Overlooked Brewers’ infield prospect posts impressive hit streak to start 2026 season

Chock-full of talented infield prospects, the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system has consistently been named the best in baseball ahead of the 2026 season. A quartet of infielders tops MLB Pipeline's rankings of the best prospects in the Brewers' system: Jesús Made, who could soon earn the title of the "top prospect in baseball," Luis Peña, Jett Williams, and Cooper Pratt, who is the recent recipient of an eight-year, $50.75 million contract.

That group of four, all of whom find themselves on Pipeline's list of the Top 100 prospects in baseball, rightfully grab much of the attention on the Brewers' minor league affiliates. However, what separates the Brewers' farm system from other teams' prospect groups is the depth of talent that Milwaukee possesses. Yes, it helps to have six Top 100 prospects (Brandon Sproat and Andrew Fischer also hold a spot on Pipeline's coveted list), but everywhere you look in the Brewers' minor league system, there's a talented player, or one whose potential leads to excitement among prospect evaluators.

One such player, whose name might get lost in the shuffle with teammates like Made and slugging first baseman Blake Burke making headlines for the Brewers' Double-A affiliate, the Biloxi Shuckers, is infielder Dylan O'Rae. A 2022 third-round pick out of Northern Collegiate High School in Sarnia, Ontario, O'Rae by no means came out of nowhere. In fact, he was a fixture on Pipeline's Top 30 Brewers prospects list for two years following his selection, climbing as high as 21st in the rankings.

However, after missing the entire 2025 season with a wrist injury that required surgical repair, O'Rae may have fallen off the radars of many Brewers fans, just as he fell off of Pipeline's Top 30 Brewers prospects list. Now, he's back playing for the Shuckers, and his early-season results prove that he should not be written off simply because he missed the 2025 campaign.

Dylan O'Rae's early-season success further proves Brewers' farm system's incredible depth of talent

With two singles in Sunday afternoon's loss to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Miami Marlins' Double-A affiliate, the left-handed hitting O'Rae extended his hit streak to eight games. He's recorded three multi-hit games during that span and 11 total hits, which trails only Made on the Shuckers' roster. Of those 11 hits, just one -- a triple last Tuesday -- has gone for extra bases, resulting in a slash line of .367/.500/.433 for O'Rae through his first eight games of the season.

The 22-year-old O'Rae has only played second base -- opposite Made at shortstop -- so far for the Shuckers this year. However, he has the ability to cover both shortstop and centerfield, where he makes use of his elite speed, as well.

O'Rae is the quintessential Brewers' player: he stands at 5'7" tall, makes a ton of contact at the plate, doesn't hit for much power, is always a threat to swipe a bag, and plays above-average defense. He's found a great deal of success throughout his professional career with his scrappy profile. Outside of his second-half stint with the Shuckers back in 2024, O'Rae has consistently posted high batting averages and eye-popping on-base numbers. Pair that with the fact that O'Rae has swiped 116 bags in 203 career minor league games, and it's not difficult to see why the Brewers liked him as a draft prospect.

There are a number of reasons to tune into a Shuckers game this season, from Made's showstopping talent, to Burke's prolific power, to the talent-filled starting rotation. However, in the process of watching the Brewers' Double-A affiliate, you are also likely to see the scrappy O'Rae reach base and swipe a bag or two once he does so.

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