but Dubon has shown the ability to get on consistently. So far this season, he is getting on base at a .330 clip over two levels of the Minor Leagues. That number would be higher if he took more walks. However, he does not strike out a lot.

Through 106 games this season, he’s hitting .280 and has 49 runs batted in. That’s quality run production from the top of the order. On top of that, he has 37 stolen bases in 52 attempts. He knows how to use his speed as a weapon.

Dubon is trying to become the first native Honduran player, only the second Honduran born, to make it to the Big Leagues. He is right on the cusp of seeing that dream come true. At the very least, he should get an opportunity when rosters expand in September. If he is able to perform well, next spring he should have an opportunity to earn a Major League roster spot.

3- Brandon Woodruff RHP (4)

Woodruff is an effective ground ball pitcher. He combines a plus fastball, with an above average slider and an average change-up. His fastball sits in the low-mid 90’s, with late sink that will help him miss bats.

After compiling a 14-9 record, with a 2.68 ERA in 28 starts, Woodruff was named the minor league pitcher of the year for the Brewers in 2016. For his Minor League career, he has 354 strikeouts and only 114 walks. He shows a tremendous feel for pitching when he toes the rubber.

Playing in the thin air of Colorado Springs this season, his numbers don’t tell the whole story. Woodruff is 6-5 with a 4.46 ERA in 15 starts. He averages 8.67 K/9 this season, allowing only eight home runs in 72 2/3 innings. That’s not bad considering the league he has been pitching in.

Woodruff was called up in June to make his major league debut for the Milwaukee Brewers. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it out of warm-ups, and was placed on the disabled list before even throwing a pitch. However, he did finally make his Major League debut on August 4th, against the Tampa Bay Rays.

He showed the ability to pitch out of trouble in his debut. His ground ball-inducing stuff will play well at Miller Park. If Woodruff can continue to keep the ball on the ground, he will have a ton of success for Milwaukee.

He will get his opportunity to show what he can do over the last two months of this season. He profiles as more of a middle of the rotation type pitcher. If Woodruff can capture his Minor League magic with the Brewers, there is little doubt he has a long career ahead of him.

2- Luis Ortiz RHP (3)

Ortiz is something Brewers fans have been pining for. A true top of the rotation pitcher coming from the minor league system. Acquired, along with Lewis Brinson and Ryan Cordell last summer, Ortiz could wind up being the gem of that deal.

At 6’3″, and with a fastball that ranges from 92-97 MPH, he is as tantalizing a pitching prospect as the Milwaukee Brewers have had in years. His fastball grades out as a plus pitch, as well as his slider. He also throws a developing change-up which gets an average grade.

Ortiz has spent this season with the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers. He owns a 3.57 ERA, with a 4-5 record in 17 starts. That doesn’t exactly scream future Major Leaguer, but this guy has it written all over him.

His frame allows him to maintain his velocity deep into games. Although his strikeout numbers don’t jump off the page, he has 8.03 K/9 this season. His slider is nasty and will prove to be an out pitch in Milwaukee. As long as he continues to develop his change-up, he will be a nuisance for Major League hitters.

Most projections don’t have him in the majors until next season. However, with the current state of the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff, he should get a taste of the big leagues in September. Ortiz is a player that every Brewers fan should get to know. When the Brewers reach the other side of this rebuild, Ortiz will be a key cog in helping the Brew Crew achieve sustained success.

1- Lewis Brinson OF (1)

This brings us to the crème de la crème. The cream of the crop in the Milwaukee Brewers system. Unquestionably, Lewis Brinson is the top dog among Milwaukee Brewers prospects.

Brewers fans were disappointed when the team didn’t pull the trigger on a trade for Sonny Gray at the deadline. GM David Stearns made the right choice, Gray was not worth giving up Brinson for. Brinson has the potential to be a superstar in Milwaukee for the next decade or more.

He has had a couple of brief moments with the Milwaukee Brewers this season. In his limited opportunity, Brinson did next to nothing with the bat. However, he showed his prowess defensively, making some nice plays in center field.

Playing for Colorado Springs this season, he is hitting .333 with an on base percentage of .403. He can hit , and his 10 home runs in 325 plate appearances show a glimpse of his power. As he gets comfortable, he should clear 20 home runs a season easily.

His speed is his true calling card. He hasn’t shown the propensity for stealing bases to this point, but his speed is undeniable. As he matures, he should steal at least 20-30 bases a season. That speed will also help him play an above average center field.

The writing is on the wall for Keon Broxton in center field. Although Broxton is a quality Major Leaguer, Brinson’s upside is too high to ignore. He has a chance to provide stability at one of the most important defensive positions on the diamond for the Brewers.

We’ve already covered what the future holds for Brinson. He should be at the top of the Milwaukee Brewers batting order by the time next season begins. The Lewis Brinson era hit a little blip this summer. However, he is in a prime position to break out in a big way for the Brewers.

Next: How Is Tristen Lutz Doing In The Minors?

With the Brew Crew in contention this season, the window opened earlier than expected. A few of these players will play a role in the coming years for the Brewers. Some will, undoubtedly, be traded in order to sustain their success. Either way, the future is bright for the Crew.

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