Milwaukee Brewers

Track Record: During the tryout process in the Dominican Republic, Mendez was a 5-foot-11 lefty with uneven hitting performance who projected as a corner outfielder. By the time the Brewers signed him for $800,000 on Jan. 15, 2021, his stock had climbed significantly, as he had grown to 6-foot-3, 180 pounds and showed impressive contact skills. That carried over into his pro debut, as Mendez hit well in both the Dominican Summer League and the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League as a 17-year-old in 2021, striking out in just 9% of his plate appearances.
Scouting Report: Mendez is a student of the game with a mature plan at the plate for his age, staying disciplined within the strike zone to draw more walks than strikeouts. Mendez has some unconventional components to his swing, which results in a lot of balls on the ground. Driving the ball in the air more will be important as he moves up, but he already hits the ball hard now with the bat speed and physical projection to grow into plus raw power. Mendez’s offensive game will carry him, as he spent time in center field and right field in 2021 but projects as a corner outfielder long term. He’s an average runner who likely slows down and has an average arm.
The Future: Mendez is polished enough to see Low-A Carolina as an 18-year-old at some point in 2022.

Track Record: One of the most tooled-up, dynamic athletes in the 2018 draft, Gray also carried significant risk as a high school outfielder with a lot of rawness to his offensive game. Signed for $1,113,500 as a second-round pick, Gray struggled to stay on the field and performed poorly when he did play his first two years in Rookie ball. The 2021 season marked a turnaround for Gray, who was excellent in his full-season debut with Low-A Carolina before slowing down upon an early July promotion to High-A Wisconsin.
Scouting Report: Gray’s free-swinging habits got him into trouble early in his career, but he did a better job of managing his at-bats in Low-A, allowing his above-average raw power to play in games. His chase tendencies and swing holes became more of an issue after his promotion and after the season in the Arizona Fall League. Gray’s defense never went into a slump. His speed and arm strength are both plus tools, with his instincts in center field giving him a chance to be a plus defender.
The Future: Gray’s swing and miss might ultimately end up holding him back, but he’s a much improved player from a year ago with power and defensive skills at a premium position that still make him intriguing. He likely returns to High-A Wisconsin to start the 2022 season.

Track Record: The arrows were pointing in the right direction in 2020 for Kelly, who was one of the most electric players at Milwaukee’s alternate training site. Then in November that year, Kelly had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. The rehab kept him out of action until July 13 and he pitched just 19.1 innings, showing promising stuff but struggling badly with his control.
Scouting Report: When he was healthy in 2020, Kelly showed a plus fastball that sat at 93-97 mph and touched 98 mph, a plus slider and a changeup that flashed average. By the end of 2021, Kelly was still showing a power fastball and at times a quality slider, but he had little ability to corral it in the strike zone. Much of that wildness was expected coming back from his operation, and evaluators noted that the physical struggles seemed to add a mental hurdle for him as well.
The Future: While Kelly’s command needed tightening before the surgery, he had previously shown the potential to develop into a mid-rotation or better starter. He’s much more of a wild card at this point, with more risk he ends up in the bullpen long term.

Track Record: Smith was a 38th-round pick of the Cubs coming out of high school as a projectable 6-foot-9 pitcher with issues syncing up his delivery. His time at Texas Christian cleared those problems up. Smith stepped right into Texas Christian’s rotation as a freshman, missed the 2019 season because of Tommy John surgery, but once again impressed in the rotation in 2020 and 2021, going 7-3, 3.83 as a redshirt junior.
Scouting Report: It’s hard to think of much better fits than giving the Brewers a crafty, unconventional pitcher with plus command of his fastball and changeup. Smith’s plus changeup is something he’s able to consistently keep down and away from righthanded hitters. He also does a good job spotting his average 90-94 mph fastball. If the Brewers can help him improve his fringe-average slider and/or help him find a little more arm speed (which could improve his slider on its own), he could go from being a useful multi-inning reliever/back-of-the rotation starter to a fast-moving mid-rotation starter.
The Future: The Brewers were very cautious about not overtaxing college pitchers who threw full seasons. Smith has yet to make his pro debut, but he could jump straight to High-A Wisconsin in 2022.

Track Record: Garcia signed with the Brewers for $1.1 million on his 16th birthday in 2018. A broken ankle limited him to just 10 games in 2019, then the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, so Garcia had yet to play much heading into the 2021 season. He spent most of 2021 in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League before a September bump to Low-A Carolina.
Scouting Report: Garcia stands out most on the defensive side. He moves around well at shortstop, where he has soft hands, good footwork and a plus arm. He’s a fringe-average runner with good instincts and body control, giving him a chance to be an above-average defender. Garcia shows the power potential to be a 15-20 home run hitter and did make some strides with his early-count swing decisions in 2021, but he still struck out in 29% of his plate appearances and has to do a better job managing his at-bats.
The Future: Garcia’s first full season in 2022—likely starting in Wisconsin—should offer a more revealing look at his future and whether he can do enough at the plate to develop into an everyday regular.

Track Record: Zamora didn’t play his junior year at Miami in 2020 after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a preseason practice, but the Brewers still drafted him in the second round. Zamora’s pro debut in 2021 got off to a slow start. He batted .245/.360/.283 in 28 games by the end of June, but from then on he hit .324/.424/.481 in his final 64 games.
Scouting Report: Zamora has the tools to stick at shortstop. He’s an above-average runner with quick footwork who moves well laterally and has soft hands, along with a solid-average arm. He was error-prone in college and showed that at times on routine plays in pro ball, though some of that could have been getting back to game speed from his lost 2020 season. At the plate, Zamora controls the strike zone and makes frequent contact, albeit without much impact.
The Future: There’s a path for Zamora to develop into a steady shortstop who hits toward the bottom of a lineup if he can produce more damage on contact. He likely opens 2022 with High-A Wisconsin.

Track Record: Early in the scouting process in Venezuela, Lara was a slender 5-foot-6 outfielder who wasn’t getting much attention. He’s still on the smaller side at 5-foot-9, but he has developed into an exciting, high-energy player with a promising mix of athleticism, tools and game skills, joining the Brewers as one of their top international signings for the 2021-22 signing period when it opened on Jan. 15, 2022.
Scouting Report: Lara is a premium, quick-twitch athlete and a true switch-hitter with good bat speed from both sides of the plate. His swing is short and quick with good rhythm and a knack for being on time, leading to a high contact rate in games. At Lara’s size, some scouts question is ultimate power upside, though others say he puts a surprising charge into the ball for his size and think he has a chance to be a 20-plus home run threat. His best tool is his plus-plus speed, with a good gait to sprint around center field with good range and closing speed, along with a solid-average arm.
The Future: Lara was not heavily scouted in Venezuela, but the Brewers have been as aggressive as any team in that country in recent years. Lara is another arrow-up player who joins an impressive collection of Venezuelan prospects in the lower levels of the system.

Track Record: Warren was primarily a shortstop at Central Michigan, though he spent some time behind the plate in college. Warren started to transition to catching after signing and played 20 games there in his pro debut in 2021, though he spent most of his time at third base.
Scouting Report: Wherever Warren ends up, his bat stands out the most. He has good rhythm and balance, solid bat-to-ball skills and good strike-zone discipline. Warren’s on-base skills stick out more than his power, though he does make hard contact and could unlock more power as he learns which pitches he can drive. Warren’s defense at catcher is understandably still a long way from being major league ready. He might continue catching in 2022, but it’s unlikely he sticks there long term. An average runner with an average arm, Warren looked much better at third base, where he has quick reactions off the bat.
The Future: Catching can take a toll on a player’s offensive game, so a move off that position could help Warren take off, even if it raises the bar for what he will need to produce at the plate.

Track Record: Feliciano made his major league debut in 2021, drawing an 11th-inning walk and coming around to score the winning run in a May 1 victory over the Dodgers. That was Feliciano’s only big league plate appearance and little else went right for him during the year. A right shoulder impingement limited his playing time, and when he did get on the field at Triple-A Nashville, he struggled.
Scouting Report: While his numbers dropped in 2021, Feliciano has generally been an offensive-minded catcher when healthy. He has above-average raw power that he generates from a loose swing with some length to it, but his proclivity to expand the strike zone eats away at his productivity and leads to too many empty swings. Behind the plate, Felciiano is agile and athletic and shows a solid-average arm when healthy. That often wasn’t the case in 2021, though, and his slower transfer led him to throw out just 19% of basestealers.
The Future: It’s possible that injuries simply masked Feliciano’s true ability last year, but the 2022 season will be critical for Feliciano to rebound on both sides of the ball. He should start 2022 back in Triple-A.

Track Record: The Brewers signed Uribe out of the Dominican Republic for $85,000 in 2018, when he was an 18-year-old with a low-90s fastball. The next year, Uribe’s fastball reached the mid 90s, and by the time he got to instructional league in 2020, he touched 101 mph. Uribe made his full-season debut in 2021 as a 21-year-old in Low-A Wisconsin, where he lit up radar guns with erratic control. That continued after the season in the Arizona Fall League, where he walked 17 in nine innings.
Scouting Report: Uribe is one of the hardest throwers on the planet. He tops out at 103 mph, sitting in the mid-to-upper 90s and regularly cracking triple digits. Some scouts thought his fastball was more hittable than the pure velocity would suggest, but Uribe has shown feel for a slider that could be an average pitch and he posted a 35% strikeout rate in Carolina. He has a changeup but rarely throws it. Uribe profiles best as a reliever, and to stick around in that role he will need to make massive improvements with his control. His feel for pitching is still raw and he has trouble syncing up his delivery, leading him to throw 14 wild pitches and issue 6.7 walks per nine innings in 2021.
The Future: Uribe’s arm strength gives him a chance to develop into a power reliever, but he will have to tame his wildness to realize that potential.

Track Record: The Mets paid $10,000 to sign Valerio out of the Dominican Republic before the 2018 season. He was just 5-foot-7 without any great tools but had good instincts for the game, and he got off to a good start by hitting .319/.409/.433 in his debut in the Dominican Summer League that year. In January 2019, the Mets traded him to the Brewers in a deal for outfielder Keon Broxton.
Scouting Report: Valerio’s best asset is plate discipline. His stature gives him a smaller strike zone that he has to cover, and he does a good job of not chasing much off the plate. He drew nearly as many walks (69) as strikeouts (71) in 2021, making frequent contact when he does swing with a 14% strikeout rate. Valerio was mostly a spray hitter early in his career, and while his power is still below-average, he added a little more loft to his swing and surprised with 11 home runs. An average runner, Valerio has played all around the infield, but he is a below-average defender with a below-average arm that fits best at second.
The Future: Valerio doesn’t quite project as an everyday player yet, but his contact skills and plate discipline could offer sneaky value if he continues to hit at the upper levels.

Track Record: There was little debate over who the best pitcher in junior college baseball was in 2021. After a modest start, Henderson dominated all comers over the final two months of the season to earn pitcher of the year honors. He threw a seven-inning perfect game and led NJCAA Division I with 166 strikeouts. In the Junior College World Series, he made two starts, allowing one run while striking out 31 in just 16 innings.
Scouting Report: Henderson is a shorter righthander with a high-spin low-90s fastball that plays above average thanks to its hop and the lower approach angles that help get on top of hitters’ bats at the top of the zone. His changeup is an above-average pitch with solid deception. His slider is not as developed yet, but it will flash average. Henderson has above-average control of all three pitches. It’s that advanced control for his age and his remaining projectability that give him a shot to develop into a reliable mid-rotation starter.
The Future: Henderson will play the entire 2022 season as a 20-year-old, so he’s significantly younger than most college draftees. He should head to Low-A Carolina to begin his pro career. There’s reason to believe the best is yet to come as he should get stronger and throw harder as he matures.

Track Record: Vargas signed with the Brewers for $650,000 when the 2019-20 international signing period opened on July 2, 2019. Vargas stood out more for his game savvy than his tools, and he continued to show that in his pro debut in 2021 in the Arizona Complex League.
Scouting Report: Vargas doesn’t have a plus tool and he won’t immediately stick out for his size or explosiveness. What he does have are instincts and feel for the game that are advanced for an 18-year-old. Vargas is a smart player who has a knack for slowing the game down and playing under control on both sides of the ball. There are some unconventional parts to his swing, but he manages his at-bats well, draws walks and sprays line drives, albeit with well-below-average power. An average runner with a solid-average arm, Vargas doesn’t make the acrobatic plays other shortstops make, but he’s a reliable, sure-handed defender with good instincts who committed just two errors in 2021, spending time at shortstop, third base and second base.
The Future: If Vargas can get stronger to be able to do more damage as he faces more advanced pitchers, he could develop into a utility infielder. He should spend 2022 with Low-A Carolina.

Track Record: Rodriguez was a prominent 2017 international signing out of Venezuela, landing a $1.355 million bonus. He has shown good bat control and moved quickly, reaching High-A Carolina as a 20-year-old in 2021.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez has a knack for finding the barrel with his short lefthanded stroke. He has good hand-eye coordination that leads to impressive plate coverage and a lot of contact. While Rodriguez has gotten stronger, he still has minimal power—he hit just one home run in 2021—creating questions about how he profiles at the big league level. That’s especially true now that it looks like his future is in an outfield corner. Rodriguez played some center field last year but mostly played the corners. He has a chance to be a good defender on a wing, with average speed and good instincts.
The Future: Stretched thin in center field, Rodriguez will need to develop more thump to become a big league corner outfielder. His contact skills and instincts give him a chance though, and he will be one of the youngest players in Double-A next year at 21.

Track Record: When the Brewers drafted Bettinger as a senior sign in 2017, his $10,000 bonus helped the team go over slot to sign Tristen Lutz, Brendan Murphy and Nick Egnatuk. Bettinger has proven more than just a money saver. He made an auspicious debut in early May. Called up to give a breather to a spent pitching staff, Bettinger gave up two grand slams and 11 earned runs in four innings, tying the record for the most earned runs allowed in an MLB debut.
Scouting Report: Bettinger was much better in his other three MLB appearances, but his awful MLB debut is a reminder of how he doesn’t have much margin for error. He’s the type of crafty, funky and deceptive righthander who relies on plus command to succeed. When he nibbles, it’s intentional, as he has to stay on the edges of the strike zone. His 89-92 mph fringe-average fastball has good carry, but the lack of velocity limits its effectiveness. He relies on a cross-fire delivery to add deception. Bettinger’s average mid-70s curve is effective if he locates it down in the zone, but hitters tee off if he leaves it up. He also spots his average 86-88 mph cutter, which helps keep hitters off his fastball. He has shown little confidence in a below-average changeup.
The Future: Bettinger is unlikely to ever be a regular member of the Brewers’ rotation, but he can provide spot starts as well as serve as a low-leverage multi-inning reliever thanks to his durability and control.

Track Record: The Mexican native was signed by the Brewers during the summer of 2017 as a precocious 18-year-old coming off nine appearances for Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. Castaneda skipped complex ball and was assigned directly to the Brewers Rookie-level affiliate Helena, where the righty made 14 appearances. He spent 2019 alternating between a starting role and the bullpen, working as Wisconsin’s closer for a stretch of the season. Fast forward to 2021, and Castaneda is now focused on developing as a starting pitcher. Between High-A and Triple-A, Castaneda made 22 starts to middling results, and ultimately was left off of the 40-man roster this winter.
Scouting Report: Castaneda has a unique four-pitch mix, led by the unusual combination of both a changeup and a splitter. He throws each in any count to any handedness, selling them with good arm speed. His four-seam fastball sits 90-93 mph with moderate hop and arm-side run. It’s an effective pitch in right-on-right matchups, but it’s easily identified by lefthanders and subsequently hit. He works from a semi-windup, with a long arm stroke that dips back before delivering from a high three-quarters slot. This plays up the deception on his fastball versus righthanders, and allows him to sell his changeup and splitter off of his four-seam. He features a sweepy high-70s slider versus righthanders, but runs into too many barrels versus lefties for it to be an effective pitch in off-handed matchups. Castaneda’s changeup and splitter are major league pitches now, but the right-on-right split-heavy nature of his four-seam and slider pairing leaves him stuck between a true identity as a starter or reliever. He’s most likely destined for a multi-inning relief role with the ability to challenge lefthanded hitters with a variety of offspeed options.
The Future: A shorter righthander with some history as a reliever early in his professional career, Castaneda has work to do to shake the future reliever label. He’ll likely head to Double-A to begin 2022, where he should continue to develop as a starter.

Track Record: Barrios was one of the top shortstops in the 2021-22 international signing class out of Venezuela, a country the Brewers have been aggressive in over the last few years. Barrios (no relation to fellow Brewers Venezuelan shortstop Gregory Barrios) joined the Brewers once the signing period opened on Jan. 15, 2022.
Scouting Report: Once a long, lean shortstop, Barrios has started to fill out and is developing impressive power for 17. Barrios’ easy power stands out, but it’s more than just batting practice shows, as he generally performed well in games as an amateur player, with a chance to grow into plus raw power. Barrios has also improved his speed, running plus underway, though as he matures physically, that might back up. His plus arm fits at shortstop, and while he has a chance to stick there, he might outgrow the position and end up at third base.
The Future: Compared to Gregory Barrios and Daniel Guilarte, Milwaukee’s two big shortstops from Venezuela in the previous class, Barrios has more power, though the other two have a higher probability to stick at shortstop. His first official games will likely come in the Dominican Summer League.

Track Record: Barrios was one of the top Venezuelan shortstops in the 2020-21 signing class when the Brewers landed him for $1 million in Jan. 2021. He made his pro debut in 2021 in the Dominican Summer League.
Scouting Report: Barrios was one of the top defensive shortstops from Latin America in his class. While not as explosive as fellow 2021 Venezuelan signing Jackson Chourio, Barrios is a smooth, instinctive fielder with a good internal clock. An average runner with solid-average arm strength, Barrios is light on his feet with good body control and soft hands. Barrios is a switch-hitter, though he’s much better from the right side and might end up hitting exclusively righthanded. Most of his at-bats came as a lefty, dragging down his offensive production, though he also took some at-bats from the right side against righthanders. Barrios does have a keen eye for the strike zone and makes frequent contact with a line-drive approach. There’s some physical projection for Barrios to grow into more power, but right now he’s mostly a singles hitter with limited pop.
The Future: Barrios shows promise as a true shortstop who will need to develop his offensive game, but with contact skills and strike-zone judgment intact to build from. He should head to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League for the 2022 season.

Track Record: Between Jackson Chourio, Gregory Barrios and Guilarte, the Brewers signed three Venezuelan prospects for seven-figure deals after the 2020-21 international signing period opened on Jan. 15, 2021. Guilarte signed for $1 million, though he didn’t play in 2021 due to a left shoulder injury.
Scouting Report: Guilarte is built like Eduardo Garcia was when they signed him out of Venezuela, a wiry shortstop but with better tools at the same stage. He got faster leading up to his signing date, to where he’s now a plus runner with a plus arm, with the defensive actions that give him a good chance to stick at shortstop. The lost 2021 season creates more uncertainty with projecting Guilarte’s offensive game, though as an amateur he showed a solid idea of the strike zone and contact skills. Guilarte has good bat speed and the strength projection to grow into more pop, but his power is mostly to the alleys right now and his swing is geared more for low line drives rather than loft.
The Future: Losing the 2021 season hampers Guilarte’s development, but he’s with the tools and ability to play a premium position still intact.

Track Record: A standout at Dixie State, File lowered his arm slot to low three-quarters as a pro. That, along with his impressive control, has helped him exceed expectations. Milwaukee added him to the 40-man roster after the 2020 season, but File’s 2021 season was somewhat of a struggle. He missed the first half of the season recovering from a stress fracture in his right elbow. When he returned, he was a little homer-prone at Triple-A Nashville.
Scouting Report: File is the epitome of a crafty back-of-the-rotation starter. He sits 88-92 mph with his fastball and can brush 94 at his best. That offering does not scare hitters, but he does hit his spots. File’s average low-80s slider was his best pitch in 2021 and his slower, loopier mid-70s curve will flash average, but nothing he throws is above average. His fringe-average 82-85 mph changeup could use a little more separation from his fastball. File repeats his delivery well, and at his best, his lower arm slot is a tough look for righthanded hitters. File relies on his plus control and ability to mix four pitches to be effective.
The Future: File’s fringy stuff means his margin of error will generally be quite narrow. Triple-A batters hit .314 against him in 2021. He will likely need to rely even more on his two breaking balls going forward. He profiles as a useful Triple-A starter who can be called on as a fill-in when needed.