Posted on 31 January 2009
H/W: 5-11 180 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 6/29/89
"Nails Jr." was selected with one of the Brewers' 2nd round picks in the '08 draft and, after signing quickly he put up some solid numbers at both of Milwaukee's short season affiliates hitting .271 with 5 HR 17 RBI 4 SB and 29 runs scored in 46 games. Cutter Dykstra is a slightly bigger and more powerful version of his father Lenny Dykstra. He has good hand speed that explodes though the ball generating surprising pop for someone of his stature. He is an aggressive hitter at the plate but, like his father, he has advanced plate discipline (26 BB/37 K) and a good feel for the strike zone. Cutter was a shortstop in high school, but his fringy arm and inconsistent play necessitated a shift to CF where his plus speed and athleticism serves him well. Dykstra is a tough competitor and intelligent player who, while proud of his dad's accomplishments, has a strong desire to make a name for himself.
2009 Projection: Cutter is ready for Low-A Wisconsin and his first full season of professional ball. One area to watch this next season is his SB totals. Last year, Dykstra was successful in only 4 of 9 attempts, but with his speed and intelligence, these numbers should drastically improve this season. Dykstra has the blend of plate discipline and speed to be a solid leadoff hitter with a little bit of pop. The Brewers have some talented OF in their system, but mainly they are concentrated on the corners (Lorenzo Cain, Caleb Gindl, Eric Fryer). If Dykstra can continue to hit for average and improve his stolen base totals, he should ascend quickly through this talented system.
Key Cutter Dykstra Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/1199
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 19 January 2009
H/W: 6-2 175 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 3/27/90
It will be quite some time before anyone has a better season than this young prep All-American. Odorizzi went a perfect 14-0 at Highland HS, in Illinois,allowing just one run in almost 90 innings while accruing an obscene 6 BB/145 K ratio. After being selected as Milwaukee's supplimental 1st round pick, Odorizzi pitched for the Brewers' Arizona League affiliate where he went 1-2 with a 3.48 ERA in 11 outings. Odorizzi has a nice selection of pitches including a four seam fastball that he throws between 90-94 MPH and a two seamer that ranges from 88-92 MPH. His curve is a plus pitch at times and his slider has good late movement. Odorizzi has a long and lanky frame that should build some muscle as he gets older and his clean mechanics should help him avoid injuries down the road. Jake has good command of his pitches and mixes them up well on the mound. There have been some concerns about his overall competitiveness on the mound as his poise has come into question from time to time, but some positive professional starts should assuage any long term concerns.
2009 Projection: A full season at Low-A Wisconsin is likely in order for the former USA Today Player of the Year. As good as Jake was last season, there are still questions about his ability to miss bats at the professional level. If Odorizzi can keep his K rate up, he will move quickly through the Brewers system. Milwaukee's farm system is chocked full of offensive talent but much more sparsely populated with top pitching prospects. Ultimately, Odorizzi should become a solid mid-rotation starter for the Brewers within the next three to four seasons.
Key Jake Odorizzi Baseball Cards:
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Posted on 17 January 2009
H/W: 6-0 195 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 6/13/86
Lucroy split his 2008 season between Low-A West Virginia and High-A Brevard County hitting .301 with 20 HR 77 RBI 28 doubles and 78 runs scored. A 3rd round pick in '07, this Louisiana-Lafayette alum is a complete hitter that drives the ball well to all fields and has a good feel for the strike zone (58 BB/84 K). Prior to being drafted, there was a good deal of skepticism about Lucroy's abilities behind the plate. The concerns were related to his lack of arm strength and accuracy. Actions speak louder than words, however, as Lucroy nabbed 45% of potential base stealers last year and earned a solid .989 fielding %. In addition, his game calling skills and leadership intangibles are highly regarded within the Brewers' system. Angel Salome's sterling AA season has placed him at the top of the organization's depth chart, but Lucroy is closing the gap....quickly.
2009 Projection: Like Salome last season, Lucroy will get his shot at AA Huntsville. The key for Lucroy this season is to keep doing what he did all of last season, that is hit for average and power, and play great defense. If he can do this with regularity, a move to AAA Nashville may happen at some point in '09. The Brewers are going to give Salome a shot to be the opening day catcher in spring training. While he is more athletic than Lucroy, his is less polished as a hitter and defender. Odds are that this job will be Lucroy's at some point in 2010.
Key Jonathan Lucroy Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/500
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Posted on 12 January 2009
H/W: 6-2 180 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 5/15/87
The final piece of the blockbuster C.C. Sabathia trade had a solid showing at AA Huntsville hitting .319 with 4 HR 40 RBI 28 SB and 80 runs scored despite missing almost the entire month of July with a sprained ankle. Brantley is the son of former Seattle Mariners OF and Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach Mickey Brantley. While his dad was more of a slugger, Michael profiles to be a top of the lineup hitter with elite plate discipline (50 BB/27 K in '08) and a relentless line drive bat that sprays the ball from foul line to foul line. Brantley was successful in 28 of 36 SB attempts last season as Huntsville's lead off man but, regardless of his great speed, he is not a great defensive OF. In fact, the Brewers organization gave him regular work at 1B over the past three seasons. Another downside to Brantley's game is his inability to hit for power. Given his long, athletic frame and youth, there is reason to believe that he could well become a 10-15 HR hitter as he matures physically. There are plenty of upsides to this young OF's game and the fact that the Indians selected Brantley over Taylor Green as the final piece of the Sabathia trade demonstrates that they expect big things from him in the not too distant future.
2009 Projection: Indians GM Mark Shapiro has already indicated that Brantley will join the big league club for spring training but will start the regular season at AAA Columbus. The Indians would like to see Brantley develop a bit more power at the minor league level before bringing him up to the big league club. Watch the XBH numbers early in the season. If he can bump up his SLG% into the .425-.450 range, Cleveland will have a hard time keeping him down. The trade of Franklin Gutierrez to Seattle has opened the door a little bit wider for Brantley to follow in his dad's footsteps. Expect him to do so at some point in 2009.
Key Michael Brantley Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects
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Posted on 25 December 2008
H/W: 5-9 185 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 8/31/88
Gindl continued his hot hitting at Low-A West Virginia, belting .301 with 13 HR 81 RBI 14 SB and 86 runs scored. Built like a fire hydrant, Caleb evokes comparisons to San Diego Padres OF Brian Giles as his sweet left handed swing generates surprising pop to all fields and laces rockets to the gaps. Gindl has a strong arm that plays well in RF and his above average speed allows him to cover a good amount of range. Much like his MLB counterpart, Caleb plays the game with fire and grittiness that appeals to the Brewers' brass. Sometimes this aggressiveness gets Gindl into trouble at the plate, leading to streakiness and high K numbers (144 in '08). Gindl is effective in drawing walks, though, which leads to some optimism that he will be able to mitigate some of these strikeout totals as he develops a better game plan at the plate.
2009 Projection: With the impending graduation of Alcides Escobar, Angel Salome, and Mat Gamel to the Brew Crew's MLB roster, Gindl becomes one of the organization's top young prospects. Expect him to start the season at High-A Brevard County with a promotion to AA Hunstville very possible. Keep watch of the BB/K ratio. If it improves, Gindl could be a perennial .300 hitter in the major leagues. Although he is close to maxed out physically, it seems quite likely that he will increase his HR ouput, as his 38 doubles in '08 is a prime indicator of more power to come.
Key Caleb Gindl Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2008 Donruss Threads Auto #/465
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/245
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Posted on 25 December 2008
H/W: 5-11 200 lb. B/T: R/R: DOB: 1/18/90
The Brewers added to their wealth of talented catchers with the selection of this young British Columbia native in the 1st round of the '08 draft. Lawrie's bat is his calling card as his strong hands and powerfully compact frame generates exceptional bat speed and pull power. Lawrie is a good athlete with above average speed and a hard nosed, aggressive approach in all phases of the game. The biggest question marks in Brett's game right now are behind the plate, where he is still quite raw in all phases. His arm is strong, but his footwork and release times need considerable work. Other scouts are concerned about his propensity to pull the ball and the fact that his open stance makes him vulnerable to pitches on the outer half of the plate. It will be important for Lawrie to demonstrate that he can drive balls to the opposite field as he progresses against more advanced pitching.
2009 Projection: Lawrie will be making his professional debut in 2009, likely with short season Low-A Helena in June. The Brewers, with Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy in their system, can afford to be patient with Lawrie, which is good because Brett has a lot of questions to answer in order to more accurately gauge his future as an elite prospect. Pay attention to his offensive numbers particularly his extra base hit production and BB/K ratio. Also, keep tabs on his defensive progress, is he able to throw runners out? Is he effectively blocking balls? Given the stiff competition in the Brewers organization, it will be integral for Lawrie to demonstrate that he can stay behind the dish.
Key Brett Lawrie Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/499
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 13 December 2008
H/W: 6-2 185 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 4/13/86
The best athlete in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system played at three levels in '08 batting .279 with 11 HR 60 RBI 25 SB and 31 doubles. The power proved to be a big step forward for Cain as many within the Brewers organization projected that his long, wiry frame would develop more strength as he matured. There is still room for him to develop even more HR power, as evidenced by his 40 combined doubles and triples. Cain has good speed that he utilizes well on the basepaths and his good range and strong arm plays well in both CF and RF. The biggest thing holding Lorenzo back from being a blue chip prospect is his plate discipline. Last season, Cain had a 51 BB/115 K ratio which, while not horrible, is less than acceptible for a player with marginal HR totals. On the bright side, Cain had a stellar showing in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .333 with 5 HR 11 RBI and 4 SB in 18 games.
2009 Projection: Since he played at three levels in '08, it is somewhat tough to figure out exactly where Cain will begin the '09 season. He should get plenty of AB's in spring training before being sent to either AA Huntsville, or AAA Nashville. Either way, Cain is one of the brightest young prospects in Milwaukee's talented organization. His HR increase in Arizona is a definite bright spot. If he can bump up his power production to the 20-25 HR range while maintaining his SB numbers, Cain's stock will rise rapidly.
Key Lorenzo Cain Baseball Cards:
- 2006 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/817
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2009 Projection: Cutter is ready for Low-A Wisconsin and his first full season of professional ball. One area to watch this next season is his SB totals. Last year, Dykstra was successful in only 4 of 9 attempts, but with his speed and intelligence, these numbers should drastically improve this season. Dykstra has the blend of plate discipline and speed to be a solid leadoff hitter with a little bit of pop. The Brewers have some talented OF in their system, but mainly they are concentrated on the corners (Lorenzo Cain, Caleb Gindl, Eric Fryer). If Dykstra can continue to hit for average and improve his stolen base totals, he should ascend quickly through this talented system.
