Joey Wiemer

Wiemer came up just short of making the Brewers' Opening Day roster but was added for the second game of the season after Luis Urias got hurt on Opening Day. The rookie operated as the team's everyday center fielder for four months and offered flashes of production, including in June when he posted an .848 OPS with six home runs. Wiemer struggled with consistency and in making contact (28.3 percent strikeout rate), though, and eventually found himself in a reserve role in August and back in the minors by September. There's 20-20 potential here if Wiemer can show some growth at the dish, but his defense is well ahead of his offense right now and Milwaukee looks to have others ahead of him on their outfield depth chart.

If it weren't for Wiemer's insane finish to the 2022 season, it would be pretty easy to conclude he has a low likelihood of making enough contact to be more than a short-side platoon outfielder. He was a hair below league average (98 wRC+) with a 30.2 K%, 65.7 Contact% and 9.1 BB% in 84 games as a 23-year-old at Double-A before getting an early-August bump to Triple-A. Three weeks after his promotion, Wiemer went on a heater, slashing .337/.438/.630 with five home runs, three steals and more walks (18) than strikeouts (17) in his final 27 games. Prior to that run, Wiemer hit .237/.309/.427 in 99 games, so either he had a lucky four weeks at the end of the season or he took a legitimate step forward as a hitter. It should be noted that he wasn't facing great pitching over that final month, as most of the good pitchers at Triple-A are already in the majors by the season's final month, and he took advantage of some long series in a couple hitter-friendly parks. Notorious for his 70-grade power, Wiemer is also a plus runner, going 31-for-34 on stolen-base attempts last season. The power/speed upside is pretty obvious, and there's solid evidence on both sides of the hit tool debate. Wiemer projects to add value with his right field defense.

Wiemer, the Brewers' fourth-round pick in 2020, was one of the biggest breakout prospects in the minors last season. His swing in college drew comparisons to Hunter Pence (unfavorably so), but he remade his swing and and the results were undeniable. He hit 27 home runs and stole 30 bases (on 36 attempts) while slashing .295/.403/.556 as an old-for-the-level 22-year-old at Low-A and High-A. Wiemer then got on base at a .568 clip in 37 Arizona Fall League plate appearances prior to suffering a minor thumb injury. As with most tooled up right fielders, there will always be some swing and miss with Wiemer, and Double-A will be a big test for him. If he can pick up where he left off in 2021, Wiemer would establish himself as a legitimate 30/20 threat with a 2023 ETA. However, if he strikes out too much, his age (23) will be held against him and his breakout 2021 season will be seen as another example of an older player beating up on weak competition in the lower levels.