2025 Brewers Minors/Prospects thread - Andrew Fischer - FRP

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Pratt's on the fast-track. He probably spends most of next season in AA before a callup to AAA in August. If the Brewers sign a one year stop gap next season, we're probably looking at a Turang/Ortiz/Pratt infield in '26.

[ReasonablySober]

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Free game if you want to watch Biloxi try and make it to the semis.

[Matches Malone]

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Montgomery just kicking the **** out of the Shuckers.

[ReasonablySober]

Next stop, the AFL.

[MVP2110]

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Kenny Fenelon - OF

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Year after year, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, churns out a staggering amount of talented ball players. The 2025 class hailing from the country’s capital stands out for its depth and upside, personified by Fenelon, who possesses an immense power-speed combination. In addition to training with Ysbel Medina, Fenelon has learned English and drawn effusive praise from evaluators for his off-the-field makeup.

Fenelon boasts a right-handed swing that is geared to drive the ball. Rocking back on his right leg, he uses his left leg as a timing mechanism. When coupled with a swing that can feature some significant uppercut, he unleashes some powerful cuts that allow him to tap into his easy plus raw power. His all-around athleticism will be a factor on the basepaths as well, and his speed should seamlessly adapt to the increased focus that the pro game has placed on stealing bases.

For as much hype as his offensive prowess generates, Fenelon is also regarded as an excellent defender in center. He utilizes his in-game instincts and savvy routes to the ball to help his overall skill set play up, and evaluators envision him holding down the spot in the long-term.

Braylin Antunez - OF

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Jackson Chourio has put Maracaibo, Venezuela, on the map for modern ballplayers, having gone from a top international prospect in 2021 to a NL Rookie of the Year candidate in ‘24. Antunez, who has been a long sought-after member of the 2025 class, was born and trains in the same northwestern Venezuelan state and boasts a similarly advanced gift to impact the game with both his bat and wheels. He trains with Emiro Barboza at Go Pro Baseball, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

Equipped with a repeatable right-handed swing that features an up/down front leg kick to tap into his extra-base pop, Antunez has shown an ability to pepper the ball to all parts of the field on the amateur circuit. He boasts a selective eye and is known for stringing together competitive at-bats. While his bat is quick through the zone, his stroke can get long at times, a side effect of attempting to drive the ball to the gaps with an increased frequency.

Originally an infielder during his younger years, Antunez has made the shift to the grass and taken to it with aplomb. His high-energy style fits well in center, although his overall athleticism could make him a dynamic fit at a multitude of positions as his body continues to fill out. He figures to get the chance to play up the middle as his pro career gets underway.

Cristopher Acosta - SS

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, has produced a handful of big leaguers, including longtime reliever Wandy Peralta, and more recently on the prospect scene, Marco Luciano and Johan Rojas. Located in the shadow of cities that were found to have gold during the early parts of the 16th century, San Francisco de Macorís has begun to churn out commensurately talented ballplayers during the 21st century. Acosta, who trains with Euris Lorenzo, joins that group as an exciting prospect whose game has started to crescendo as he nears 2025 international signing day.

Acosta gets his quick bat to the baseball a ton, although he does attempt to sell out for power on occasion. His physique has filled out significantly over the past 18 months, giving evaluators a glimpse into the pop he could produce in the future. When all his levers are on time and working, Acosta can really drive the ball, although his front leg kick can sometimes get his swing out of whack.

For as exciting as Acosta’s offensive package is, evaluators rave about his defensive skill set. Equipped with excellent hands and a strong arm to match, there’s little doubt he can stick at shortstop as he begins his pro career. He shows strong range to either side and covers tons of ground on the dirt. His defensive acumen and blossoming athleticism will enable his bat some time to adapt and find its level.

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He's gonna be a minor league FA at the end of the year unless the Brewers add him to the 40 man. He's never really been much of a prospect, and he's old for AA, but man. Dude has been on a heater over the second half of the season in 50 games: .341/.437/.540.

I'd like to have him back if they can find a spot.

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[ReasonablySober]

BA Hot Sheet.

14. Luke Adams, 3B, Brewers
Team: High-A Wisconsin (Midwest)
Age: 20

Why He’s Here: .455/.571/.727 (5-for-11), 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 3 SO, 4-for-4 SB

The Scoop: Adams’ great underlying data has not caught up to his production as of yet, but last week Adams showed out in the Midwest League playoffs. He put together a string of strong games, reaching base at least twice in all three contests to helping Wisconsin go undefeated. Adams homered in the series-clinching semifinal game against Quad-Cities and then strung together three hits in the opening game of the Midwest League final. Adams has a good balance of plate skills and underlying power he’s still learning to fully harness. One of the more underrated hitting prospects in the minors, Adams could be a breakout candidate in 2025. (GP)

16. K.C. Hunt, RHP, Brewers
Team: Double-A Biloxi (Southern)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO

The Scoop: In four seasons at Mississippi State, Hunt had a 7.67 ERA. He posted an 8.54 ERA with the Bulldogs in 2023 as a reliever, and those stats didn’t undersell his struggles—he had a WHIP over 2.00 and he had 40 runs allowed in 39 innings thanks to 33 walks. But the Brewers once again have shown they can help a player, even an undrafted free agent, unlock new levels of performance. Hunt threw more innings this year (102) than he had in four college seasons, and he finished with a 2.02 ERA with a better strikeout rate (34%) and a walk rate that dropped from 14% in college to 6% this year. As a Brewer, Hunt has refined his delivery with a step to start his move from the stretch, and he has less of a shoulder tilt/glove raise. It’s working, and Hunt got better and better as the season wore on, logging a 1.67 ERA from July 1 until the end of the season. (JC)

Hunt makes the Hot Sheet again.

5. K.C. Hunt, RHP, Brewers

Team: Double-A Biloxi (Southern)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: 1-0, 1.17, 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR

The Scoop: When we discuss names that truly came out of nowhere this season, Hunt will be front and center in the conversation. Hunt has pitched his way up to Double-A and dominated regardless of level. Last week, Hunt made his final start of the season allowing one run and striking out five. Hunt has a plus slider and shows advanced pitchability. A 2023 nondrafted free agent, Hunt has cemented himself as a potential rotation option for the Brewers in 2025. (GP)

Mini-rant, but I found myself annoyed with Baseball America again this weekend. They released each organization's minor league player of the year, and BA's Brewers award winner was Misiorowski. Now, he had a successful year by most metrics. But he's all but locked up his future being a high leverage reliever as opposed to a starter. I dunno, maybe I'm being overly critical, but that doesn't scream POTY to me.

Then I looked at the byline and saw it was Todd Rosiak. I know they have a history of asking the beat reporters to do their POTY writeups but this one just seems lazy (and wrong).

Hunt would have been my choice.

[Matches Malone]

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Glad to see Crow get innings and Wilken definitely needs the work, but other than that woof.

[ReasonablySober]

Mini-rant, but I found myself annoyed with Baseball America again this weekend. They released each organization's minor league player of the year, and BA's Brewers award winner was Misiorowski. Now, he had a successful year by most metrics. But he's all but locked up his future being a high leverage reliever as opposed to a starter. I dunno, maybe I'm being overly critical, but that doesn't scream POTY to me.

Then I looked at the byline and saw it was Todd Rosiak. I know they have a history of asking the beat reporters to do their POTY writeups but this one just seems lazy (and wrong).

Hunt would have been my choice.

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There we go.

[MickeyDavis]

Why are there 2 of each?

[ReasonablySober]

Why are there 2 of each?

Good question. It started last year (Gasser/Rodriguez and Black/Chourio).

[ReasonablySober]

Payne gets a mention for being among the 2024 drafted hitters who had the best debuts.

Braylon Payne, OF, Brewers
Age: 17
Highest Level: Low-A

Payne is the lone high school representative on this list, and he gets here by way of just four games inm which he hit .438/.526/.625 with three walks and three strikeouts. In an exercise dominated by small sample sizes, Payne’s is admittedly tiny, but he still performed well in the time he was given and has some interesting batted-ball data worth mentioning.

His 19.5% chase rate is a solid mark for a 17-year-old facing pro pitching for the first time, but even more impressive are his exit velocity numbers. Payne’s 110.2 mph max exit velocity was the best of any high school draftee and good for 13th-best among 158 total players. That would be a good mark for any prep hitter, but it is a great number for a still-developing center field profile who had a reputation as a contact-over-power lefthanded bat.

[ReasonablySober]

Hype train keeps moving. BA ranked the top DSL prospects and

1. Jesus Made, SS, Brewers
There were 52 teams and 1,848 individual players in the DSL this year, and yet Made was a clear-cut choice as the league’s top prospect. The 17-year-old Dominican-born shortstop was resplendent on both sides of the ball, leading to outstanding analytical data and universal praise from scouts. Specifically, evaluators gushed about Made’s combination of twitchiness, athleticism and power, which showed up in bat speed that allowed him to impact baseballs with the kinds of charges rarely seen in a player so young. There is a bit of question about whether Made will remain at shortstop—which is understandable given how much longer he has until his body reaches peak maturity—but there is little doubt his combination tools, skills and polish give him a high chance to develop into a future all-star.

4. Luis Peña, SS, Brewers
Jesus Made got most of the headlines among Milwaukee’s DSL group, but Peña wasn’t far behind. Scouts loved the whippiness and strength in Peña’s swing, as well as the strong hands that helped give him the power to club 16 doubles. His .393 average was the best in the league in 2024 and also the highest mark in the league since 2019. There’s belief from scouts that Peña can stick at shortstop, but evaluators opined that the speedy, light-footed runner might also fit well in center field, where he’d be likely to provide range in all directions. His ceiling isn’t as high as that of Made, but he has the foundation to become a solid everyday big leaguer.

[Thunder Muscle]

If had to bet which prospects will be on the opening day roster, who you going with? Are Misio/Yoho locks to be in the bigs? I know many said should’ve been up this September. Tyler Black is probably the safe answer if not part of a trade package.

[ReasonablySober]

If had to bet which prospects will be on the opening day roster, who you going with? Are Misio/Yoho locks to be in the bigs? I know many said should’ve been up this September. Tyler Black is probably the safe answer if not part of a trade package.

I think Black is the only likely option, but even he seems like a good candidate to be traded.

Outside of him I'd look to guys who will have to be added to the 40 man this winter:

Chad Patrick - RHP
Shane Smith - RHP
Ernesto Martinez - 1B
Logan Henderson - RHP

and that'd be the order I view them in, from most to least likely.

I don't think Miso and Yoho are added until they have to, be it guys underperforming or injuries happening.

[Thunder Muscle]

I just don’t know where Black fits. He is not a good defensive 1B from what I heard and thats really his only spot I think. If Yelich is on IL, do you roll with him as DH? The guy kills AAA. Or do you peddle him before he loses value with being a AAAA type? He has had struggles at MLB level thus far albeit limited AB’s. I just feel like he needs regular at bats here or need to move on. AAA isn’t doing him much anymore.

[ReasonablySober]

End of the year rankings.

1 - Jesus Made
2 - Jeferson Quero
3 - Cooper Pratt
4 - Robert Gasser
5 - Jacob Misiorowski
6 - Tyler Black
7 - Braylon Payne
8 - Jadher Areinamo
9 - Mike Boeve
10 - Luke Adams
11 - K.C. Hunt
12 - Brock Wilken
13 - Yophery Rodriguez
14 - Josh Adamszewski
15 - Luis Pena
16 - Chad Patrick
17 - Josh Knoth
18 - Craig Yoho
19 - Eric Bitonti
20 - Blake Burke
21 - Brett Wichrowski
22 - Logan Henderson
23 - Shane Smith
24 - Ernesto Martinez
25 - Jorge Quintana
26 - Carlos F. Rodriguez
27 - Jose Anderson
28 - Juan Baez
29 - Bryce Meccage
30 - Luis Lara

Can't ignore the scouting community's thoughts on Made. When people are talking about him as a potential #1 overall prospect in baseball, he gets moved to the top of the list.

Similarly, people rave about Pratt's defense. If he's a plus shortstop with his offensive upside, he's gonna be highly ranked.

I struggled a bit with Misiorowski and Yoho's placement. If Misiorowski is reliever only (as I suspect), he should be closer to the late teens than the top five. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Can't ignore Braylon Payne's enormous start to pro ball, even in a limited sample size. Showed way more bat speed than was advertised. Brewers may have gotten an absolute steal.

Areinamo just put up .791 OPS as a 20 year old in High A while playing all over the infield. A guy to watch.

Boeve being potentially limited to 1B or DH moves him down a bit, but still a great bat to have.

If Pena adds some power as he matures he could be star because of his bat skills and defensive ability.

I don't see many top of the rotation arms in the system, but I see a lot of very useful mid-rotation guys and long relief options. Hunt, Patrick, Henderson, Smith, Wichrowski, and Rodriguez are all guys we could see next season.

Quintana got kind of lost in the mix but you gotta remember he was perceived as the real prize in last year's international class. He's still got a lot of potential.