Brewers: Update On Prospects In The Arizona Fall League

The Arizona Fall League is a finishing school and showcase for top minor league prospects around baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers have a handful of their prospects in the AFL this year. Let’s check in on how they’re doing.

Brewers prospects this year are playing for the Salt River Rafters, who currently have a 6-9 record through their first 15 games. The AFL schedule is 30 games, meaning we’ve reached the halfway point and it’s time for an update.

Here’s an update on the Brewers prospects playing in the 2021 Arizona Fall League at the halfway point in their season.

Joey Wiemer

The headlining Brewers prospect in Arizona this fall has to be Joey Wiemer. He rode an incredible second half all the way up prospect lists and grabbed the attention of many, and he isn’t letting go of that.

So far, Wiemer has played in 9 of the 15 games for Salt River (there are 6 outfielders on the roster who all need to split time) and, unsurprisingly, he’s leading his team in hitting. Wiemer has a .467/.568/.667 slash line with a 1.234 OPS, 3 doubles, 1 homer, and 2 stolen bases.

His exit velocities have routinely been in the triple digits, impressing scouts and spectators alike. It’s a small sample size, just 30 at-bats in Arizona, but it’s an extension of what he did in the second half of the season and with 14 hits in those 30 trips, with four walks and just 5 strikeouts, he’s continued to impress.

Joe Gray Jr.

There wasn’t a prospect in the Brewers system that garnered more hype in the first half of the 2021 season than Joe Gray Jr. He got off to a hot start in Low-A Carolina, impressing enough to earn a promotion to High-A Wisconsin. However, he struggled after the promotion, and the hype has worn off a little.

It doesn’t help that Gray is also having a horrible AFL showing offensively. In his 30 at-bats in 9 games, Gray has just one hit. That’s an .033 batting average. He’s also struck out 14 times.

Gray has shown great speed and instincts in centerfield, showing off his defensive prowess. As great as that is, his lack of offensive production is somewhat concerning.

He’s healthy, and that’s the important thing, but hopefully he can find his offensive fortitude again in the second half of the AFL schedule.

Mario Feliciano

The Brewers top catching prospect and potential “Catcher of the Future”, Mario Feliciano, missed a lot of the regular season with a shoulder injury and was sent to the AFL to get some extra at-bats to make up for lost time.

Feliciano has done well in his six games so far, hitting .263 with a .632 OPS. He’s 5 for 19 with a pair of doubles and 3 RBIs. He’s caught a number of attempted base-stealers and has looked great defensively as that shoulder is back to 100%.

Feliciano has had to split time with Willie MacIver from the Rockies at catcher, which has eaten into his playing time. The Brewers are going to want to see if Feliciano will be ready for a big league role in 2022, and his performance in the AFL will go a long way in helping to determine that.

Hopefully we’ll see more good things from Feliciano in the second half of the AFL season.

David Hamilton

If you don’t recall David Hamilton being a part of the Brewers’ AFL contingent, it’s okay. He wasn’t. Up until the other day.

With some players leaving the AFL due to injuries, another infielder was needed and the Brewers supplied speedy shortstop David Hamilton, who started the year in High-A and earned a mid-season promotion to Double-A.

In just two games in the AFL, Hamilton is 2-for-7 (.286) with a double, an RBI, and yes, a stolen base. He stole 52 of them in the minor league regular season.

Hamilton is a major threat on the basepaths, and in 2021 he showed an ability to get on base well enough to make use of that speed. He also showcased some decent power ability as well, and presents an intriguing mix of tools that the Brewers can use. Even though it was as an injury replacement, seeing the Brewers give him an opportunity in the AFL shows they think highly of him.