Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. OF Jackson Chourio | 20 | AAA | 2024
A phenomenal athlete who generates unique torque, Chourio hit 22 home runs and stole 43 bases as a 19-year-old in a Double-A league that used a pre-tacked ball to start the season. Hypotheses vary on how much the tacky ball impacted offensive outcomes, but there’s little doubt it increased the difficulty level for hitters. The league swapped out that experiment for a different one after a couple weeks, but the ball was still . . . unique enough that it creates a little error bar and reverse-explained some of Chourio’s early struggles. Mostly, he was pretty great, slashing .280/.336/.467 with an 18.4 percent strikeout rate and a 112 wRC+ across 122 games. This earned him a promotion to Triple-A for the final six games, where he slashed .333/.375/.476 with just one strikeout. Milwaukee has a lot of pieces to sort through, and you can see by the ETAs on this list that their path won’t get clearer anytime soon. There’s not much Chourio could prove at Triple-A Colorado Springs, so he’s got an outside shot to open the season in the big leagues.
2. RHP Jacob Misiorowski | 21 | AA | 2024
At 6’7” 190 lbs with a whippy, three-quarter delivery, Misiorowski walks a line trading balance for deception, which lands him in a reliever bucket for some. If that’s his path, he’ll dominate. I think the Brewers will give him every chance to remain a starter. When he is repeating his delivery, he’s just about untouchable. He recorded 36 strikeouts in 21 Double-A innings but allowed 16 walks and a 5.57 ERA, so even though the ETA says 2024 here, we’re likely looking at the very late part of the season.
3. 2B Tyler Black | 23 | AAA | 2024
Black made the most of 2023, playing all over the field while slashing .284/.417/.513 with 18 home runs and 55 stolen bases in 123 games across Double and Triple-A. He walked 88 times and struck out 100. I doubt the speed remains so intense at the highest level, but the rest of his skill set should translate pretty well. He’s a disciplined left handed hitter and viable defender at several spots, precisely the type Milwuakee tends to collect. I think he’s the best fantasy bet of their 2B/3B group of Brice Turang, Andrew Montasterio, Owen Miller and Abraham Toro. So long as they don’t sign a big ticket item, Black should have a chance at the opening day lineup.
4. 3B Brock Wilken | 21 | AA | 2024
The 18th overall pick in this year’s draft, Wilken’s a corner bat at 6’4” 225 lbs who has always hit and hit for power. He slashed .303/.430/.519 in 36 games as a 19-year-old in the Cape Cod League. Hit two homers in six Double-A games after posting a .427 OBP in 34 High-A games. Nice windfall profit for anyone sitting outside the top group in First-Year-Player Drafts this winter.
5. C Jeferson Quero | 21 | AA | 2024
His path got complicated when the club acquired William Contreras in exchange for Esteury Ruiz, but Quero went out and posted another solid season, slashing .262/.339/.441 in 90 games with 16 home runs and five steals as a 20-year-old in Double-A. Thing is, Contreras posted a great season, hitting .289 with 17 homers, six steals and a 124 wRC+ in 141 games, good for 5.4 WAR according to the Fangraphs math. He’s not a free agent until 2028. Gotta have more than one catcher, of course, but I’m just explaining why Quero’s lower here than you’ll find him on most lists for the time being.
6. SS Cooper Pratt | 19 | CPX | 2027
At 6’4” 195 lbs with excellent hands and athleticism, Pratt feels like the steal of the draft for Milwaukee in the sixth round. He slashed .356/.426/.444 with four steals in 12 games on the complex and would move way up the lists if he starts well in Low-A.
7. LHP Robert Gasser | 24 | AAA | 2024
At 6’0” 192 lbs with a low-90’s fastball, Gasser gets by on guile and command of a diverse arsenal, a combination he rode to a 9-1 record and 3.79 ERA across 135.1 innings pitching mostly in unforgiving environments. The 1.28 WHIP isn’t ideal, but allowing 0.80 HR/9 in that setting is. Can a slider, curveball, changeup lefty thrive in our game? I think so, given the win-starved environment and rebirth of the lefty advantage, as far as holding runners on first base is concerned. Milwaukee butters its bread on maximizing guys like Gasser.
8. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez | 22 | AAA | 2024
Another deceptive off-speed expert at six-feet tall, Rodriguez figures to be part of the team’s plans in 2024 after pitching 123.2 innings at Double-A and finishing up with a 4.2 innings start in Triple-A. His 2.77 ERA and 1.09 WHIP against mostly older players in Double-A is a bit much to expect at the highest level from peak Rodriguez, statistically speaking, but he’s an underrated prospect in fantasy circles who I think will beat the book, so to speak, if given the chance.
9. OF Luis Lara | 19 | A+ | 2026
A 5’7” 155 lb switch-hitter, Lara’s leadoff type game provides a spark for his side. In 70 Low-A games, he slashed .285/.379/.354 with two home runs and 22 steals along with a 12.3 percent walk rate and 14.5 percent strikeout rate, good for a 116 wRC+. Plain to see that he’ll need to add some strength, but time should take care of that to some extent despite the frame.
10. OF Yophery Rodriguez | 18 | DSL | 2028
The highest paid signing during the 2023 international period, Rodriguez fared well enough in the DSL (.253/.393/.449) that he should open 2024 in the complex league or maybe even Low-A. He’s a plus athlete across the board with better contact skills than the debut batting average suggests. He walked 41 times with just 40 strikeouts, and I think there’s a chance he was struggling to wait for pitchers with poor control to find the zone, and he’d clearly rather be patient than not.
Thanks for reading!
