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One of the biggest prospect lists of the season has dropped, and it’s likely to leave Brewers fans a little disappointed. MLB Pipeline ran a special on MLB Network announcing this year’s list. After the Christian Yelich trade, only three Milwaukee Brewers prospects made the list.
56. Keston Hiura, 2B
69. Corbin Burnes, RHP (Nice)
96. Brandon Woodruff, RHP
Hiura is the Brewers’ top draft pick from 2017. As most fans know, he found a lot of success in the minors during his first stint in the pros. Pipeline gives Hiura a 65 hit tool, 50 power, 50 run, 50 arm and 45 fielding to add up to an overall potential grade of 55. They mention, like everyone, that Hiura’s biggest question mark is his fielding ability, which we will learn more about this year. If he continues to hit the hell out of the ball, there’s no reason to think he won’t be a top 50 prospect, if not even a top 30 prospect in the mid-season rankings.
Next up is Burnes, who put up a 1.67 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 26 starts between A+ and AA. Burnes’ grades are fairly encouraging. The young righty is graded with a 55 fastball, slider and curveball, a 50 changeup and 60 control, with an overall grade of 55. Pipeline praises his fast arm, control on both sides of the plate and effective secondary actions.
Finally, Brandon Woodruff gets a plus fastball at 60, a 55 slider, changeup at 50, with 50 control and an overall of 55. Pipeline ranks Woodruff’s future as a “dependable 3 or 4” in the rotation.
Two of the headline prospects who were a part of the Yelich trade made the list. Monte Harrison ranked at 71 and Lewis Brinson at 27.
To start last season, the Brewers had five prospects in the top 100. Brinson was in the top 20, Josh Hader made the top 40 but graduated off the list, Corey Ray was at 30 but is completely off the list, with Luis Ortiz at 62 and former Brewers prospect Isan Diaz at 65.