RADIO
There is no doubt that it was a lost season in 2013 for the Milwaukee Brewers, and things are going to have to change in one form or another sooner rather than later. That means getting some contributions of the minor league system. There are five players in particular that could make themselves known sooner than later however and a couple of them could make it all the way to Miller Park this season. Two of the team’s top five prospects already have made their major league debuts but appear to be on the outside looking in going into the 2014 season. Here is a look at the Brewers’ top five prospects heading into the upcoming season.
Fantasy Baseball Prospects - Milwaukee Brewers
Jimmy Nelson - Pitcher
Nelson is arguably the best pitching prospect that the Brewers have right now and is showing why he could be in the rotation to begin the 2014 season. He pitched in four games for Milwaukee to end last year with an 0.90 ERA in ten innings while giving up just two hits. He is 24 years old and depending on how well he pitches in spring training could break camp at the team’s No. 5 starter. The walks are something to work on but in Nelson’s lone start, he gave up just one hit over five innings. Without any doubt, he is someone worth watching in dynasty leagues.
Johnny Hellweg - Pitcher
Hellweg is a mountain of a man at 6’9” and did pitch in eight games for the Brewers last season, with seven starts. He struggled in those starts, though, with an 1-4 record and 6.75 ERA. The biggest problem was walks. Hellweg walked 26 batters while striking out just nine in just under 31 innings. If he wants to stick with the big league team anytime soon, the walk numbers are going to need to come down in a big way. It is more likely that Hellweg ends up in the Milwaukee bullpen before season’s end to work on lowering the walks. He will probably be a starter in 2015 for the Brewers.
Tyrone Taylor - Outfielder
There may not be any available outfield spots on the Brewers roster right now but when there is, Taylor will likely be the first one to get a chance. He hit .274 with 19 steals and 57 RBIs at the Class-A level last season and will likely move up to Double-A to begin 2014. He is only 20 years old, so the team may want to wait another two or three years to bring Taylor up, but he is one of the top prospects the team has right now. It must be noted that he hit .387 in rookie ball in 2012, so this is a player that could bring a high average to Milwaukee when the time comes.
Victor Roache - Outfielder
There are few players in the Milwaukee system that have the raw power Roache does. He hit 22 home runs in 119 games with Class-A Wisconsin last season while playing alongside Taylor. His batting average was just .248 and he struck out 137 times but that’s fairly normal for a power hitter. He isn’t likely to push anyone this season to start with but if he can come up with another season of 25-30 home runs at the Double-A level, there will certainly be talk about bringing Roache up for the 2015 season, where he could push Khris Davis for playing time.
Taylor Jungmann - Pitcher
Jungmann looks like he is going to be counted on to be one of the top starters for the Brewers sooner than later. He has started 52 games at the minor league level with mixed results, including going 10-10 last season at Double-A with a 4.33 ERA in 139 1/3 innings. The questions about Jungmann stem from his high walk totals though. He walked 73 while striking out just 82 last year. If he is going to make it to Milwaukee in the near future, those numbers must improve. The Brewers may not have any choice though if trades or free agency tear apart the starting rotation.
