Monday, March 17

PHOENIX – Cooper Pratt and Jesús Made figure to form a double-play combo of future stars, and top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski is lined up to start when the future Brewers host the rival Reds in a Spring Breakout game at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Sunday. 

Those are three of the biggest names in the Brewers’ farm system. But Sunday’s showcase, which will air on MLB Network following the Brewers-Guardians Cactus League game, will also feature some under-the-radar prospects with a chance to impact the Major League club in the coming years. 

We enlisted longtime Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan to identify three relatively below-the-radar names to know: 

C Marco Dinges

MLB Pipeline rank: Not ranked

How acquired: 4th-round Draft pick, 2024

2024 recap: Logged 13 late-season games at Single-A Carolina after the Draft and delivered a .271/.364/.354 slash line.

“Around Draft time, our scouts were really excited about his offense. This guy really can hit,” Flanagan said. “Then you throw in the possibility that he can catch, and it just gets you excited when guys can go on both sides of the ball. He looks like a guy who can go behind the plate and handle a staff, and then he’ll certainly be a meat-of-the-order hitter in the Minor Leagues. He looks ‘hitterish.’ That’s the vibe he gives off. 

“There’s a lot coming at him, catching-wise, so that’s where his focus is. He just needs to soak up the finer points of receiving. Doug Melvin always used to use this example of leadoff hitters; it seemed like guys like Scott Podsednik always developed later. Maybe that’s a little bit different because you have leadoff hitters hitting 30 home runs, but it was true when they were the finesse guys, bunting for a hit and taking pitches and all that stuff. It’s a little bit true now for catchers.”

RHP Bishop Letson

MLB Pipeline rank: Brewers No. 15

How acquired: 11th-round Draft pick, 2023

2024 recap: Made his pro debut with 16 games (14 starts) at Carolina and posted a 3.13 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings.

“The way the Draft falls now [during the MLB All-Star break], you rarely have pitchers do much the first year,” Flanagan said. “So really, 2024 was his first season of pitching, and the innings are guarded. I could see 2025 being a year where he takes a step forward. He’s likely to start off in [High-A] Wisconsin, although we haven’t posted anything or committed to anything. He’s squarely in that conversation for the Wisconsin rotation to start the year. He’s a Midwestern kid who went to high school in Indiana, so you figure he should be used to the weather. 

“He has all the pitches. He’s very projectable. He certainly needs to work on commanding his stuff, but his arsenal is really strong. He throws a sweeper that’s probably his best pitch, and two types of fastballs, a four-seam and a two-seam, and his fourth pitch is probably his changeup, and that’s a decent pitch for him as well. He’s a guy who, as soon as he gets better at commanding his stuff – which is natural for a 20-year-old trying to make it in pro ball – he could have a high ceiling.”

INF Juan Baez

MLB Pipeline rank: Brewers No. 27

How acquired: June 2022 International class

2024 recap: Hit .274/.341/.366 in 86 games, mostly at Carolina, then finished the season with an .877 OPS in the Arizona Fall League.

“Baez is an interesting guy,” Flanagan said. “He had a separated shoulder and missed about two months last year, but he’s looked good in camp and it’s all behind him. No limitations. He didn’t sign for much out of the Dominican Republic, and you can’t exactly put your finger on it when you watch him play, but he’s just an exciting player. He can move around the infield and pretty much play anywhere. He’s primarily been third and second base, but he can go over to short if needed. He plays with super high energy and is one of those guys usually labeled “manager’s favorite.” Sneaky athletic. He has a knack for being in the right place defensively and made some great plays. 

“And then offensively, he really likes to hit. He’s one of those guys you watch and you can see he has an idea at the plate. He might get a little overzealous at times, a little overanxious. But he can square up baseballs. He could be an exciting guy because he’s got the ability to move around defensively. Just a fun guy to watch.”

Green Bay Packers legend and self-described “average baseball guy” Donald Driver, who overcame poverty and homelessness to become Green Bay’s all-time leading receiver, visited Brewers camp on Friday to deliver some morning motivation. 

“I’m going to be talking about the three things that I think every successful person in this world needs,” Driver said. “That’s identity, relationships and purpose. If you can have all three of those things, you can be successful in your career and also off the field.”

This week saw the additions of Hall of Fame collegiate coach Pat Casey and former Major League infielder Jace Peterson as consultants to the Brewers’ player development and high performance staff. 

Casey, who will turn 66 on March 17, will spend time at each full-season affiliate and in Milwaukee as an advisor to player development and Brewers manager Pat Murphy. Casey was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024 after winning national Coach of the Year honors five times at Oregon State (2005-07, 2017-18). He led the Beavers to three national championships, including a victory over Murphy’s heavily-favored Arizona State club in ‘07. 

“That was miraculous, and we always stayed great friends,” Murphy said. “He’s an incredible personal great family man, that’s the greatest college baseball story ever, what this guy built at Oregon State.” 

Peterson, 34, rejoins the Brewers after appearing in 232 games with the team over three seasons from 2020-22. He will help the organization's performance psychology department as a resource to players on how to navigate the mental side of the game.

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