Milwaukee Brewers: Ranking the 25 Top Prospects of 2023

While Milwaukee Brewers pitchers and catchers are mere days away from reporting to spring training, this time of year brings another team-related activity. It's prospect ranking season!

The quality of prospects down in the Crew's farm system is they highest fans have seen in years. They have a top 10 prospect in all of baseball, several young players (mostly outfielders) who are knocking on the door of the majors, and recent drafts have provided more hope for the future.

With 2022 performances in the books and a new season about to begin, it's time to see how the best of the best Brewers prospects rank going into 2023. Fans probably have a good idea who the top couple players on the list might be, but how do the rest shake out? Let's take a look at the 25 best that the Brewers organization has to offer.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

1. OF Jackson Chourio

What more can we say about young outfield phenom Jackson Chourio at this point? 18 years old, .288 average and .879 OPS with 20+ doubles and homers in his first year of affiliated ball, made it all the way up to Double-A, you know the drill.

Brewers fans aren't the only ones taking notice. Chourio started shooting up prospects boards in the second half of last season and debuted even higher to begin 2023. MLB Pipeline has him as the eighth best prospect in all of baseball while Baseball America has him even higher at No. 3, and may even rank him No. 1 if their top couple graduate early as is expected.

Chourio didn't get to spend much time at Double-A Biloxi last season, so he'll likely be back there again to start 2023. If he continues to show his true five-tool status there, it probably won't be long before he heads to Triple-A Nashville. And then it's just a matter of time before fans see him in a Brewer uniform as one of the very best prospects the team has seen in years.

2. OF Sal Frelick

There is a pretty general consensus as to who the second best prospect in the Brewers system is as well and that would be the 2021 first rounder Sal Frelick. According to MLB Pipeline, it even gives Milwaukee two top 30 prospects in all of baseball.

Frelick has done nothing but hit and get on base since joining the organization. He has a career .331 average and .406 on base percentage in his short minor league career, not to mention 36 steals and nine triples in 154 games, which saw him ascend all the way to Triple-A last season.

That incredible hit tool hasn't gone unnoticed as MLB Pipeline. They grade him out at a 70 in hitting, which gives him the highest rated hit tool among their entire top 100 prospects list. He may not make the 2023 Opening Day roster, but there's good chance his MLB debut won't have to wait much longer than that.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

3. OF Joey Wiemer

Sometimes when ranking prospects you have to balance future ceiling against current MLB readiness. In this case, we're placing quite a bit of value in the former, because when he is at his best, Joey Wiemer looks every bit of a great future major leaguer.

Wiemer stormed his way through the minors in 2021 with a 27 homer, 30 steal, .958 OPS season that earned him the club's minor league player of the year award that season. He started off 2022 in the same fashion before a severe midseason slump slowed things down (though not enough to prevent a promotion to Triple-A).

He ultimately overcame that and finished the season strong, even cutting down his strikeout rate along the way, and posted a solid .256 average and .801 OPS with 21 homers in 2023. His slump from last year put him a bit behind a couple of his outfield prospect companions, but his combination of power, speed, and outfield defense (including his rocket arm) perhaps give him the highest MLB potential among any of them outside of Chourio.

4. OF Garrett Mitchell

Sometimes you theorize a prospect's MLB potential, and other times you get to see a glimpse of it in real time. Last year, fans got to see one center fielder of the future become the center fielder of today when Garrett Mitchell put on the Brewers jersey for the first time toward the end of the season.

Mitchell was drafted by Milwaukee as the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft as the possible heir apparent at center field to Lorenzo Cain, who at that point had two and a half years left on his contract. Cain would be DFA'd last summer and not much longer after that, Mitchell made his debut.

After starting a little slowly, Mitchell started catching on and had himself a solid 28 games. He batted .311, had his first two major league homers, and even added his first career walkoff. He'll need to work on getting his strikeout rate down (41.2%) and it would be nice if he can answer the question about whether he'll ever fully tap in to his in-game raw power. But he showed early that he can get on base and make things happen on the basepaths at the MLB level, something the team can definitely use.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

5. SS Brice Turang

Yet another first rounder graces the top five with 2018 21st overall pick Brice Turang. He has spent the last four years in the system proving he is ready for an MLB roster spot by posting a career .269 average and .363 OBP with two seasons of 30+ steals across all levels of the organization while also providing stellar defense.

The Brewers seemingly solidified his eventual MLB debut by adding him to the 40-man roster last fall in order to protect him from the rule 5 draft. The Crew has a bunch of utility players to fill the now vacant second base position caused by Kolten Wong's trade to Seattle. Turang will get his chance to battle for it in spring training, but even if he doesn't win it early, he'll see the field for the team at some point in 2023.

6. C Jeferson Quero

The Brewers traded for their catcher of the future in William Contreras this offseason. Eventually joining him some day could be prospect Jeferson Quero, who at his young age is already showing all the makings of a solid future major league backstop.

Quero has already put up good offensive numbers for a catcher, batting .290 with a .806 OPS in 118 minor league games that have seen him top out at High-A so far. It's his defense that will carry him the rest of the way, though. He drew rave reviews even before he made it to affiliated ball about his ability to handle a pitching staff and he threw out a whopping 46% of attempted base stealers in Arizona Fall League in 2022.

7. 2B/OF Tyler Black

2021 Competitive Balance A pick Tyler Black was another in a group of players drafted by the Brewers for their ability to hit and get on base. That was exactly what he was doing at High-A Wisconsin last season, hitting .281 with a .406 OBP in 64 games before a wrist injury suffered on a diving play in the outfield ended his season.

Black took part in Arizona Fall League after his injury healed and came back from a slow start to hit .279 with a .413 OBP in 17 games. His ability to hit and get on base as well as play both infield and outfield bode well for his future MLB prospects, especially for a team like Milwaukee who love positional versatility.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

8. LHP Robert Gasser

Now the only piece remaining from the infamous Josh Hader trade at last year's deadline, Robert Gasser has already become the top ranked pitching prospect in the Brewers organization. And it may not be that long before fans see him in the big leagues.

The Brewers gave the 23-year-old his first taste of Double-A and Triple-A after the trade to see what they had and the results weren't bad with a combined 3.47 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts per nine innings over nine starts. MLB Pipeline grades his fastball, slider, and changeup all as above average pitches, which will hopefully help land him in the Crew's starting rotation some day.

9. RHP Jacob Misiorowski

Our first of two 2022 draftees in a row is actually the Brewers' second round pick in pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. Following in the footsteps of Aaron Ashby by way of Crowder College, prospect lists are seeing a ton of potential in the 6'7" southpaw.

Misiorowski has a 70-grade fastball that touches 100 mph and a solid slider, a great repertoire for a future high leverage reliever, though it hasn't been officially decided what his future role will be. He only got to pitch a quick 1.2 innings with Low-A Carolina after being drafted last year, so that's likely where he'll begin 2023 as well unless Milwaukee pushes him up a level just due to his potential.

10. SS Eric Brown Jr.

Brewers fans love infielders with funky batting stances (Hello, Craig Counsell) and they got another one of those with the team's 2022 first rounder, shortstop Eric Brown Jr. And despite all the noise in his stance and swing, all he has done is hit and get on base in his college and brief pro career.

Brown Jr. had a .306/.431/.501 slash line in three years at Coastal Carolina, then went and slashed .262/.370/.441 while going 15-for-17 in stolen bases across 23 games with Low-A Carolina. He is an above average defender as well, giving the organization more depth at shortstop, which they seem to love. It will be interesting going forward to see if the team tries to adjust his pre-swing setup or let him continue to roll with what's worked for him.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

14. OF Hendry Mendez

Outfielder Hendry Mendez is another international signee with a bunch of hitting potential who got to show it off two years ago at the rookie leagues. He combined to hit .316 with a .879 OPS in 40 games across the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex.

His averaged dropped to .244 upon reaching Low-A Carolina last season, though he kept a solid .357 OBP over 105 games, largely due to walking (62) nearly as many times as he struck out (70). His slugging also dropped significantly (.470 in 2021 to .318 in 2022) so he will need to bring that back up after a year to adjust to affiliated ball in order to reach his full potential.

15. 2B Robert Moore

Another 2022 pick graces our top 25 with Competitive Balance B pick Robert Moore. The son of Kansas City Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore came to the Brewers with a reputation as an above average defender with decent hit skills.

Moore proved that to be true early with a solid 27-game run at Low-A Carolina (.264/.352/.418), but he really poured it on while playing down under with the Brisbane Bandits this winter. In 40 games there, he slashed an impressive .294/.378/.516 while belting eight homers and driving in 33. His baseball instincts could allow him to ascend the system more quickly than expected.

16. SS Daniel Guilarte

Sneaking into the Brewers top prospect list a little bit last year was shortstop Daniel Guilarte, an international signee out of Venezuela from the same class as Chourio. He did so on the back of a strong performance at the Arizona Complex last summer.

Guilarte hit .307 with a .403 OBP in 36 games while also being successful in eight of 11 stolen base attempts. MLB Pipeline gives the infielder 60 grades in his arm and speed with a 55 grade in defense, qualities that will play especially if he continues to get on base at his current rate. He should make his way to Low-A Carolina in 2023.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

17. SS Freddy Zamora

Poor Freddy Zamora just hasn't been able to catch a break from the injury bug over the past few years. After the Brewers drafted him in 2020 despite him missing that entire season with an ACL tear, he would play just 24 games in 2022 as a result of a shoulder injury.

In between those two years, however, Zamora had an impressive 2021 at both Low-A and High-A where he slashed a combined .300/.404/.421 with 22 doubles in 92 games. Combine that with the fact that he is one of the most talented defensive players in the system and he should still have plenty of potential as long as he returns well from his injury.

18. RHP Janson Junk

Just our second player on the list to be acquired from outside the organization, Janson Junk came to the Brewers this offseason as part of the trade that sent outfielder Hunter Renfroe to the Los Angeles Angels. Though he has just seven games of major league experience, he should end up contrbuting for the Crew right away.

For his minor league career, Junk has a 19-24 record with a 4.03 ERA. MLB Pipeline gives him 55 grades on his fastball, a four-seamer, and slider, as well as his control, which is a much less teachable quality. Even if it's not right away this season, he should factor into the team's future starting rotation equation.

19. RHP Carlos Rodriguez

It's not every day you see a top prospect list with two players that have the same name, yet here we are in 2023. Our first Carlos Rodriguez to appear on the top 25 is a pitcher who was selected by the Brewers in the 6th round in the 2021 draft who went on to make a strong name for himself during his professional debut in 2022.

Pitching for both Low-A and High-A last season, Rodriguez put together a 6-5 record, a 3.01 ERA, and a 10.8 K/9 in 26 games (20 starts), all of which earning him the organizations minor league pitcher of the year award for 2022. His fastball-changeup combo worked at the A levels, we'll see what it does against stiffer competition at Double-A at some point in 2023.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

20. SS Eduardo Garcia

Once a top 10 prospect in the system as recently as 2021, shortstop Eduardo Garcia slipped in the rankings over the past year, partially due to an influx of new talent and partially because of a down year in 2022 that saw his strikeout rate rise all the way to 33.8% in his first full year of affiliated ball.

In all fairness, Garcia was just 19 when last season began and was coming off a 46-game season that saw him put up an .824 OPS at the Arizona Complex plus a brief cup of coffee at Carolina. He is still a very talented defender with an early history of hitting. As long as he adjusts to pro ball and regains some discipline at the plate, he can get things back on track.

21. RHP Cam Robinson

Yet another prospect who was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster last fall to protect him from the rule 5 draft, Cam Robinson had himself quite a year in his age 22 season. The 23rd rounder from the 2017 draft made the rare three-affiliate stop in 2022, starting the season at High-A and finishing at Triple-A.

The result was a 2.49 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, and 11.6 K/9 over 52 relief appearances. HIs fastball-curveball combination is what gives batters fits and there's a chance that, like Uribe, Brewers fans get to see it in person for some short stints in the big leagues this season.

22. INF Felix Valerio

After vaulting himself on to the team's top prospect lists with a very strong 2021 season, infielder Felix Valerio took a step back in 2022 in his first season at the Double-A level. In playing almost the same amount of games in 2021 versus 2022 (114 vs. 113), his average dropped 62 points while his OPS dropped another 70.

There are still some bright spots to consider, though. Valerio continued to show a surprising amount of pop, slugging 12 homers out of his 5'7" frame after knocking out 11 the year before while also only striking out at a 16.7% rate. Expect to see him back at Double-A looking to get his contact skills back to normal.

Here are the 25 Top Brewers Prospects for the 2023 season.

23. OF Jace Avina

Drafted out of high school as a 14th rounder in the 2021 draft, outfielder Jace Avina made his pro debut last season and impressed right away with the loudness of his bat at the Arizona Complex. In just 36 games there he collected eight doubles, a triple, and 10 homers, which was good for a 1.067 OPS.

As a result, Avina was able to make it to Carolina for 28 games where he slugged another four doubles, two triples, and five homers, though his average dropped from .294 to .245. He already has some of the best power in the bottom half of the minors and at just 19 years old, it's scary to think that it could only continue to develop.

24. SS/3B Johan Barrios

Though he was signed as a shortstop two winters ago, Johan Barrios is being listed at third base here as well considering he played far more games there (23) than he did at short (8) in his first taste of pro ball last season.

Regardless of what position he ends up at, his bat did more of the talking than his defense in 2022 as he hit .292 with a .351 OBP over 34 games in the Dominican Summer League. He didn't show much power there but could develop it as he just turned 18 last month.

25. OF Carlos Rodriguez

And with our final spot on the top 25 we also see our second Carlos Rodriguez, this time referring to the outfield prospect who was signed in the summer of 2017 out of Venezuela. Unfortunately, he was another prospect to have his 2022 season cut short, playing just 42 games with High-A Wisconsin before an ACL injury ended his season.

Leading up to that, he had shown himself to be one of the better hitters in the system, with a .294 career average and .348 OBP in 240 games. It's unlikely he'll develop much power, but he plays a solid outfield as well, which should keep him rising through the system if he continues to hit after his injury.

It won't be long before a good chunk of these prospects are out on the field for the Brewers during spring training. At their current paces, a few may even be on the field for the Crew during the regular season as well.