Get to know a Brewers reliever: J.P. Feyereisen

The Milwaukee Brewers brain trust can’t be completely sure who will fill out their bullpen in 2020. There are about a dozen guys trying to secure a spot on the active roster. Right-hander J.P. Feyereisen is among them. Does he have a shot?

J.P. Feyereisen was actually acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers from the New York Yankees last September. Feyereisen was traded by the Yankees in exchange for someone named ‘Brenny Escanio‘ and some international bonus pool money. Can Feyereisen make the 2020 Brewers bullpen?

How did Feyereisen perform in 2019?

Feyereisen spent the majority of the 2019 season with the Yankees Triple-A affiliate in Scranton / Wilke-Barre. He made 40 appearances in relief and managed a 2.49 ERA. He worked 61 1/3 innings and struck out 94, walked 31, and got tagged for six homers.

Feyereisen also picked up seven saves and worked his way into a 10-2 record in relief.

Is Feyereisen a prospect?

He just turned 27 years old, so he’s aged past prospect status and is officially a journeyman.

Does Feyereisen have a connection to Wisconsin?

He was actually born in Wisconsin and played his college ball at Wisconsin Stevens Point.

What are the odds he makes the 2020 bullpen?

Feyereisen is currently listed as the last name on a long list on the Brewers depth chart. He is on the 40-man roster, so the Brewers don’t have to make a move to keep him on the active roster.

His odds to make the Brewers’ Opening Day bullpen is about the same as every other reliever not named Josh Hader, David Phelps, Alex Claudio, or Brent Suter. He’s part of a massive blob of potential options that will only start to separate themselves from the pack once the games start or once a guy or two suffers an injury.

He’s right-handed, and the team needs capable righties to pair with its trio of lefties, so that’s a mark in his favor. He also fits the role of a traditional ‘power righty’ with a fastball that sits in the upper-to-mid-90s and a solid slider.

Feyereisen will have his work cut out for him, but his placement on the 40-man roster indicates that the Brewers have him in mind. He should make his Major League debut at some point in 2020, but it’s unclear if he’ll be on the roster when the first pitch is thrown before Opening Day.