Before recently, the Milwaukee Brewers had one of the poorest farm systems in MLB. The Brewers have done well in recent drafting and acquired two top-10 prospects in the Josh Hader trade at this year’s deadline. So, it’s not just that they hit big on one of the fastest-rising prospects and top pitching experts, Robert Gasser.
Although the system is still lacking in depth, especially in pitching, the advent of Robert Gasser seems like a ray of hope and happiness for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Robert Gasser – Triple-A Pitching Prospect
The 23 years Robert Riordan Gasser is an American professional MLB player for Milwaukee Brewers. He is one of the most phenomenal pitchers for the Brewers, who bats and throws from the left.
Gasser grew up in California in El Dorado Hills, with a passion for becoming a star in Major League Baseball. The 6 feet and 1 inch Robert Gasser is expected to become a prominent player of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023.
Robert Gasser got noticed by San Diego Padres during his stellar Junior season at Houston. His incredible consistency and persistent improvement in pitching made him a star during drafting season. His colorful 2.63 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 85.2 college baseball innings proved a miracle for his MLB selection.
The player was initially drafted by San Diego Padres in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. The San Diego Padres assigned him to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Padres. His professional career took off and gave a fascinating first appearance in the game. Due to his unique performance, he quickly got promoted to Lake Elsinore Storm of Low-A West.
However, in August 2022, Robert Gasser was traded at the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline event in a package for Josh Hader. He got traded along with Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, and Esteury Ruiz to the Brewers. Milwaukee Brewers found him great for their team and assigned him to Biloxi Shuckers of the Double-A Southern League.
Life Before Houston
The life of Robert Gasser before Houston already indicated the charisma he holds for baseball. He spent the 2019 season at Delta college, receiving the 2019 National Pitcher of the Year award. He had a 14-0 record and 2.38 ERA with 18 dazzling appearances and 17 starts.
Gasser’s strikeout to walk ratio was inspiring, with 139-45 and 102.0 innings pitched. Before becoming part of Houston, he also received Big 8 Pitcher of the Year, California Pitcher of the Year, and Pacific Association Pitcher of the Year awards.
The Junior Years
Gasser, in his 2020 Junior year, made a total of four relief appearances. He had 0-0 with an ERA of 11.05 only!
However, a significant life-changing evolution was witnessed in 2021. Robert Riordan Gasser went straight for 6-6 with a 2.63 ERA. Gasser fanned 105 batters in 85.2 innings with more than 10 strikeouts five times. It was a phenomenal accomplishment.
In 2021, he limited the opponents to a 0.215 average, where his 0.215 average ranked him third in AAC (American Athletic Conference). He later led AAC with seven pickoffs. Gasser also held the opponents to 0.208 with runners that fanned 12 Wichita State batters.
In his six home starts, Robert Gasser had 4-1, 1.96 ERA, and 0.197 opponent average. He fanned 10 and didn’t allow any earned run at Memphis in May 2021. He is also credited with capping the season with 10 strikeouts vs. Tulane at the AAC Tournament.
Arsenal
For much of his undergraduate career, Gasser threw in the upper 80s and used deception to draw men out from a low three-quarters release position. At now, Gasser throws at speeds between 93 and 96 miles per hour, where his low vertical attack angle and the riding life on his fastball make for a challenging pitch up in the zone.
Robert Gasser’s slider is razor sharp and sits in the top 80s, where it is already far better than average and shows signs of being a plus. The offering’s late horizontal bite makes it a nightmare for left-handed batters, and when Gasser is on, he can backdoor or even run it in on righties.
Gasser relies a little more on his changeup when facing right-handed batters. Gasser’s fastball plays up because hitters can’t tell it apart from his changeup until it’s too late due to his elusive release point. The pitch could be slightly better than average, depending on its use. The southpaw also has a decent curveball in the mid 70s that he’ll use to sneak by hitters and steal strikes.
Outlook
Robert Gasser, who was selected with the 71st overall choice in the 2021 MLB Draft, has quickly risen through the Minors’ ranks, making it to Triple-A in fewer than 30 professional starts. Gasser has been a nightmare for left-handed batters, as he has limited them to a.573 OPS while striking out 42% of the time. This has solidified his status as a top-tier reliever.
However, the Brewers’ fast promotion of the second-year pro to Triple-A shows how confident they are in Gasser’s pitchability. His improved command and feel for his changeup offer him an excellent opportunity to stick as a starter.
Gasser has shown flashes of being a middle of the rotation starter because of his strong stuff, natural deception, and developing command, which makes him look like a good No. 4 starter.
Honors & Awards
So far, Robert Gasser has the following honors and awards under his belt:
- 2021 First-Team All-American Athletic Conference
- AAC’s top draft-eligible pitcher from an analytical standpoint
- AAC’s top pitching 2021 draft prospect
- AAC’s No. 2 overall 2021 draft prospect
- Fourth-ranked pitcher in the state of Texas among 2021 draft prospects
- Keith Law’s No. 15 draft-eligible college pitching prospect (The Athletic)
- 2021 College Baseball Foundation Pitcher of Year Watch List
Conclusion
Robert Gasser is all pumped up to become the top pitcher for Milwaukee Brewers. Currently, by all means, he is the top pitching prospect, ready to change the game for the Brewers in future MLB games.