System overview
If there were justice in the world, it would be Bud Selig's Milwaukee Brewers threatened with contraction, not the Expos and Twins. The Brewers don't have a strong base of major-league talent, and also have had one of the worst farm systems in baseball for years now, with only occasional sparks of productivity. The accession to the majors last year of Ben Sheets was welcome, but the system lacks talent and depth across the board.
The best potential player in the system is fireballing right-hander Nick Neugebauer, who reached the Show last year. But he has significant injury issues that must be resolved. There are a few interesting arms behind him, but no one who will be ready quickly. The position player well is nearly dry, especially at the upper levels. Young hitters like Kade Johnson, Jason Belcher, Bill Hall and Cristian Guerrero have potential, but all have weaknesses, and none are close to being ready.
None of this is for lack of effort; GM Dean Taylor and his staff know the system they inherited in 1999 was in disrepair, and are making efforts to improve. They've been putting out more money in the draft, and are enhancing their scouting in Latin America. But so far the results haven't been there, and overall, the system is in poor condition.
2001 Minor League W-L Percentage: .496, (ranked 15th)
2001 amateur draft
For all the pessimism expressed above, the 2001 draft class does give hope for the future, especially on the mound.
First-round pick Mike Jones, out of high school in Phoenix, is a classic hard-throwing prep. He could have gone in the first five picks in some draft classes, and did well enough in rookie ball to project rapid progress up the ladder. Another Arizona prep, shortstop J.J. Hardy, was drafted in the second round. A shortstop, Hardy is outstanding with the glove, and the Brewers think he'll hit in the long run, though he hasn't yet.
Third-rounder Jon Steitz is a right-handed pitcher with a 95 mph fastball and a Yale education. He also had an ERA in excess of 6.00 in rookie ball, and will need to apply his brain to improving his control. Fourth-rounder Brad Nelson, a high school slugger from rural Iowa, has enormous raw power, but will take some time to adjust to minor-league conditions.
College pitchers Judd Richardson (5th round, Miami (Ohio)) and Dennis Sarfate (9th round, Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz) CC), along with 8th-round pick Brandon Gemoll (1B, Fresno State) add depth to the minor-league roster.
The Brewers selected a mixture of high school and college talent, and all of the early picks (especially Jones) have high ceilings. It will take time for this class to ripen, but it has potential.
Top prospects
Players in the "Will Help Soon" section could see major-league action in 2002. Players in the "Will Help Someday" section shouldn't reach the majors until '03 or later, though of course that can change. No 2001 draftees are listed.
WILL HELP SOON
Nick Neugebauer, RHP: Owner of a 95-98 mph fastball, along with a nasty slider. Improved his command from poor to fair last year, which was enough to vault him to the majors. Season finished early with arthroscopic surgery to repair a shoulder injury, but he is supposed to be healthy by May.
Jose Mieses, RHP: Uses average fastball, average curve, and unhittable palmball to get people out. Limited to 11 games last year by back injury, but should be fine by spring. Does not have Neugebauer's stuff, but has much better command.
Alex Sanchez, OF: Speed demon outfielder, could do good work as a reserve, but unlikely to thrive in a regular role.
WILL HELP SOMEDAY
Jeff Deardorff, OF: Slugged 29 homers at two levels, but an all-or-nothing player, prone to strikeouts and unwilling/unable to work the count for walks at this point.
Cristian Guerrero, OF: Vladimir's cousin, hit .312 with 22 steals in the California League. Power hasn't developed yet, and he needs to be more patient, a common problem in this organization.
Bill Hall, SS: Solid athlete with good skills across the board, but in need of refinement. Hit .303 with 15 homers and 18 steals at Class A High Desert, but drew just five walks in 165 plate appearances after moving up to Double-A.
Ben Hendrickson, RHP: Has one of the best curveballs in the minors, and bumped his fastball to 93 mph last year, resulting in 2.84 ERA and 133 whiffs in 133 innings for Class A Beloit. Needs sharper control, but there is a lot to like with this sleeper.
Kade Johnson, C: Hit 21 homers in the Class A California League. Owns good defensive tools, but has big holes in his swing (35 walks, 118 strikeouts) and may not get on base enough to be useful as a regular.
Dave Krynzel, OF: 2000 first-round pick. Swiped 45 bases at two levels of Class A, at age 20, but was otherwise overmatched in the California League (122 strikeouts in 383 at-bats). Great glove, but has been rushed.
KEY SLEEPER
Jason Belcher, C-1B: Limited to 144 at-bats by a broken hand, but hit .326 with excellent strike zone judgment in that time for Class A Beloit. Could have the best offensive potential of any player in the Brewers system.
Other names to know
Matt Childers, RHP; Daryl Clark, 3B; Jose Garcia, RHP; J.M. Gold, RHP; Derry Hammond, OF; Derek Lee, LHP; Luis Martinez, LHP; Ryan Miller, RHP; Jim Rushford, OF; Marcos Scutaro, 2B.
John Sickels is working on the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html.
