Brewers: 5 Top Prospects To Keep A Close Eye On In Spring Training

Brewers Prospect To Watch #4: OF Joey Wiemer

The future in right field for the Brewers belongs to Joey Wiemer. Of the Crew's bevy of outfield prospects, Wiemer is the one best suited to take over right field. He has a bazooka of a throwing arm with 13 outfield assists last season. He's also a classic power bat that fits the offensive profile you want in a corner outfielder.

It just so happens that the Brewers previous power hitting, bazooka throwing right fielder, Hunter Renfroe, was traded away over the offseason. Now that job is up for grabs.

The big league roster has a couple of options. Tyrone Taylor is the favorite to get the job for Opening Day with Brian Anderson splitting some time out there as well. That's about it. The Brewers signed Tyler Naquin a few days ago and he's an experienced right fielder that could crack the roster. Naquin, however, is a short term plug. The long term plan and goal is for Joey Wiemer to take over. How quickly that happens though, is up to Wiemer.

Wiemer broke out in a big way in 2021 and continued to play well in 2022. He dealt with a bit of a slump in Double-A Biloxi though and his strikeout rate was around 30%, which is concerning. Upon his promotion to Triple-A, that strikeout rate was brought down to around 19%, which is much better. Whether he can sustain that lower strikeout rate remains to be seen. With all the noise and movement in Wiemer's swing, there's a good chance he'll have some swing and miss in his game.

If Wiemer starts out hot in spring training, that could push up his timeline to earning a roster spot. He isn't currently on the 40 man roster, but if he just keeps hitting, the Brewers will have no choice but to call him up.

Provided all goes well with his hit tool and cutting down on the strikeouts, the Brewers could have essentially a younger, faster version of Hunter Renfroe. Watch him closely because how he looks in spring training will determine how much more seasoning he'll need in Triple-A before he gets the call.