Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospects List: #12 OF Joe Gray Jr.

It’s that time of year for everyone to re-do their organization’s top prospects list. Here at Reviewing The Brew, we’re continuing to rank our Top 15 Milwaukee Brewers prospects.

After starting with pitchers Cody Ponce and Marcos Diplan, followed by catcher Payton Henry, next up on our Milwaukee Brewers Top 15 Prospects list is outfielder Joe Gray Jr.

Gray, a 2nd round draft pick during the 2018 Amateur draft out of Hattiesburg High School in Mississippi, comes in as the youngest player on the RtB prospect list.

#12 OF Joe Gray, Jr.

Already standing 6’2’’, 195 lbs, Gray is built like a young Lorenzo Cain, long and lean with a strong arm and good range and has power hitting potential.

Gray played 24 games with Arizona Brewers of the Rookie League during the 2018 season. He was fantastic in the field, collecting a 1.000 fielding percentage, with 47 putouts. Scouts give him a 70-grade arm, which is an absolute cannon. While he has the speed to remain in centerfield, his rocket arm and power hitting ability makes him a strong candidate for a move to right field in the long run.

Although he has a beautiful swing, his bat is still developing. In Arizona, he hit .182/.347/.325 with 14 hits, including two home runs and five doubles, in 77 at-bats. Gray did show good patience at the plate, collecting 18 walks to just 25 strikeouts.

Many compare him to former Brewers 2nd round pick Monte Harrison. It will be up to his development in the minor leagues through the next couple seasons to see what kind of player Gray could turn out to be.

When could we see Gray in Milwaukee?

Gray will most likely start the 2019 season in either Colorado Springs with the Vibes or in Appleton with the Timber Rattlers, depending on his play during Spring Training. With a full outfield, a pipeline that already has other top prospects and unknown potential, it’s tough to tell when he could be in Milwaukee.

MLB Pipeline projects him to reach the big leagues in 2022. Assuming he gets up to Low-A this year, he could make it to High-A Carolina for 2020. If he goes on a one-level-per-year development plan, he’ll be in Triple-A in 2022 and would be one injury away from a roster spot. If his bat heats up in any of the upcoming seasons, perhaps he could advance that timeline a little bit.

As a high school bat, Gray is a very raw talent, and unless his numbers start exploding off the page, there’s no reason to rush his development.

According to his social media, Joe Gray seems like a good young man, with a bright future ahead of him. Milwaukee Brewers fans will enjoy watching him come up through the organization and talking to him about his skeet shooting skills.