Brewers: Updating The Crew’s Top 10 Prospects List

Now that the 2020 MLB Draft is completed and all the picks have been signed, it’s time to update the Brewers top prospects list.

With Garrett Mitchell agreeing to terms with the Brewers, the entire draft class is under contract. There won’t be any more big prospect additions this year, so this is the group to work with.

Since there won’t be a minor league season this year, that means we don’t have any game performance from the previous few months, gauging whether players should move up or down the prospect list is extremely difficult.

We have some new additions to the organization that are joining this list. Let’s get started.

10. SS Freddy Zamora

The Brewers 2nd round pick this year is able to crack the Top 10. Freddy Zamora has shown himself to be a consistent offensive player with the defensive skills to stick at shortstop moving forward. That kind of pedigree is enough to place him high on the rankings.

Zamora was dealing with a knee injury this spring and wasn’t able to play before the college season was suspended.

When he has been on the field, Zamora is a contact machine, rarely ever striking out. In 2018, Zamora struck out just 18 times in 211 at-bats. That’s a 8.5% strikeout rate. In 2019, Zamora had 27 times in 199 ABs. He’s consistently drawn more walks than strikeouts as well.

Defensively, Zamora has a strong arm and good range which should make him a capable big league shortstop no matter how his bat develops. If the bats develops well, he’ll be able to hold down a starting shortstop job for quite a while. Until he can prove that more consistently, he’s down here at No. 10.

9. C Zavier Warren

What? The Brewers third round pick is ranked ahead of the second round pick? You got that right, and here’s why. Zavier Warren’s hit tool is superior and he can hit from both sides of the plate. Warren has mostly played in the infield in college, but the Brewers will send him out as a catcher. He has positional versatility and plays a premium defensive position up the middle.

Warren has more gap power than over-the-fence power, but he also has a contact oriented approach and has consistently walked more than he struck out. He had a .502 OBP in his sophomore year. That’s insane, even for college baseball.

The Brewers believe that Warren can stick at catcher, where his bat would provide tremendous value. Switch hitters at that position are hard to find.

With his combination of hitting ability, versatility, and up the middle position, Warren inserts himself into the Crew’s top 10, landing at No. 9 on the list.

8. OF Hedbert Perez

The Brewers signed Hedbert Perez during last year’s July 2nd international signing period. While he wasn’t able to play in any DSL games last year, he was ticketed to play there in 2020 and get some games under his belt. Unfortunately, the pandemic has changed the DSL plans and we’re going to have to wait another year to see Perez in game action.

The wait should be well worth it as scouts are extremely high on the 17 year old. Most have him pegged as a 5-tool centerfielder down the line. His swing looks very good, especially for someone his age and his approach at the plate is pretty advanced. Perez is also strong and projects to have above-average power down the road as well.

When the Brewers had him up to Miller Park after signing him, he took some BP and was hitting 2nd deck home runs.

Perez also has 60-grade speed and a strong throwing arm. He can stick in center, he does everything well, and he has incredible athleticism with a strong baseball family pedigree.

The ceiling is incredibly high with Perez, but he’s still a long ways from the big leagues. Once minor league baseball starts getting played again, we’ll get a chance to look at how he performs in games.

7. RHP Drew Rasmussen

Drew Rasmussen is the only prospect on this Top 10 list that has a decent chance of playing in the big leagues in 2020. Rasmussen is already in the player pool and has been impressing in Brewers camp.

With a 100 MPH fastball and a devastating slider, Rasmussen has the potential to dominate at the back end of a bullpen. He also throws a changeup and has a clean delivery that will give him the chance to stick in the rotation, where he pitched all of last year as he climbed three levels of the minors. However, Rasmussen has already had two major elbow surgeries and that kind of long-term workload might not be best for his health.

If Rasmussen was to play in the big leagues this year, he would likely do so out of the bullpen.

Whichever way the Brewers use him, Rasmussen is a first round talent that the Brewers got for cheap in the 6th round back in 2018. He’s got a relatively high floor and he’s close to the big leagues. He lands at No. 7 in our prospects list update.

4. OF Tristen Lutz

A sweet swinging, power hitting, athletic outfielder is one of the top Brewers prospects? Color me shocked. Power is his top tool, and he has the speed and defensive ability to stay in centerfield in the future. If he can’t hold down center, Lutz has the power to fit either corner and the arm strength to play in right field.

Lutz could use a little more improvement with his bat-to-ball ability. If he’s able to tap into his on-base potential, Lutz could be a 5-tool player. As it stands, Lutz is average or above average when it comes to power, speed, arm strength, and defense.

The Brewers have had mixed results with outfield prospects under President of Baseball Operations David Stearns. He’s acquired a number of them, including Lewis Brinson, Keon Broxton, Corey Ray, and Ryan Cordell. Pretty much none of the Crew’s outfield prospects have panned out as big leaguers so far.

He’s traded away a number of those prospects and added outfielders from the outside to fill the Brewers roster. Lutz is one of the few top outfield prospects remaining that hasn’t been traded or played horribly in recent years.

Lutz stands a chance of being a starting Brewers outfielder in a year or two, depending on when a spot opens up.

3. LHP Ethan Small

Small remains the top pitching prospect in the Brewers organization. Drafted in the first round in 2019, Small has a high floor as an advanced college pitcher with good stuff and great pitchability.

His ceiling isn’t quite as high, as MLB Pipeline views him as a No. 4 starter since he doesn’t have a standout pitch. Small was drafted with a three pitch arsenal, including a fastball, curveball, and changeup, all of which are 55 grade with 55 grade control as well.

However, this past offseason Small was making an addition to that. He arrived to camp with a newfound slider to add to his arsenal that the coaching staff was extremely excited about this spring and still are now.

With Small now possessing a fourth pitch, he becomes that much more exciting as a pitching prospect for the Brewers. He pitched well last year and could even find himself on the 60 man player pool at the alternate training site in Appleton shortly.

2. SS Brice Turang

Brice Turang falls from the top spot on this list in the mid-year update of the rankings. Turang, the Crew’s 2018 first round pick, has topped the list since Keston Hiura graduated in the middle of 2019.

Turang has a big hit tool and a knack for getting on base. His power isn’t going to be a big part of his game and he profiles more as a leadoff hitter. Turang is fast and has a talent for stealing bases, swiping 30 bags in 35 attempts last season. He also drew 83 walks in 2019.

Defensively, Turang has the ability to stick at shortstop, where his value is going to be highest. Overall, Turang has the makings of a well rounded, solid, everyday big league shortstop. Players like that aren’t easy to find and keep. Because of that, he’s one of the highest ranked prospects in this Brewers farm system.

While Turang was likely to start the 2020 season in High-A Carolina, with the possibility of jumping up to Double-A this year with a strong performance. Instead, Turang is a strong option for the taxi squad up in Appleton to continue to get more development and at-bats this year. Should things go well there this year, Turang might even start 2021 in Double-A.

The Brewers big league shortstop battle is just getting started and the long-term job is up for grabs. Should neither Orlando Arcia or Luis Urias prove capable of holding down that job, Turang isn’t that far away.

1. OF Garrett Mitchell

We have a new No. 1 on this list! 2020 first round selection Garrett Mitchell is the Brewers top minor league prospect. While the farm system has been consistently ranked near the bottom of the barrel in baseball, Mitchell will provide a huge boost to the perception of this system.

Mitchell was MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 overall prospect heading into this draft and the Brewers took him with the 20th overall pick, an absolute steal.

When it comes to tools, Mitchell has everything a baseball scout could want. He’s extremely athletic, he can hit for a high average, he’s got plenty of raw power, he’s got 80-grade speed, an above-average throwing arm, and very strong defense in centerfield. Mitchell has all the makings of a 5-tool centerfielder.

He didn’t tap into his power much in college but the Brewers believe that they can get him to tap into it as a professional.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to Brewers fans if Mitchell is added to the player pool in Appleton shortly after his contract becomes official. The sooner he gets in the system and gets coaching and development, the sooner he gets to the big leagues.

The Brewers farm system got a very strong boost of offensive talent in the Draft this year, and three members of that draft class are in the new Top 10 Brewers prospects list.