Jesús Made, Luis Pena & Brewers prospect notebook

Because the weather did not permit it, I was unable to scout the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A farm team, the Biloxi Shuckers, in person. I missed in-person looks at Cooper Pratt (SS, MIL), Mike Boeve (3B, MIL), Brock Wilken (3B, MIL), and others because of a sudden downpour, postponing the scouted game. The Brewers are such a good farm system right now, I decided to check out some of their prospects on video and do a scouting notebook style article. 

Jesús Made (SS, Milwaukee Brewers) - With the promotion of Roman Anthony (OF, BOS) to the big leagues, Made (SS, MIL) could make an argument as the top prospect currently in the minor leagues. He is the elusive five tool prospect everyone wishes they had coming through their farm system. A switch-hitter, the 18-year-old is continually moving up prospect boards. He’s slashing .290/.402/.438 with 4 HR, 21 XBH and 31 SB thus far this year in Low-A. While he’s shown a knack for hard contact and an advanced hitting acumen to go along with his twitchy athleticism, his production has been more spectacular because he didn’t turn 18 until March 8^th. 

From both sides of the plate, Made utilizes an open stance with his hands cocked back and his bat just off his shoulder. As the pitch is released, he loads up his energy on his back leg while striding back and then forward with his lead leg. His hands hitch getting to the trigger position, which causes a small wrap of his bat. As an LHH, there is an arm bar appearing regularly in Made’s load. Still, the lightning quick reflexes in his wrists and hands overcome the hitch and the arm bar, unleashing a slight uppercut swing that gets to hard contact often out in front of the plate. If anything, the mechanical issues sap loft out of the profile at present. Made’s lower half is geared towards getting the proper leverage to get to plus over-the-fence power in the future. For me, the mechanical issues are likely connected to where his hands are when he starts his swing. Moving his hands in his stance back towards the catcher and a little further away from his body likely minimizes the hitch and removes the armbar. I’d be super concerned about it if he was 22 years old. I’ve seen plenty of teenagers, including Konnor Griffin (SS/OF, PIT; profiled here), have mechanicals issues like this refined over one off-season that I’m not worried about Made’s mechanical issues.

For me, Made’s not quite the top prospect in baseball. However, he’s presently in my Top 5 and could get to number 1 once our mid-season rankings come out next month. Few prospects present with the tools Made possesses. He has an exceptional upside (Potential 10-rated prospect by season’s end), which isn’t something we can say about anyone else presently in the minor leagues. If Made adds the sort of muscle projected to his wiry frame, look out! Potential Rating: 9C; ETA: 2027 

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Luis Pena (SS, Milwaukee Brewers) – Made isn’t the only 18-year-old stud on the Brewers Low-A roster. Statistically, Pena has been just as impressive. Slashing .308/.365/.491 with 6 HR, 16 XBH and 28 SB, the RHH Pena has made great strides with quality of contact without compromising much of his exceptional contact skills. I recently mentioned him during a guest spot on the Fantasy Aceball podcast. I had seen Ronald Acuña Jr. at the same level and compared Pena’s quick emergence to Acuña’s emergence once he reached full-season level. Pena is a different sort of prospect to Acuña, who had high exit velocities in rookie ball, something I was told by a source trying to acquire Acuña for some international bonus slots back in the day. 

Pena came into the season as a high-contact, double-plus run tool prospect who sported high exit velocity data and couldn’t achieve loft if he made a concerted effort to get to loft. During the off-season, the Brewers and Pena found some lift. Scouting Pena, he starts with a open stance with his knees bent and his hands back and out from his body. He loads his hips well during his stride. Pena’s hands travel direct to the hit position. As his hands move forward, he unleashes a slight uppercut swing with strong hip rotation and solid leverage in his lower half. My guess is that Pena was unable to get to that sort of leverage in his lower half last year. Between that and what was likely a linear swing, he could not open over-the-fence power up. His undisciplined approach likely also caused him issues staying balanced in his swing. While improved, some of those bad traits remain. However, Pena is killing pitches in the zone. 

Getting to loft has propelled Pena up prospect boards. I scout an average hit tool, plus raw power to go with plus speed. Pena has a stockier frame than most SS prospects and his range isn’t what Made’s range is. However, Pena’s arm plays at 3B. Potential Rating: 9C; ETA: 2027

 

Other Brewers prospect tidbits

Made’s and Pena’s Low-A teammate Eric Bitonti (1B, MIL) has struggled in several offensive aspects. His contact has eroded, which was never a strength of his but has been far worse than expected this year. When he’s not swinging and missing at pitches, Bitonti is not hitting the ball with the same furor he did last season, mostly because his long lumbering swing won’t connect with the baseball consistent enough out in front of the plate. He’s getting eaten alive in his kitchen because his long arms can’t seem to get going out from the trigger position. Plus, he’s swinging out and around the baseball because his hands are extending so early. It was always such a hard profile to verify. Holding onto some hope that the LHH 1B-only prospect can turn it around because it’s exceptional raw power. Potential Rating: 8E; ETA: 2028

The second time around has been a charm for Brock Wilken (3B, MIL) at Double-A. He’s dominated with a .942 OPS despite a low average. The RHH has also slugged 18 HR in a league not known for high HR totals. This is coming off a year where he struggled mightily after getting hit in the face in April 2024. Wilken still looked tentative during an Arizona Fall League look and was late on nearly every swing. The confidence to stand in there against pitchers and attack pitches middle-in has returned. His discerning eye is back. The long-limbed 23-year-old will strike out a bunch and likely hit for a low batting average, but he should find himself on base enough to allow the plus power to flourish as a true three outcome hitter. Potential Rating: 8D; ETA: 2025

Because of the Biloxi rainout, I missed Coleman Crow's (RHP, MIL) last Double-A start. The former Angels and Mets prospect is healthy after returning from TJS and has established himself as the latest unheralded pitching prospect who the Brewers have helped transform into a dude. As an Angels prospect, the now 24-year-old flashed a potentially plus CB but nothing else. Now, the CB is even better, a plus pitch, and the fastball’s spin profile has improved enough to at least entertain a starter outcome. The FB has a solid ride profile out of a low 3/4s slot. Still, there isn’t a pitch to get lefties out the second time through the order. Potential Rating: 7C; ETA: 2025

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