3 Brewers starting pitching prospects that have earned late season promotions

Not only do the Milwaukee Brewers hold the best record in all of MLB, but according to Baseball America, they also currently have the best farm system. It's a rare combination, as having a strong big league club generally means sacrificing prospect talent, but the Brewers have prioritized depth throughout their organization over the last few years, emphasizing a detailed draft strategy and pouring resources into the development of their prospects.

It's certainly paying off for Milwaukee, whose prospect promotions have been the talk of the town over the last few weeks. The promotions of top prospects Jesús Made and Luis Peña, who were quickly joined by 2025 first-round pick Andrew Fischer and breakout prospect Josh Adamczewski, have completely reshaped the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' infield. Former top prospect Hedbert Pérez recently joined the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers, continuing what has been a career resurgence for the 22-year-old outfielder in 2025.

But the Brewers' prospect promotions shouldn't end there; there are plenty of players who have earned a shot at the next level. Sure, the minor league season is coming to a close, but that means it's an excellent opportunity to give some talented prospects exposure to better competition before the season ends.

1. RHP Manuel Rodriguez

Rodriguez is an interesting one as he is only 20 years old and already in High-A with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He has moved up the ranks pretty fast, and it's not hard to see why. So far for the Timber Rattlers this season, he's tossed 66.2 innings to go along with a 2.97 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, 64 strikeouts, and just 12 walks — impressive numbers for a young prospect like him.

However, despite being just 20 years old, Rodriguez, who signed with the Brewers back in 2022, already has four years of professional baseball experience under his belt. He played all of last season for the Carolina Mudcats, making 18 starts and posting a 3.23 ERA. Now, after spending all of 2025 in High-A, he has more than enough experience for the Brewers to give him a promotion to Double-A.

It's possible that the Brewers elect to add Rodriguez to the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers’ roster ahead of their postseason push. Rodriguez could serve as a valuable starter or long relief option for the Shuckers down the stretch.

2. RHP Bishop Letson

Like Rodriguez, Letson is also 20 years old and is one of the more interesting pitching prospects in the Brewers' farm system. A midseason injury caused him to miss significant time on the injured list this year, but when he has pitched, Letson has dominated the competition.

Pitching for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Letson has started seven games but appeared in eight, covered 31 innings, and posted a 1.45 ERA. He carries an excellent 0.87 WHIP, to go along with 35 strikeouts and seven walks.

A 2023 11th round pick, Letson has been one of the best success stories from the Brewers’ recent drafts. He's climbed all the way to the seventh spot on MLB Pipeline's rankings of the Top 30 Brewers prospects, and is the second highest ranked pitching prospect behind Logan Henderson.

The main thing holding Letson back from a promotion to Double-A is his lack of experience, caused in large part by injuries. He made just 14 starts for the Carolina Mudcats a season ago, meaning he has just 21 professional starts under his belt. While his performance certainly suggests that he's ready for the next stage, it's possible the Brewers elect to give him some more time at the High-A level.

3. RHP Melvin Hernandez

Melvin Hernandez is just 19 years old, but he's already pitching in his third season of professional baseball. After spending the 2023 season in the Dominican Summer League and most of the 2024 season in the Arizona Complex League, it appears as if the Brewers are taking things slow with their talented young right-hander, but with his impressive performance in Low-A this year, Hernandez might not be leaving them much of a choice.

He's made 22 appearances, 15 starts, for the Low-A Carolina Mudcats this season and posted a sparkling 2.13 ERA. He doesn't have huge strikeout numbers, just 87 in 110 innings pitched, but he excels at keeping the ball in the ballpark and rarely surrenders a walk.

Hernandez finished the 2024 season with the Mudcats as well, so he has plenty of experience and nothing left to prove at the Low-A level. If one of the other two names on this list gets promoted to Double-A, expect Hernandez to be one of the leading candidates to replace them on the Timber Rattlers' roster.