Milwaukee Brewers: Looking at the international prospect prize

The Milwaukee Brewers have a shot to sign the prize of the international prospect pool this offseason.

And no, I do not mean Shohei Ohtani.

At 15 years old, most baseball players are figuring out who they are on the field. Osiel Rodriguez already knows. At a recent showcase he showed a fastball that hit 96 MPH. That talent is going to be allowed to sign with teams on July 2nd according to MLBTR. The Milwaukee Brewers should absolutely be in contact with him when that day comes.

This is not the first Cuban prospect to make waves recently. But he without a doubt is the most exciting. The rest of that showcase saw Rodriguez strikeout three of the five hitters he faced. The other two grounded out. To improve on the day he only threw four balls in 17 pitches. Showing huge potential.

To add to the profile of pure dominance, in his most recent competitive season no one could touch him. Remember, Rodriguez is only 15, so playing in a 15U league is by no means saying he is dominating the cream of the crop. But his numbers speak for themselves. A 0.39 ERA, 127 strikeouts, and 27 walks through 69 innings.

While there will be a lot of time that passes before Rodriguez will be ready to try his hand in the MLB, he still looks to be the prize of the year in 2018. If he goes to a team with a great development team, who knows how high this kids potential really is. Mid 90’s at 15 is no joke.

Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that Rodriguez will be 16 later this month. But witch a live fastball, and a curveball that was causing swings and misses, he looks to be the real deal for prospects.

Rodriguez was seen on an international stage in the 15U World Cup. He was 14 at the time and throwing only in the mid 80’s according to Badler. But, he posted an ERA of 1.50 and walked only three. He added 14 strikeouts for good measure.

Next: Minor League free agents to consider

The Milwaukee Brewers will probably still go after Ohtani. However, it seems that Rodriguez is the needle in this years International haystack. The development system for the Crew is as good or better than any in the league. It is, without a doubt, a place where a young fireballer can become the next MLB superstar.