Jesús Made and Luis Peña don't skip a beat in impressive Timber Rattlers debuts

Atop their prospect rankings list, curated by MLB Pipeline, the Milwaukee Brewers have two teenage infielders that are turning heads with their performances in the organization’s minor league system. 18-year-olds Jesús Made and Luis Peña, each of whom hail from the Dominican Republic, have been a major talking point of the Brewers ' farm system since bursting onto the scene in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) last year.

A year removed from their breakout seasons in the DSL, Made and Peña continue to play side-by-side, but now for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. In one year, they have both skipped the Arizona Complex League, proven their 2024 seasons were no fluke while tearing up the Carolina League with the Low-A Carolina Mudcats, and earned promotions to High-A, where they now make up half of the T-Rats' infield.

On Tuesday night, the hype train kept on rolling as both Made and Peña put on impressive displays in their High-A debuts. Despite being some of the youngest players in High-A (Made is the youngest player at the level), neither of the Brewers’ top prospects looked overmatched by their new challenge. In fact, they both collected an extra-base hit.

Brewers' top prospects, Jesús Made and Luis Peña, continue to impress with head-turning High-A debuts

Timber Rattlers' manager Victor Estevez had Made leading off and playing shortstop last night, while Peña manned second base and batted second in the lineup. With the T-Rats as the away team, playing against the Peoria Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals' High-A affiliate, fans didn't have to wait long to see Made and Peña take their first swings at the High-A level.

Facing the Brewers' 2024 7th round pick Mason Molina, who they traded to the Texas Rangers for Grant Anderson this past offseason, Made led the game off with a strikeout, something that he didn't do often in the DSL a season ago, but has done with more frequency this season. However, the next batter, Peña, sent a center-cut fastball well over the left field fence for a solo home run in his first High-A at-bat. Peña's power has been on full display this season; after hitting just one homer in 44 games in the DSL last season, Peña now has seven in 72 games between Low-A and High-A this year.

Molina, who was traded from the Rangers to the Cardinals in a deal that sent Phil Maton to Texas at last week's trade deadline, is the Cardinals' No. 26-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, representing the improvement in pitching competition that Made and Peña are set to face after their recent promotion. For Peña, that change mattered not.

Made got his moment later in the game. With the score tied at two to start the 7th inning, the Timber Rattlers' nine hitter Kay-Lan Nicasia led off the inning with a single to center, turning the lineup over to Made with a runner on base. Made roped a triple down the right field line, scoring Nicasia and giving the T-Rats a 3-2 lead.

Despite Made striking out three times in the game, his go-ahead RBI triple in the 7th inning not only displayed his elite speed but also demonstrated his advanced plate coverage. His triple came on the 10th pitch of a battle with Peoria's pitcher Dominic Picone. Made fought off five pitches before Picone left one over the plate, and the Brewers' top prospect jumped on it, collecting his first extra-base hit in a Timber Rattlers uniform.

With a first-inning home run from Peña and a go-ahead RBI triple from Made late in the game, it's fair to say that the Brewers top prospects did not disappoint in their High-A debuts. Unfortunately, Made and Peña won't make their home debuts for the T-Rats until next Tuesday, August 12, so fans will have to wait nearly a week to catch a glimpse of the Brewers' future in the Fox Cities.