Milwaukee Brewers Prospects: #22 Troy Stokes Jr.

The Milwaukee Brewers 22nd ranked prospect Troy Stokes Jr. is a favorite among the writers at Reviewing the Brew.

His is a tale of giant leaps between seasons. The strides he has made are big enough to lift him from being unranked to being among the Milwaukee Brewers top 30 youngsters. Stokes is not only an exciting talent, but a great personality, as can be seen from his Q&A with our site.

The former fourth rounder back in 2014 will be 22 for the entirety of the upcoming season. Stokes spent most of the season with Carolina, however he did play for Biloxi in the latter part of the year. His 5’8″ build makes what he can do with the bat pretty surprising as well. He hit 20 homeruns during the 2017 season.

Player Profile

When a player’s two highest grades are power and speed, it is an exciting combination. That is the case with Stokes. He is a strong player, that is what gives him the power when he pulls the ball. Although the MLB Pipeline profile does warn that he can get pull happy at times, leading to strikeouts.

His speed is his best tool. Stokes is able to use it on the basepaths as well as in the field. A lot of his upside will depend on his approach at the plate. If he can be patient and get into good counts, he will be able to utilize his power and speed.

Performance

The average and steals have always been there for Stokes. Throughout each year prior to 2017, his batting average never fell below .260. That being said, 2017 was the true breakout season. He accumulated the most amount of at bats by a lot, with 499.

Though it was his lowest average in a season, his 20 homers last season are well past the total of nine before 2017. Stokes biggest detriment from the year were his 111 strikeouts, just as the profile suggests.

How Does He Project?

His ceiling, according to MLB Pipeline, is as a fourth outfielder. However, his strength and speed could allow him to exceed expectations. In order for him to do so, he will need to get his approach right, and begin to use all fields.

If Stokes can use his power to go to the opposite field, his bat and speed will give him a spot in the outfield. He will not project in center because of his arm, but MLB outfielders can be less than stellar defenders if they can hit (see Domingo Santana).

Next: Prospects: #23 Trey Supak

Either way, the Milwaukee Brewers might have something special on their hands. Or they might just have a fourth outfielder. One thing is certain though, Stokes definitely earned his first trip to the top prospect list.