Chourio, Misiorowski headline Brewers prospects eyeing '24 debuts
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PHOENIX -- Tom Flanagan has worked for the Brewers for more than three decades, advancing from batboy to vice president of player operations and baseball administration. During his time with the club, he doesn't think the farm system ever has been stronger than it is now.
"We've had offensive guys before," Flanagan said. "In the 2004-05 range, we had Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun, but we didn't have any pitching besides Yovani Gallardo. Now we have a lot of offensive guys and we have pitching depth too. The other difference now is that our international department is really cleaning up with guys like Jackson Chourio and Jeferson Quero."
Milwaukee came in third in MLB Pipeline's recently updated farm system rankings and features five Top 100 Prospects, all of whom could make their big league debuts in 2024 as the Brewers seek their sixth playoff berth in the last seven seasons. Flanagan discussed what outfielder Chourio, right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, catcher Quero, corner infielder Tyler Black and infielder Joey Ortiz need to do to put the finishing touches on their development:
Ranked No. 2 among the Top 100 Prospects, Chourio may have the best all-around tools on that list. Last year, he became the first teenager to record a 20-homer/40-steal season in the Minors since Ronald Acuña Jr., then signed an eight-year, $82 million contract in December -- a record deal for a player who had yet to reach the Majors.
"It sounds like a cliché because everyone works on it, but he just needs better zone discipline," Flanagan said. "Get the ball in the zone to where he can do damage. He has done it in the Minors, and he'll go the other way and make two-strike adjustments, but he just needs to do it more consistently."
Misiorowski's stuff, which was on full display during Spring Breakout, rivals anyone's on the Top 100. It's highlighted by an explosive fastball that reaches 102 mph and a mid-80s slider that combines power and depth. He limited opponents to a .169 average and struck out 110 in 71 1/3 innings while advancing to Double-A in his first full pro season.
"Miz doesn't get hit if his stuff is in the zone, and if he ever gets command in the zone it's over," Flanagan said. "It's mostly just improving his feel for his delivery and smoothing things out so he can harness his stuff."
Quero is one of the best defensive prospects in the game, a catcher with a strong arm and advanced receiving, blocking and framing skills. He's also a bit underrated at the plate and homered 16 times in 90 games as a 20-year-old.
"He's not afraid to go the other way," Flanagan said. "He's more of a slasher but there's power in there. Defensively, he catches and releases the ball so quick. His framing is very good and he can get even better. He's a very mature kid, his English is very good, he's a good teammate. He checks all the boxes."
Black doesn't wow scouts like Chourio, Misiorowski and Quero and he isn't competing for an Opening Day job like Ortiz. But he may know the strike zone better than any Brewers farmhand and translated his plus hitting ability and speed into 55 extra-base hits and 55 steals last season.
"We just need to find a position for him," Flanagan said. "We're going to play him more at first base and he should settle in there. At third base, he doesn't always look great but he makes plays. His footwork might not look right and his arm angle looks different, but his arm is very accurate. He's such a gamer. We've had him in center field and he takes good routes. Second base is probably the least likely."
Part of the Corbin Burnes trade with the Orioles last month, Ortiz is similar to Quero in that he's a stalwart defender at a premium position (shortstop) and his glove overshadows his bat. He hit .321/.378/.507 in Triple-A and provides enough offense that he could get regular playing time at third base in Milwaukee this year.
"He's a really good defender but we do a lot of first-step work and we're working with him on that," Flanagan said. "His range and arm are good but his first step isn't great. We feel like we can push him to become even better."
Camp standout: Wes Clarke
Clarke tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 23 homers in 2021, when the Brewers drafted him in the 10th round out of South Carolina. A power-over-hit type who topped the Double-A Southern League with 26 homers a year ago, he came to big league camp as a nonroster invitee and has gone deep four times in 26 at-bats. He has seen more action at first base than at catcher in the Cactus League and likely will continue to do so going forward.
"He has power to all fields," Flanagan said. "He's just OK behind the plate. He's very willing to do it but he's a little big for a catcher and it mentally fatigues him trying so hard to help his pitching staff. He's probably going to be more of a first baseman/DH who can catch in spurts."
Breakout potential: Dylan O'Rae
The Brewers made the diminutive O'Rae a surprise third-round pick as a Canadian high schooler in 2022 because they loved his on-base ability and his plus-plus speed. Five-foot-7 and 160 pounds, he batted .349/.491/.394 with 44 steals in 60 games between Rookie ball and Single-A last summer while dividing his time between second base, center field and shortstop.
"He's an undersized guy but his on-base percentage was close to .500 last year and we want to see how that translates at higher levels," Flanagan said. "He plays on the dirt and also in center field. We feel very good about our infield depth, so he's going to get more center field time to take advantage of his speed."
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2023 Draft sleeper: Brett Wichrowski
Wichrowski attracted little fanfare when he signed for $100,000 as a 13th-rounder out of Bryant last July. That's changing now that the right-hander is pushing his fastball as high as 99 mph this spring, and he hit 98 multiple times while working two innings in a Spring Breakout game against the Royals on Sunday. His improved velocity got him a brief look in a Cactus League game and he responded with a scoreless inning.
"We didn't pitch him in a game after the Draft, but we had him in our January camp and now Spring Training and he's been very impressive," Flanagan said. "He was more 93-94 mph at Bryant and now it's 96-97. You watch his arm and it's like lightning. "