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Milwaukee Brewers 2018 minor league awards

By Benjamin Chase |
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 16: Fredddy Peralta #51 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 16: Fredddy Peralta #51 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 16: Corbin Burrnes #39 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers a pitch in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 16: Corbin Burrnes #39 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers a pitch in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The Milwaukee Brewers finished one game away from the World Series in 2018. Could their minor league system help them take the next step in 2019?

As part of our continuing coverage at Call to the Pen of the minor leagues, we will be covering each organization’s top players for 2018. The coverage will go in reverse order of record. Today, we will look at the Milwaukee Brewers.

We are going to review the system’s leaders for each organization statistically, then choose one hitter and one pitcher to honor for every team. This will be primarily based on statistical performance, though some “age relative to level” could come into play, so a very impressive season from a 28-year-old in AA will rank below a nearly as impressive season from a 20-year-old at the same level.

After we review each organization’s hitter and pitcher of the year, we will close out October with Call To The Pen’s Minor League team of the year. That will lead into November starting our team top 10 prospect lists. In other words, there will be plenty of minor league content on the way at CTTP, so keep coming back for more each day this offseason!!

Milwaukee Brewers minor leagues

After an offseason with a number of big moves, the Milwaukee Brewers made it all the way to the NLCS, finishing one game away from the World Series. Though they traded away much of their vaunted farm system coming into the 2017-2018 offseason to make that work.

With a lessened farm system, will they have the pieces necessary to make a long playoff run again in 2019?

Before we offer up awards on the season, let’s take a look at the system’s statistical leaders:

Organization Leaders (min. 150 PA, 50 IP)

BA: Eddie Silva .335
OBP: Ji-Man Choi .436
SLG: David Fry .550
OPS: David Fry .950
R: Corey Ray 86
H: Keston Hiura 142
2B: Keston Hiura 34
3B: Three with 9
HR: Corey Ray 27
RBI: Tyrone Taylor 80
SB: Corey Ray 37
TB: Corey Ray 254

W: Nick Ramirez 11
G: Tristan Archer 52
GS: Nelson Hernandez 28
IP: Christian Taugner 149 1/3
SV: Nate Griep 34
K: Braden Webb 128
ERA: Quintin Torres-Costa 1.31
WHIP: Quintin Torres-Costa 0.95
K/9: Miguel Sanchez 13.3
K/BB: Michael Brady 5.11

Let’s look at the award winners…

BIRMINGHAM, AL – JUNE 19: Biloxi Shuckers outfielder Corey Ray during the 2018 Southern League All-Star Game. The South All-Stars defeated the North All-Stars by the score of 9-5 on June 19, 2018 at Regions Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, AL – JUNE 19: Biloxi Shuckers outfielder Corey Ray during the 2018 Southern League All-Star Game. The South All-Stars defeated the North All-Stars by the score of 9-5 on June 19, 2018 at Regions Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Hitter of the Year: Corey Ray

Level(s): AA Biloxi
Stats: .239/.323/.477, 135 G, 600 PA, 32 2B, 7 3B, 27 HR, 37 SB, 60/176 BB/K

After struggling at multiple levels, Corey Ray finally was able to show his power and speed both in 2018. The #5 overall pick in 2016, Ray came into pro ball with concerns about his contact and swing and miss, and those still exist.

He was able to maximize his power and utilize his speed at AA, and he’s getting close to the major leagues, but he will need to shorten up his swing to have success with the Milwaukee Brewers in the future.

Runners-up

Considered the best pure hitter in the 2017 draft, the Milwaukee Brewers drafted Keston Hiura in spite of recovery from Tommy John surgery that would leave his defensive position in question until his first full season. That was 2018, and he split his time between DH and second base as he worked between high-A and AA, hitting .293/.357/.464 with 34 doubles, 5 triples, 13 home runs, and 15 steals. He still has work to do in controlling the strike zone, but that may be his last thing to conquer at the plate before being ready to tackle the majors.

Grabbed off of waivers in the offseason, Dylan Moore was a revelation for the Milwaukee Brewers this season between AA and AAA, hitting .299/.363/.522 with 31 doubles, 9 triples, 14 home runs, and 23 stolen bases. Moore does not strike out a ton, but he does not have the defensive chops at any one position in the infield to take over one long-term. He could have a future off the bench as a utility guy, however.

A 28-year-old minor league veteran, Nate Orf earned his major league debut this season by playing around the infield and even playing corner outfield while handling the bat well. He hit .298/.397/.426 with 27 doubles, 6 home runs, and 22 steals for AAA Colorado Springs. He struggled in the majors, hitting under .100, but he did get his major league shot.

Originally a 4th round selection out of high school in 2014 by the Milwaukee Brewers, Troy Stokes has worked his way up the farm system one step at a time. His 2018 season was spent with AA Biloxi, and while his contact rate wasn’t great, he was able to exhibit his power and speed, hitting .233/.343/.430 with 23 doubles, 6 triples, 19 home runs, and 19 steals.

Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Zack Brown

Level(s): AZL Brewers, AA Biloxi
Stats: 9-1, 23 G, 22 GS, 127 2/3 IP, 2.40 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 37/119 BB/K ratio

The Milwaukee Brewers drafted Zack Brown out of the University of Kentucky in the 5th round in 2016, and he broke through with a big season in 2018. He did miss some time with an injury, but he was able to put up impressive overall numbers for Biloxi.

Brown has worked to calm what was once a “busy” delivery, and it’s allowed him to be much more clean to the plate. He has worked his fastball up to 95-96, sitting 92-94, with tremendous late movement. He worked his change to an average pitch, with some flashes of above-average, and his curve is a pitch he can locate with above-average movement, giving him a chance to work as a mid-rotation starter. He’ll get a shot at AAA in 2019.

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Runners-up

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates, big righty Trey Supak had a lot of worry that he’d be a reliever, but he’s developed his stuff well as a starter. Splitting time between high-A and AA in 2018, he put up a 2.48 ERA over 137 2/3 innings, with a 44/123 BB/K ratio.

Originally a 22nd round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016, Cam Roegner exploded onto the scene in 2018. The 6’6″ lefty was nearly untouchable in high-A Carolina, and while he struggled some in AA and AAA, he was able to put together a combined season with 130 1/3 innings, a 2.83 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and a 39/88 BB/K ratio.

The Milwaukee Brewers nabbed Braden Webb in the 3rd round of the 2016 draft from a very talented South Carolina pitching staff. Webb came out in 2018 and pushed up two levels, moving up past high-A and to AA, tossing 120 2/3 innings, with a 3.80 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 66/128 BB/K ratio.

Next. Cubs minor league awards. dark

Though the Milwaukee Brewers traded away significant pieces of their farm system before the 2018 season, there are still enough pieces in place to allow the Brewers to lean on their farm to make another playoff run.

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