Infield Positional Breakdown
Projected Starters: SS- Jonathan Villar; 3B- Aaron Hill; 2B- Scooter Gennett; 1B- Chris Carter; C- Jonathan Lucroy.
Other MLB Possibilities: SS- Hernan Perez, Yadiel Rivera; 3B- Rivera, Colin Walsh, Will Middlebrooks, Garin Cecchini; 2B- Walsh, Hill, Rivera, Perez; 1B- Lucroy, Martin Maldonado, Middlebrooks, Andy Wilkins; C- Maldonado, Josmil Pinto, Manny Pina.
Prospects: SS- Orlando Arcia, Jacob Gatewood, Isan Diaz, Gilbert Lara; 3B- Nathan Orf, Dustin DeMuth, Gatewood, Lara; 2B- Javier Betancourt, Tucker Neuhaus, Blake Allemand, George Iskenderian, Diaz; 1B- Jacob Nottingham, Nick Ramirez; C- Nottingham.
Analysis: If you peeked ahead and looked at my current and future grades for the infield positions, you might be a little bit surprised. The Brewers have been on a trading spree since the hire of David Stearns and many would come to expect a better future grade. After doing a little extra research on some of the prospects and their estimated arrival time, the future does not seem as peachy as some have been saying.
Let’s start by looking at the shortstop position, which is led by veteran Jonathan Villar. The switch-hitting SS was acquired from the Astros in a trade this past November and looks to have the starting position locked down. Villar is more of a stop-gap, meaning he is only going to be around for a year or so, than a long-term starter.
Hernan Perez and Yadiel Rivera will also pick up some starts at the shortstop position while also earning a few starts at third base and second base. Perez was added off waivers last season and provided the Brewers with a consistent bat and glove down the stretch. I don’t expect Perez to make the 25-man roster coming out of spring training, but I do expect him to get an occasional start or see major league playing time if anyone were to get injured. Rivera is just 23 years old and was drafted back in 2010. If it were not for some great shortstop prospects behind him, Rivera might be the one holding the keys to the future. Instead, Rivera will serve as a utility guy off the bench that could earn more playing time with consistent playing time.
The future is undoubtedly going to be centered around sensational prospect Orlando Arcia, but that time isn’t quite here yet. Expect Arcia to get the call up sometime in mid-summer, but at the very least be added to the roster once rosters expand in September. The youngster is known more for his glove than his bat, but last season Arcia hit .307 and now is among the MLB’s top prospects. He is worth monitoring as he begins his season in minor league ball and works his way toward a call up.
Arcia isn’t the only highly regarded prospect at the position though. Jacob Gatewood, Isan Diaz and Gilbert Lara are all regarded as top 20 prospects within the Brewers’ organization and hopefully will all push each other as they try and reach the big leagues. Gatewood has seen time at both SS and 3B in his first few minor league seasons, but the Brewers’ have said that he will now play extensively at the hot corner. That is good news for Gatewood as the shortstop position he once was the top prospect in has been revamped to a degree in which he now sits as the fifth highest-rated prospect. Gatewood will need to up his batting average and walk rate while cutting down on the strikeouts if he has any aspirations of living up to his draft slot; the slugger was drafted 41st overall in the 2014 draft. Diaz is a newly acquired youngster out of the Diamondbacks’ organization. After being drafted 70th overall in the 2014 draft, Diaz broke out to hit .360 last season. While he can hit the ball all over the yard, Diaz also owns a little pop in his bat and has a good eye. He has played most of his minor league career at SS; however, he should slide over to the 2B position down the road so that he isn’t stuck behind Arcia. Expect the raw but talented youngster to earn a late season call up in the 2017 season and begin starting in the 2018 season. Rounding out the loaded SS position is Lara. The Dominican infielder was signed in 2014 and remains a work in progress as he develops in the minor leagues. Lara possesses a bit of power but has struggled to hit the ball consistently; he finished last season hitting a combined .240 across two levels of play. Just like the other SS prospects, expect Lara to move out of the position and slide over to third base. I could also see the Crew trying Lara out at first base as the position lacks any long-term prospect as you will soon read.
Moving over to the hot corner at third is where I don’t see a very bright outlook down the road. For now, recently acquired Aaron Hill should begin the year as the starter. He is a bit of a utility player and can slide around the infield if need be. He also provides a young and inexperienced roster with a veteran leadership and example that bodes well for the future. However, I don’t expect Hill to start each game possible and would expect so see Hill traded or released whenever the next wave of young talent is ready to start playing big league baseball.
Colin Walsh, Will Middlebrooks and Garin Cecchini should also make a few starts at the hot corner this season. Walsh is another utility guy that can play in the outfield as well. His versatility alone would earn him a spot on the 25-man roster out of camp; however, being a Rule 5 draftee, Walsh will remain with the Brewers throughout the entire season and look to play himself into a long-term role with the team. Middlebrooks was a free agent signee this offseason and is looking to reboot his career. The former Red Sox and Padre player began his career by hitting .288 but since has hit no better than .227. Middlebrooks looks like he has earned himself a roster spot as Cecchini was sent to minor league camp just last week. That doesn’t mean that Middlebrooks will remain with the team the entire season. If he falters and cannot revive his career, the Brewers will simply release him. Middlebrooks was a buy-low guy that the Brewers took a chance on; I just don’t see him making that much of an impact in a Brewers’ uniform. As I mentioned before, Cecchini was already sent to minor league camp. He should return to the major league club at some point and earn a few starts somewhere in the infield. Cecchini actually is only 24 years old and classifies as a prospect yet, but he also has had some major league playing time and hasn’t lived up to his prospect hype that he once owned. Another buy-low guy for the Crew to watch this season.
For prospects at the hot corner, the Brewers really don’t own a highly regarded player. Gatewood and Lara will try and strengthen the position, but for the moment, I see the 3B position as a pretty weak one. Nathan Orf is 26 years old but probably was regarded as the organization’s top 3B option last season. He played in AA last season and may make the jump to AAA to start the season. Orf was actually an All-Star selection in the minor leagues back in 2014 and owns a career .285 batting average. While he sits as an older prospect, he actually becomes intriguing given the state of the Brewers’ team. He is worth monitoring as the season progresses. Dustin DeMuth was a 5th round pick in the 2014 draft and has also proven to be a solid minor league player for the Crew. The 24-year-old has a career .281 batting average and a .356 on-base percentage. A year or so more of those kinds of numbers and the Brewers will have another solid prospect on their hands. Keep your eyes on DeMuth as well.
As we transition to the right side of the infield, we find a familiar name in Scooter Gennett. By now, Brewer fans know what to expect from the 2B; an above average hitter against righties and a painful sight to see against lefties. For that reason, Gennett will probably work his way into a platoon this season, especially since the Crew won’t be playing meaningful baseball past April. Using a platoon will also give some other younger players a chance to make a name for themselves, allowing the Brewers to trade some more of the ‘veterans’, like Gennett.
On the other side of the platoon could be a number of the guys I already discussed; Walsh, Hill, Rivera and Perez could all potentially see time at second this year. It will be fun to watch and see which one of those players can perform well in limited chances. At the end of the year though, these guys all are acting a bridge players that are filling in for the next year or so until the prospects are ready.
Speaking of prospects, the second base position is pretty much up for grabs. While Isan Diaz looks like he will slide over and eventually earn the spot, there are a few other guys to keep an eye on. Let’s start with Javier Betancourt, who was acquired last season in a trade with the Tigers. The 20-year old has been playing since 2012 and owns a career .281 batting average across 1349 at-bats. Not too shabby. Try looking for the youngster in any prospect ranking site and you won’t even find him in the top 20. What gives? That batting average is kind of skewed; Betancourt has hit .269 and .263 the past two seasons after raking to a .333 average his first two seasons. If he can up that batting average to around .280 or so, he might just prove to be Diaz’s biggest threat at second. Another prospect to watch is Tucker Neuhaus, another 20-year old. This youngster is a bit of a utility player and has played at multiple positions in the minor leagues since being drafted in 2013. Unlike Betancourt, Neuhaus has struggled at the plate, hitting just .240 over 796 at-bats. It’s a simple outlook for the Brewers’ second pick in the draft that year: hit for a better average or spend your career in the minor leagues. Next up is Blake Allemand, a fifth-round pick from last year’s draft. The switch-hitter is already 23 years old but batted .290 in his first go round in the minors. Expect the Brewers to let Allemand advance through the minors quickly if he continues to hit at that pace. Finally, we have George Iskenderian, another 2015 draftee that hit well in his first minor league season. Iskenderian hit .307 in 127 at-bats and needs more experience to evaluate for the long haul. The 22-year old has a bit of speed and may advance quickly through the minors given his age and ability to get on base and put pressure on the defense.
We continue on our trip around the diamond and find some more new names at first base. Slugger Chris Carter should receive most of the starts at first and bat right in the middle of the Brewers’ lineup. He is known for hitting lots of homers while racking up strikeouts. Another buy low, low-risk acquisition for Stearns and the Brewers this season, Carter could slug his way into a trade out of Milwaukee and onto a contender by the All-Star break. Let’s hope he can prove to be a consistent power threat and start the trade rumors early in the season.
When Carter needs a rest or does get traded, expect Jonathan Lucroy, Martin Maldonado, Andy Wilkins and Middlebrooks to gather the starts. I will talk more about Lucroy in the next few paragraphs, but the reason he would see starts at first base is to keep him healthy and show other clubs that he is a versatile defender. Maldonado has been raking in spring training and might garner starts at first just to keep his hot bat in the lineup. If Maldonado keeps up his stats, he could also gather some trade interest in contending teams. Wilkins is a 27-year old that will begin the year in the minors but almost certainly return to the big leagues after injuries or trades. He was added off waivers in December after being released by the Rangers. He is another power bat that will be fun to watch amid a losing season. Middlebrooks might also get some starts at first if his bat is hot or he isn’t seeing enough time at the other corner.
As for prospects, the Brewers really don’t have much to offer. Jacob Nottingham is probably the Brewers best prospect, but he currently is slotted in as the future catcher after being acquired in the Khris Davis trade. I will talk more about Nottingham in the catcher prospect area. The only other real ‘prospect’ is Nick Ramirez at 26 years old. He owns a dreadful .248 batting average in the minors but does offer some pop; Ramirez reminds me of Carter with the pop/strikeout combo. Outside Nottingham and Ramirez, the Brewers don’t have anyone of note for now. Expect the Brewers to make a deal for a first baseman this upcoming season.
Finally, behind the plate is a name that Brewers’ fans know well… But don’t expect him to wear a Milwaukee jersey for much longer. Lucroy has been a good catcher for the Crew for the past few seasons, even earning All-Star praise. However, the beloved Lucroy has been in trade talks for months and should be traded before the All-Star break, if not before the season hits the summer months.
Maldonado will receive an occasional start with Lucroy still in town and will transition to the full-time starter if Luc were to get traded. Behind Maldonado is Josmil Pinto and Manny Pina; neither made the team out of spring training. They will serve as organizational depth behind Maldonado; the better hitter will get the call-up when Luc is traded.
For prospects behind the plate, Milwaukee has a reason to be optimistic. As I mentioned before, Nottingham is the future catcher for the Crew. The 20-year old hit .316 last season while providing 17 homers, 82 RBI’s and 33 doubles… Those are some incredible stats for a guy that bounced between three levels of minor league play last season. Nottingham will need to keep improving behind the plate if he wishes to become the future everyday catcher in Milwaukee. If he cannot, expect him to slide over to first and become the everyday starter there. Outside of Nottingham, there isn’t really a name that jumps out at me. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brewers traded for another prospect in case Nottingham does slide to first base.
Current Infield Grade: CThe current state of the infield is not good, simple as that. The current starters are basically one or two-year stop gaps, paving the way for the youngsters of the future. Expect a few infielders to get traded during the season and a constantly revolving door of players at many of the positions.
Future Infield Grade: BThe future is always better than the present when talking about the Brewers this season, but there is still work that needs to be done in the infield. While the Brewers do own some nice prospects at some of the infielding positions, they are not as deep as they are in the outfield and will need a perfect development from the core of the budding youngsters for the grade to be any better than a B. This year should tell a lot of what is to expect in the future years in Milwaukee.
Pitcher Breakdown Coming Soon!
