Brewers Weekly Prospect Watch: Checking in on the top 10 prospects

Can you believe that the baseball season is already close to being halfway over? Well, the minor league season is, anyway.

The A-level affiliates are all approaching their halfway point and there has been plenty to get excited about all across the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system. The Low-A Carolina Mudcats and High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in particular are trying to secure first half championships in their respective leagues, which would secure playoff spots for each team.

Considering where we are in the season, it feels like a perfect time to check in on the performance of the top 10 Brewers prospects as defined by MLB Pipeline. This is a group, by the way, that no longer includes Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz, who both are doing their thing in the majors and have graduated.

Performances for this group of Brewers prospects are wide ranging. Some have excelled while others have fallen short of expectations early, assuming they haven't been too injured to even play. Let's check in on this crew, starting with the top prospect in the Milwaukee system.

1. Jacob Misiorowski - RHP

When Chourio graduated from the Brewers' top 10 prospects list, pitcher Jacob Misiorowski took on the title of top prospect in the organization. He has mostly lived up to that title as a member of the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers.

Misiorowski briefly touched Double-A to end his second season in professional ball last year but has been there all of 2024 so far. He has looked much more settled in at the level to begin this year as he has started 11 games and has compiled a 2.98 ERA and 1.441 WHIP over 42.1 innings.

The tall, fireballing righty is still blowing plenty of hitters away at a rate of 12.54 strikeouts per nine innings and is limiting hits, holding batters to a .191 average. His walk rate remains quite high, though, at 6.8 BB/9. If the Brewers want him to remain as a starter, he'll have to start dialing that in at some point, though if he eventually ends up in Milwaukee as a dominant reliever, fans would probably be fine with that.

5. Brock Wilken - 3B

After a strong start to his professional career in 2023 that saw him jump all the way to Double-A in less than two months, 2024 did not get off to as fun of a start for third baseman Brock Wilken. Just five games into this season, last year's 18th overall pick was hit in the face by a pitch and immediately headed to the injured list.

Considering the nature of the injury, it's lucky that Wilken ended up missing less than a month, but it still caused him to miss some valuable playing time. Back in the full swing of things, the 21-year-old hasn't been quite as hot as last year, slashing .227/.297/.371 with seven doubles and four homers in 35 games. Things have looked a little better in June with hits in four of seven games so hopefully the breakout is right around the corner.

6. Carlos F. Rodriguez - RHP

Reaching Triple-A for the first time in his career to begin 2024, Brewers pitching prospect and potential starting pitching depth piece Carlos Rodriguez struggled at first in his new home. In six starts through the end of April, the righty was sitting with a 8.13 ERA and had given up three or more runs in every one of his starts.

Apparently a turn of the page on the calendar was all he needed because in his next six starts, he would give up three or fewer in all of them, dropping his ERA on the season to 5.17. That was apparently exactly what the team needed to see as it has been reported he will make his first career MLB start with the Brewers on Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

7. Luis Lara - OF

One of the best stories of the minor league season for the Brewers in 2023 was that of outfielder Luis Lara. The then 18-year-old hit affiliated ball for the first time, playing for both Carolina and Wisconsin and combining to hit .286 with a .732 OPS in 87 games.

Lara has begun this season back with Wisconsin and while his numbers are down a little from last year, it's not by much and still good for a player his age at a .259/.346/.323 slash line in 42 games. His strikeout rate and defense have still stayed in a good spot so there's not much to be concerned about, he just needs time to continue to develop.

8. Cooper Pratt - SS

The Brewers made it their mission to sign shortstop Cooper Pratt away from his college commitment when they drafted him in the sixth round last summer. They were successful and it's already looking like a match made in heaven.

Pratt is getting his first taste of affiliated ball with Carolina in 2024 and is already giving pitchers fits. He is slashing an impressive .291/.398/.397 with six doubles, two triples, and two homers while also stealing 13 bases in 14 attempts, all at just 19 years old.

9. Yophery Rodriguez - OF

The prize of the 2022-23 international signing class, outfielder Yophery Rodriguez is also in Carolina for the first time in his career and is even younger than Pratt at 18 years old. And like his teammate, Rodriguez has been a terror at the plate.

The youngster has slashed .265/.361/.444 in 51 games with plenty of extra base hits - 11 doubles, six triples, and four homers. His doubles and triples, as well as his 35 RBIs, all lead the Mudcats for the season. As if the future of the Brewers outfield wasn't bright enough.

10. Eric Brown Jr. - SS

The Brewers' first-round pick back in 2022, shortstop Eric Brown Jr. has been hit with nagging injuries throughout his minor league career but has still managed to make it up to the Double-A level. Unfortunately, 2024 hasn't been going his way at all.

Brown Jr. has slashed a lowly .156/.229/.214 in 40 games and has six doubles to go with a lone home run. He has continued to provide stellar defense at both the shortstop and second base positions, but that will only matter so much if he doesn't figure out what's ailing him at the plate.