Milwaukee Brewers: Future Present Bubba Derby

A future present for the Milwaukee Brewers at the higher level than the other two is Bubba Derby.

This is the third installment of Milwaukee Brewers future presents. The first two players play in lower levels. Ronnie Gideon in Full A, and Gabe Friese is in the Rookie League. Derby is a pitcher across Double and Triple A, and he does a little bit of everything.

The Numbers

Now, Derby spent his time in Double A Biloxi as a reliever mostly. He started only two games of his 18 appearances. However, in this totals to 50 innings and a 2.88 ERA. Opponents hit in the low .200s off of him at that level. He compiled that with 20 walks and 46 strikeouts to be very successful.

Those great numbers were more than enough to get him called up to Colorado Springs. Derby started all 12 of his games at the Triple A level He did this with a 5-0 record and an ERA in the threes. His control numbers improved even further, walking less in more innings. And naturally, his strikeouts came up as well.

The Outlook

As a sixth round pick in 2015, the Milwaukee Brewers expect to see him at some point. And the 23 year old righty is proving to be more than ready for the task. In fact, I listed him as an internal pitching option to replace Jimmy Nelson.

It is not insane to think that he will be seen in Miller Park in 2018 as some point in time. It is doubtful that he will start there, considering he is not on the 40 man roster. But, a time will come this year when Derby makes his debut.

He might not be considered a top prospect, but he certainly is a solid pitcher. He eventually could be a number five starter, or a reliable long reliever. He is proving more than capable of that role. The Brewers made an excellent pick with him.

Next: The Ghost of Crews Past

Being a sixth rounder, Derby is not really surprising anyone. But not all presents have to be surprises. Sometimes it is nice to get something you need, even if it is no unexpected. That is the case for the Milwaukee Brewers and Derby.