Brinson, Woodruff among Crew's 6 in Top 100

Draft pick Hiura enters prospect rankings at No. 96 overall

July 25th, 2017

WASHINGTON -- came off one list and joined another on a very good Tuesday for the fast-rising Brewers pitching prospect.
Woodruff came off the Brewers' 10-day disabled list on the same day he joined MLBPipeline.com's updated list of the top 100 prospects in baseball at No. 95, while moving up to fourth in the Brewers' Top 30. Updated rankings for all 30 teams were unveiled alongside a new Top 100 on Tuesday to reflect big league graduations and 2017 Draft picks.
Outfielder remained No. 1 on the Brewers' list and is ranked No. 15 overall on the new leaderboard ahead of another outfielder, Corey Ray (No. 2 in Brewers system, No. 70 overall). Left-hander graduated from the MLBPipeline system, so the Brewers' new top-ranked pitching prospect is (No. 3 in the Brewers' system, No. 83 overall).
Brinson heading back to big leagues?
The top newcomer is top Brewers Draft pick Keston Hiura, who debuted at No. 5 on Milwaukee's prospect list and just made the Top 100 at No. 96. Hiura is still working through a throwing program as he recovers from a pre-existing right elbow injury, but he is off to a hot start as a professional designated hitter, entering Tuesday with a .432/.480/.773 slash line between Rookie-level Arizona and Class A Wisconsin.
One other Brewers prospect cracked the overall list at No. 100: Infielder , ranked sixth in the Brewers system. Diaz gives Milwaukee six players among baseball's top 100 prospects.

Other 2017 Draft picks and International signings in Milwaukee's new Top 30 are outfielder Tristen Lutz (No. 8), catcher KJ Harrison (No. 17), right-hander Caden Lemons (No. 20), outfielder Larry Ernesto (No. 26), left-hander Brendan Murphy (No. 27), outfielder Carlos Rodriguez (No. 28) and outfielder Je'Von Ward (No. 29).
The biggest riser was right-hander Corbin Burnes, who was No. 21 in the preseason rankings and No. 7 as of Tuesday. Among players who fell in the rankings: former top pick Trent Clark dropped from No. 6 in the preseason ranking to No. 13, pitcher Phil Bickford fell from No. 12 to No. 24, catcher from No. 14 to No. 19, and pitcher (No. 13 preseason), infielder Gilbert Lara (No. 17) and pitcher Devin Williams (No. 18) were the highest-ranked players to drop out of the Top 30.
Woodruff, meanwhile, continued his rise from 11th-round Draft pick in 2014 to Brewers Minor League pitcher of the year in '16 to the brink of the big leagues. The Brewers promoted him to start one of the games of a doubleheader in St. Louis on June 13, but Woodruff injured his hamstring warming up.
Woodruff rehabbed at Rookie-level Arizona before reporting back to Colorado Springs. He couldn't get out of the first inning Monday night, when two errors, two walks and five hits added up to eight runs (four earned) in two-thirds of an eventual 12-5 loss.
"We want to kind of get him back in a rhythm of pitching again," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He had to basically take six weeks off, or of limited activity, so we'll let him get back and then he'll certainly be an option."
The ranking of baseball's top prospects is done by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status are eligible for the list. Players who were at least 23 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.