In 2015, the Brewers committed to a full rebuild, dealing away Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra at the trade deadline and Adam Lind, Francisco Rodriguez, Jean Segura, and Khris Davis in the offseason. The Brewers could continue that trend in 2016 and attempt to deal players like Ryan Braun, Aaron Hill, Matt Garza, and Will Smith during the regular season. The Brew Crew will not be anywhere close to competitive in 2016, but it will be interesting to continue to watch their development of some of their younger players.
The result of the Brewers’ latest fire sale is a completely revamped and reloaded farm system that now ranks among the top three in baseball. Though it is very heavy on outfield depth, the Brewers’ farm system is loaded with talent from a franchise shortstop in Orlando Arcia, to a future ace in Jorge Lopez, to a future middle of the order force in Brett Phillips. Every player on this list (and many left off) are worth owning in dynasty leagues so owners looking to get an edge in their league should be sure to circle several to target in drafts.
If you are interested in more of my MLB prospects columns, which of course you are, then just head on over to our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. There you will find the rest of my team-specific prospect rankings, positional tiers, dynasty rankings, keeper values articles, and more - all in one easy place.
A quick note: between writing the Oakland Athletics’ Top 10 and writing the Brewers’ Top 10 fantasy prospects, Jacob Nottingham was acquired by Milwaukee. If you want to get a more detailed write up on him, check out my Top 10 Oakland Athletic Dynasty Prospects column. As for his placement on this list, I would have him as the sixth best Brewers’ prospect.
Milwaukee Brewers Top 10 Dynasty Prospects
These are the top ten prospects for the Milwaukee Brewers in terms of fantasy production for fantasy owners in the next few seasons.
1. Orlando Arcia (SS, AA)
Stats: 552 PA, .307/.347/.453, 8 HR, 25 SB, 5.4% BB rate, 13.2% K rate
ETA: 2017
The third best shortstop according to MLB.com and Baseball America, Orlando Arcia has had some high expectations throughout his career and to this point he has done nothing if not impress. Power hitting aside, there is not much that Arcia can’t do. Scouts praise his ability to consistently make solid contact and his above-average speed which should help him steal 20+ bases per season. Though defense is really where he excels, there is more than enough in his bat to ensure that he is worth owning in dynasty leagues. The expectation for owners should be that he will reach the majors towards the end of the 2016 season and should be the starter at shortstop for Milwaukee in 2017 with a chance to hit .300 with 10 home runs and 25+ stolen bases.
2. Brett Phillips (OF, AA)
Stats: 98 PA, .250/.361/.413, 0 HR, 2 SB, 14.3% BB rate, 30.6% K rate
ETA: 2017
The statistics put up by Brett Phillips in 2015 are a bit nerve-wracking, but only if you don’t consider the small sample size and the fact that he dominated High-A at the beginning of the year. Really, there is not much to worry about with Phillips as he is a very solid bet to produce in the majors. Phillips has a well-rounded set of skills that he takes to the plate. He has enough power to hit 15-20 home runs per season, enough speed to steal 20+ bases per season, and a steady swing that should allow him to hit .270 or higher. Phillips is not the most talented outfield prospect out there, but he is one who does not come with a lot of risk and does have a relatively high ceiling. With his talent, Phillips should be owned in all leagues.
3. Trent Clark (OF, R)
Stats: 200 PA, .309/.422/.442, 1 HR, 20 SB, 15.0% BB rate, 18.0% K rate
ETA: 2019
There are a lot of similarities between Phillips and Trent Clark. Both have an all-around solid game, boasting both power and speed while displaying the ability to hit for a high average. The biggest difference is the gap between floor and ceiling for both players. While Phillips is a low risk/medium reward player, Clark is a high risk/high reward player. Scouts have a lot of questions about how well Clark’s unorthodox swing will translate to the majors, and they aren’t sure how much power he will grow into. There is no question that he has speed, but his bat could be an issue in the majors. He still has plenty of time to develop and could improve on his swing as he continues to mature. With his ceiling, Clark is definitely worth owning in dynasty leagues.
4. Tyrone Taylor (OF, AA)
Stats: 504 PA, .260/.312/.337, 3 HR, 10 SB, 6.2% BB rate, 10.9% K rate
ETA: 2017
Though he does not possess the all-around game that Phillips and Clark possess, Tyrone Taylor still looks like a future Major League starting outfielder and major fantasy contributor. Taylor has virtually no home run power to speak of, but what he lacks in home runs he makes up for in extra base hits. Taylor has a knack for spraying the ball all over the field with consistently hard contact. His speed, which should help him steal 25+ bases per year, combined with his bat give scouts the image of a future top of the lineup bat. Though he lacks the kind of plate discipline that one would want to see out of an eventual leadoff hitter, Taylor still has enough value to make him worth owning in keeper leagues.
5. Clint Coulter (OF, A+)
Stats: 569 PA, .246/.329/.397, 13 HR, 6 SB, 8.1% BB rate, 16.2% K rate
ETA: 2018
Clint Coulter lost some fantasy value when he made the change from catcher to outfield, but his bat is potent enough that owners should still consider owning him regardless. His standout attribute is his power which scouts believe is enough to hit 25+ home runs per season. Though it took some time, Coulter has also developed above-average discipline at the plate which gives Brewers’ fans hope that he will be a steady contributor in the majors. He may never hit for a high average or steal a lot of bases, but he has enough pop in his bat to make him worth owning in dynasty leagues.
6. Jorge Lopez (SP, MLB)
Stats: (from AA) 143.1 IP, 2.26 ERA, 3.36 FIP, 8.60 K/9, 3.27 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9
ETA: 2017
Though his debut was brief, Jorge Lopez certainly proved to doubters that he has come a long way from that pitcher who was taken 70th overall back in 2011. The command was always a big question with Lopez as was the question of whether or not he could develop any secondary pitches. Lopez seemingly put all of those concerns away with a truly dominant Double-A season. He has shown now that his curveball is a well above-average outpitch to complement his mid-90s fastball. His control also continued to improve as he put up a second straight year with a sub-3.30 BB/9 rate. Lopez will need time in Triple-A to continue to work on his changeup if he wants to reach his top of the rotation potential in the majors, but he is without question worth owning in dynasty leagues.
7. Josh Hader (SP, AA)
Stats: 38.2 IP, 2.79 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 11.64 K/9, 2.56 BB/9, 0.70 HR/9
ETA: 2017
Throughout his Minor League career, Josh Hader has quietly put up solid numbers that would ordinarily warrant more attention. It wasn't until this year that Hader really received the attention he deserved and was ranked the 61st best prospect by MLB.com. Drawing comparisons to Chris Sale, Hader no doubt has a high ceiling. Hader’s repertoire consists of a mid-90s fastball and a well above-average slider that serves as his primary outpitch. His changeup still needs to improve, but the current state of his repertoire ensures that he will at least be a bottom of the rotation starter. If he continues to improve on his changeup and command, Hader could potentially be a top of the rotation arm. He is absolutely worth owning in all dynasty leagues.
8. Demi Orimoloye (OF, R)
Stats: 144 PA, .292/.319/.518, 6 HR, 19 SB, 2.1% BB rate, 27.1% K rate
ETA: 2019
Nobody but nobody has the same ceiling that Demi Orimoloye possesses in the Brewers’ organization. Orimoloye has the potential to be a 30/30 player in the majors if he can continue to mature and develop into his tools. The 6’4” 225 lb outfielder has not played baseball for too long which means that though he is a freak athlete, he does not quite know how to fully utilize his skill set. There is a great amount of risk that comes with owning Orimoloye, but owners willing to take the risk and own him could have a massive payout when it’s all said and done.
9. Monte Harrison (OF, A)
Stats: 184 PA, .148/.246/.247, 2 HR, 6 SB, 7.6% BB rate, 41.8% K rate
ETA: 2018
Don’t panic; there is still plenty of time for Monte Harrison to improve. The 20-year-old did really well in Rookie League both in 2014 and 2015, but probably could not possibly have struggled more when he reached A ball for the first time. The tools are certainly there for Harrison as he possesses the power/speed combo to look like a future 20/20 player with the ability to hit over .280 as a result of his great bat speed. Is there some risk involved with owning Harrison? Certainly, but his high ceiling is exactly what dynasty owners look for in players to stash.
10. Rymer Liriano (OF, AAA)
Stats: 549 PA, .292/.383/.460, 14 HR, 18 SB, 11.7% BB rate, 24.0% K rate
ETA: 2016
Acquired by the Brewers after being designated for assignment by San Diego, Rymer Liriano has a chance to have a major impact for fantasy owners this season. With the trade of Davis, it looks like Liriano has the best chance to win the left-field spot for the Brewers. Liriano possesses a balanced set of tools with enough power and speed to hit 15 home runs and steal 15 bases all while batting around .280. Liriano does not have the high upside that a lot of the other outfielders on this list have, but if nothing else he would be a valuable own for this year when he is guaranteed playing time.
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