Future Redbirds

A couple of things never go out of style–Rollie Fingers mustache and the Ball in Glove logo. I like that they’ve brought the latter back, now we just need to see Eric Gagne rock one of those ’staches instead of that ugly goatee thing he has.

MLB ready prospects:

Manny Parra, 25 year old LHP
Zach Jackson, 24 year old LHP

Manny Parra has been a long time coming. In 2005 he had surgery on a torn rotator cuff, now is fully healed. He posted a nifty 2.74 FIP in 80.2 innings in AA, then in AAA he had a 3.12. He was also pretty sharp in his big league debut. There is a good chance of him breaking camp in the big league rotation. Parra looks to be a solid #3 pitcher behind Sheets and Gallardo. He misses bats at a good clip (over 24% K/PA between AA and AAA, 22% in majors. It’s rather notable that he saw a sharp decline in his ground ball rate upon each promotion-48% in AA, 38% in AAA, 35% in the majors. Zach Jackson is more cut out for situational relief work. Southpaws hit just .224/.325/.322 against him, but right handed batters hit .304/.366/.463.

Near ready prospects:

Matt LaPorta, 22 year old LF
Alcides Escobar, 21 year old SS
Cole Gillespie, 23 year old LF
Brendan Katin, 24 year old RF

You all know about LaPorta by now; he’s a big time power hitter and a DH trying to play LF. Alcides Escobar has received glowing reports on his defense. He’s also an adept base stealer, nabbing 54 bases and getting caught just 6 times. On the negative, he walked only 18 times in 532 plate appearances and has no power whatsoever to speak of. Cole Gillespie is a very patient hitter with moderate power, but with LaPorta in left field and Hart in right he has no place to play. Brendan Katin has very good power to go with a strong throwing arm, which BA as the best in the Brewer system. The bad news: he strikes out a ton- 112 times in 450 at bats last season in the FSL and 163 times in 450 at bats in AA this season. He’ll never hit for AVG and he doesn’t walk enough to compensate, but he’s got the power and that cannon of an arm. In other words, he’s the Brewer version of Rick Ankiel without the interesting story.

Prospects 2 or More Years Away:

Angel Salome, 21 year old C
Jeremy Jeffress, 20 year old RHP
Mat Gamel, 22 year old 3B?
Brent Brewer, 20 year old SS
Zach Braddock, 20 year old LHP

Salome and Jeffress are the Cheech and Chong of the system. Jeffress has been busted for chiefin’ the reefer on four different occasions. Salome was busted for PEDs and some blamed it on the drugs he’s taking for his ADD. Both are in the middle of serving 50 game suspensions. Salome’s peak translated line comes out to a nifty .304/.331/.465. He threw out just 13% base stealers despite having a strong arm. He also could stand to walk more. Jeffress has hit 100 on the gun a few times, and lives in the mid-nineties. He doesn’t have the best control, walking 44 in 86.1 IP. Mat Gamel had a peak translated EqA of .285 from last season, showing he can hit. But he can’t field. I’m not usually one for errors being a sign of whether or not a fielder is any good or not, but he committed 53 (!!!) errors at 3B last season, the most of any players in the minors. Brent Brewer is so soopah-bad, they named the team after him. He’s an all tools/iffy skills guy at this point. He committed 48 errors, the most of any SS in the minors. He also struck out 170 times. Regardless, he has a lot of potential in the power department and some wheels. BA rated him the best athlete in the system. He just needs to turn that athleticism into skills now. Zach Braddock is a distant relative of the real life Cinderella Man James Braddock. His numbers in low A were a knockout, 37.2% K/PA and a 1.95 FIP. (Bad pun.)

Honorable mention: Lorenzo Cain, 21 year old RF Caleb Gindl, 18 year old OF, Taylor Green, 21 year old 3B, Michael Brantley, 20 year old LF, Jonathan Lucroy, 21 year old C, Alexandre Periard, 20 year old RHP, Mark Rogers, 21 year old RHP, Robert Bryson, 19 year old RHP, and R.J. Siedel, 19 year old RHP.

The Crew have amassed some pretty outstanding talent over the years, graduating Yovani Gallardo and Ryan Braun past this year, and in recent seasons Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart, and Carlos Villanueva. But did you notice a recurring theme with some of the hitters? LaPorta, Gamel, Brewer, Salome all have strong hitting potential but are weak fielders. Fielder is anything but a fielder at 1B, Braun was by far the worst fielder in the game despite having a Pujolsian-type of rookie year, and Rickie Weeks was terrible at the keystone. The trio of Weeks, Fielder and Braun were a collective -73 plays below average according to John Dewan’s +/- system, and you could argue it cost the Brewers a playoff birth. In the minors they have two infielders who combined for 101 errors. And for the first pick of the draft, they take another slugging yet defensively challenged 1B, with hopes of moving him to the OF. Does Melvin and Co. really have that little regard for defense?

All in all, this system is thinner then it has been in a while, but you can’t really complain about a farm that will graduate a pitcher like Parra this year and LaPorta the next. They are about the Cardinals equal when it comes to hitting prospects but are lagging behind in pitching. By my estimate, they are below the Cards in overall talent, but again that’s just the minors. When you stack their 25 year old or younger players with the Cards, it’s all Milwaukee.

–Baseball America Top 10 Brewers Prospects
–Brewerfan.net Future 50
–First Inning Top Brewer Prospects
–Davenport Translations