This Brewers Outfield Prospect Is Quietly Reaching Jackson Chourio's Level

Jackson Chourio is all the rage in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system and is the number one prospect in baseball. However, the Brewers have another prospect quietly playing on his level in Luis Lara.

Luis Lara is currently the Milwaukee Brewers 12th ranked prospect with an estimated arrival date of 2028. At just 18 years old, Lara is having the type of season thus far that deserves a label like "phenom".

Luis Lara is currently playing for the Milwaukee Brewers single A affiliate Carolina Mudcats and is having a fantastic sophomore season in pro ball. Lara won't be 19 until November and is going to be hot on the heels of Jackson Chourio to rocket through the Brewers minor league organization.

In his first season in the minor leagues, playing in the Dominican Summer League, Luis Lara played 58 games and registered 200 at bats. Lara posted a .260 batting average, .341 on base percentage and .385 slugging percentage combining for a .726 OPS.

Lara drew 21 walks, struck out 28 times (14.0 percent strikeout percentage). and drove in 21 runs. He isn't a home run threat though, as he hit just two long balls in his 200 at bats.

So far in 2023, as a member of the Carolina Mudcats, Luis Lara is batting .330, has an on base percentage of .455 and is slugging .400. Lara is still not a home run threat, just one over the fence in 115 at bats so far, but the .455 on base percentage is extremely impressive.

Lara has drawn 25 walks already and struck out just 14 times (9.8 percent strikeout percentage). So thus far, Lara is walking more, striking out less, hitting better, getting on base more and slugging just a bit better. Improved in essentially every aspect of his game in his second season.

How does Luis Lara compare to Jackson Chourio?

Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal tweeted after Luis Lara had a 4 for 5 game, compared his season to Jackson Chourio's statistics when he was in A-ball. Lara's numbers look quite similar, slightly higher batting average (.330 for Lara, .326 for Chourio). Lara this season has a much higher on base percentage than Chourio in single A (.455 to .373) with Chourio having a solid advantage in slugging (.600 to .400). Hogg also notes that Lara is drawing more walks than Chourio did (17.4 percent to 7.7 percent) and striking out significantly less (9.8 percent by Lara to 28.0 percent by Chourio).

Luis Lara may never be a threat to hit the long ball, but looking hat his batting average and on base percentage both being very high, Lara may make a great leadoff hitter when he arrives in Milwaukee.

Could Luis Lara model his game after a short tenured, former Milwaukee Brewer?

Lara may be described as a better batting style of player like Esteury Ruiz, whom the Milwaukee Brewers traded away this past offseason in the deal that netted them William Contreras. Ruiz has hit just one home run this season but has wreaked a bunch of havoc on the bases, Lara could model his game similarly.

So far in 32 games with the Mudcats, Lara has 11 stolen bases. Ruiz has 35 stolen bases in 70 games, so Lara isn't terribly far off the pace Ruiz is on, albeit at a much higher level.