3 observations from MLB Pipeline's 2024 preseason Top 30 Brewers prospects list

In late January, Milwaukee Brewers fans got their first look at what the top of MLB Pipeline's rankings of the team's prospects would look like when they released their list of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball. Four Brewers players ended up making that list.

While that served as a preview of what the first four members of Milwaukee's top 30 list would look like, fans would have to wait quite a while for the full reveal. That wait is now over as on Tuesday, MLB Pipeline released their list of the top 30 prospects in the Brewers organization.

Every year we see graduations, additions, risers, and fallers on one of the more popular prospect rankings out there. Also, every year we like to give some our observations on the initial MLB Pipeline rankings of the year, which we're doing once again here in 2024.

Here are three observations from MLB Pipeline's ranking of the top 30 prospects in the Brewers organization.

1. The Brewers have a good mix of MLB ready players and young, developable talent.

Last year around this time, the top of the Brewers prospect rankings featured a wave of young players all set to make an impact for Milwaukee. This year is a bit like deja vu as the next wave probably isn't very far away from contributing themselves.

It's very likely that, at worst, five of the top six Brewers prospects on the top 30 list end up playing for the Brewers at some point in 2024. Looking past that, you could make the case that another three to four players could sneak their way on that list as well.

It's not just players close to the bigs on the top 30 list, however. 12 of the top 30 Brewers prospects are age 19 or younger (though one of them, amazingly, is top prospect Jackson Chourio, who probably graduates quickly). So as players graduate from the list, the depth in the organization will continue to be strong.

2. The Brewers finally have some corner infield depth among their top prospects!

As many Brewers fans are painfully aware, it has been a long time since the team has had any sort of depth at either of the corner infield spots. Well those dark times are over because there is plenty of representation on the newest top 30 list.

A whopping eight prospects have third base listed as one of their positions by MLB Pipeline. The group is led by top 10 prospects Brock Wilken and Tyler Black and also includes Eric Bitonti, Mike Boeve, Luke Adams, Oliver Dunn, Jadher Areinamo, and Juan Baez.

While the first basemen isn't as heavily represented, it's still featured more on the list than in recent years by a trio of players that includes Black, Adams, and Wes Clarke. While not all of these players may reach the majors with the Brewers, it's nice to know that at some point they might not need to go external to fill a corner infield spot or two in the future.

3. Meanwhile, there aren't as many highly ranked outfielders as Brewers fans have been used to.

At the start of 2023, the top of the Brewers prospect rankings were packed with outfielders. When Chourio joins graduates Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, and Joey Wiemer, not only will the top five be empty of outfielders for the first time in several years, but the top 30 won't have many of them either.

After Chourio, you have No. 9 Luis Lara, No. 11 Yophery Rodriguez, No. 21 Dylan O'Rae (who is primarily an infielder), and No. 28 Pedro Ibarguen (who was also signed as an infielder but has played everywhere). Thankfully, Milwaukee's current outfield group should be around for a long time which will give them time to replenish their depth at the position.