Milwaukee Brewers Prospects: #29 Larry Ernesto

The player who ranked at number 26 on the Milwaukee Brewers 2017 list has dropped a few spots to number 29 in 2018.

That player is the 17 year old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, Larry Ernesto. During his signing period last year he was the 14th highest ranked international prospect. He performed well enough in the showcase to catch the eye of the Milwaukee Brewers, and 1.8 million dollars later, the team got him.

Player Profile

The highest grade he receives for any tool is 55. But three of them are graded as such. His power, speed, and fielding are all potentially equally as good as the other. Right now, he is just fast with the potential for more to come.

Ernesto flashes power to the gaps and a good approach at the plate. The Milwaukee Brewers hope that he can grow into a base stealing threat, who can occasionally put a ball over the seats. At 6’2″, he has the height to put on some muscle and add that type of power.

Projections

MLB Pipeline projects he will arrive in the MLB in 2022 at 21 years old. One nice thing about Ernesto is that he is a switch hitter, and his gap power is there from both sides. As he adds muscle to his frame, he could become a good outfielder.

There is a video on his international prospect profile, and in it they say he projects best as a center fielder right now. Of course, as he develops that picture will become more clear. Regardless the video shows a nice swing from both sides of the plate.

The thing about all of this is that Ernesto has not played in a professional game. He has yet to jog in between the lines for a Brewer affiliate and compete. Once he does, everything might become more clear.

Next: #30 Brendan Murphy

One thing is for certain though, he would not have been a top priority of the Milwaukee Brewers for nothing. The team saw something in him and that says a lot to me about his potential.