Milwaukee Brewers: Two Named to FanGraphs Top 100 Prospects List

The last four years have seen plenty of success at the major league level for the Milwaukee Brewers, each season of which has translated to playoff appearances. That success has come at the expense of their minor league system.

As top prospects over recent years have either been traded or advanced to The Show with the Brewers, a couple trends have followed. They’ve dropped in overall rankings in websites that rate minor league system strength, and they’ve seen those same sites’ Top 100 prospect rankings largely absent of Milwaukee minor leaguers.

Overall organizational depth has been a contributing factor to this, as has the fact that many of Milwaukee’s recent top prospects haven’t been close to MLB ready. Luckily, things appear to be turning a corner in both regards.

On Wednesday, FanGraphs published their Top 100 prospects list for the 2022 season. This time, the Brewers find themselves with more of a presence than fans are accustomed to seeing lately.

The Brewers landed two players on FanGraphs’ Top 100 prospects list for the 2022 season.

If you’re talking MLB-ready, no Brewers prospect fits the bill more than left-handed pitcher Aaron Ashby, who pitched in 13 games for Milwaukee last season. He landed as the No. 46-ranked prospect in all of baseball.

The 4th round pick in 2018 didn’t have the best introduction to the majors, giving up seven runs and recording just two outs in a spot start against the Cubs. He would throw scoreless outings in nine of his next 12 appearances, however.

FanGraphs gives Ashby a 50-grade in overall future value with 60-grade potential in his fastball, slider, and changeup. That will play in any role that the Brewers put him in, which is good considering he’ll probably fill multiple ones again this upcoming season.

Milwaukee’s second prospect to make the top 100 was outfielder Joey Wiemer, who clocked in at No. 78. The 2020 4th rounder just made his professional debut last season and has done nothing but drop jaws ever since.

Wiemer was a pitcher’s nightmare last year, splitting time with Low-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin. He slugged a combined .296/.403/.556 with 27 homers and 30 steals while leading High-A in outfield assists, all on his way to winning Milwaukee’s Minor League Player of the Year.

Like Ashby, Wiemer also received an overall 50 grade in future value from FanGraphs. He also received future value grades of 50 in speed, 60 in game power and fielding, and two 70 grades each in throwing and, unsurprising to most, raw power.

Fans of Brewers prospects may also be happy to hear that the team was close to placing at least one more prospect in the FanGraphs Top 100. Kevin Goldstein, who was one of three writers to help compile the list, had this to say about a few other Milwaukee prospects on Twitter.

Having three prospects on a Top 100 list would feel almost unheard of for Brewers fans. It goes to show that the team’s draft strategy in recent years has been solid and is starting to be reflected as such in rankings such as these.

By this time next year, the Brewers could in fact have more than just a pair of prospects gracing certain Top 100 lists. It would be a far cry from what fans of the team have been used to seeing.