Though publicly, the Milwaukee Brewers leaned on the “best player available” cliche when discussing draft strategy, it wasn’t hard to identify the type of players who best fit that description and exemplified the team’s philosophies on player development and roster construction: Up-the-middle defensive players who had the kind of athleticism that would help them easily adjust to different positions.
During David Stearns’ seven years leading Milwaukee’s front office as general manager and later, president of baseball operations, the Brewers made nine picks (including a pair of competitive balance round selections) in the first round: four of them were used to select an outfielder, two each on a shortstops and second baseman while only one was used to choose a pitcher.
And while Stearns is no longer running the show after his surprising decision to step down and turn things over to longtime assistant Matt Arnold, the emphasis on those kinds of players could very well be the answer to the offensive inconsistency that kept the Brewers from a deep playoff run in 2021 and kept them out of the playoffs altogether last season.
Stearns himself hinted at that possibility a few weeks before announcing his decision to step down, noting at his annual end-of-season press conference that the number of highly touted prospects waiting at Triple-A Nashville could not only change the look of Milwaukee’s roster but also, have a significant impact on the style the team plays next season.
“We believe from a position-player perspective, we have players coming that can impact this team and can change the composition of the position-player group to some extent,” Stearns said. “We’re going to have to figure out exactly how all that fits in the coming months, but there’s a talented group that’s coming that provides a slightly different skill set than we have on our major-league roster presently, and I think they’re going to have an ability to impact the team.”
With Stearns serving in an advisory role, it’s now up to Arnold to figure out how to make all the pieces fit but the presence of so many young outfield prospects ready for their shot played into the decision to send Hunter Renfroe to the Angels for a trio of young pitchers.
“It gives a lot of guys opportunities ," Arnold said after the trade. "The number of guys that are in the mix here to compete – whether that’s on opening day – is still to be determined. We have a long way to go between now and then but we’re excited about this group and feel really good about the mix of outfielders we have going into the 2023 season."
Here are five prospects who could play significant roles for the Brewers in 2023
Garett Mitchell, OF
MLB Pipeline Rank: No. 5
2022 Highest Level: MLB
Mitchell became the first member of that group to reach the majors when he was called up in late August. He made the most of the opportunity, posting an .832 OPS in 68 appearances while coming up big in one crucial situation after another. He also flashed his speed on the base paths, swiping eight bags, as well as defensively in center field.
There's still plenty of work to do, especially in terms of pitch selection after striking out 28 times, but its hard to envision an Opening Day roster that doesn't include his name and barring an outside acquisition, he's the likely frontrunner to start the season in center.
Sal Frelick, OF
MLB Pipeline Rank: No. 2
2022 Highest Level: Class AAA
Milwaukee snagged Frelick out of Boston College with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 Draft and he wasted little time in making a positive impression, slashing .329/.414/.466 in 35 games across three levels of the Brewers' farm system.
Frelick again saw action at three different levels in 2022 and got off to a good start at Class A Wisconsin where he posted an .847 OPS in 21 games followed by a slash line of .317/.380/.464 with 12 doubles, nine stolen bases and an .844 OPS in 52 games at Double-A Biloxi.
The Brewers rewarded Frelick with a promotion to Nashville and he showed his appreciation with even more impressive numbers: .365/.435/.508 with nine more stolen bases and a .943 OPS.
In all, Frelick batted an organizational-best .331 with an .883 OPS in 562 plate appearances to put himself squarely in the mix for a roster spot next season and could be the Brewers' long-term answer at the leadoff spot.
Joey Wiemer
MLB Pipeline Rank: No. 3
2022 Highest Level: Class AAA
The former University of Cincinnati standout was Milwaukee's fourth-round pick in 2020 and was named the organization's minor league player of the year in 2021 after he hit 27 home runs and stole 30 bases for Milwaukee's two Class A squads.
He began last season at Double-A Biloxi where he hit 15 home runs, stole 25 bases and compiled an .761 OPS in 84 games which earned him a promotion to Nashville and didn't slow down a bit. In 43 games, he hit six homers, drove in 30 runs, stole six bases and finished with an .888 OPS.
Strikeouts are still an issue, though he did lower is strikeout rate from 30.2% to 19.5% after his promotion but his raw power has helped fuel is quick rise through the system.
Defensively, Wiemer is regarded for his strong arm which could make him Milwaukee's right-fielder of the future, especially after trading Renfroe.
Brice Turang, SS/OF
MLB Pipeline Rank: No. 4
2022 Highest Level: Class AAA
Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2018 (No. 21 overall), Turang was added to the 40-man roster for the first time this month to protect against losing him in this winter's Rule 5 Draft and after Mitchell, is the prospect most likely to see big league action next season.
He's got little left to prove at the minor league level. Turang spent all of last season at Triple-A, slashing .286/.360/.412 with 13 home runs, 78 RBIs and a .772 OPS. Fitting the mold of athletic, up-the-middle players with positional versatility that the Brewers have coveted, Turang started to see significant action in center field last season which should help him get some playing time since the Brewers appear set with Willy Adames at shortstop and picked up their $10 million club option on second baseman Kolten Wong.
"Brice has definitely put himself on the map very squarely with us,” Arnold said. “The thing about Brice is he can play a lot of different positions for us, right? The versatility is always something we value a ton. These things typically work themselves out, so having a guy of that caliber of talent and that kind of versatility is always going to be a good thing.”
Esteury Ruiz, OF
MLB Pipeline Rank: No. 8
2022 Highest Level: Class AAA
One of two prospects acquired from San Diego for Josh Hader, is also on the 40-man roster and saw limited action last season. He appeared in 14 games for the Padres prior to the trade and three more with Milwaukee following a Sept. 1 call up.
The numbers weren't overly impressive (6-for-35, .452 OPS) but he slashed .329/.402/.459 with an .861 OPS in 437 minor league at-bats last season and he's also only 23 years old.
Follow me on Twitter.