Milwaukee Brewers 2012 Top 15 Prospects (1/25/12)

I really don’t have much beef with my 2012 Brewers list. Jed Bradley’s ranking in the number three spot looks poor in retrospect, but there was nothing at that time to hint that he would have the complete meltdown he suffered last summer. He is still a very talented prospect, but his future is now very cloudy as a result of his mechanical struggles and inability to throw strikes.

My opinion of Tyler Thornburg has improved over the last year and part of me wishes I had been more aggressive with him heading into the 2012 season. He has electric stuff and I let the stigma of his size get in the way of a higher rating.

I was assertive with both Santo Manzanillo and Orlando Arcia in last year’s rankings and I am still pleased with that decision. Both players suffered significant injuries in 2012, otherwise, I believe my ranking of them would have looked particularly bright.

I excluded three players from my rankings last year, and part of me wonders if they shouldn’t have been somewhere on the list. Hunter Morris sure can hit but I just don’t see how he fits on a big league roster outside of a bench bat. Josh Prince enhanced his stock some this year by showing more versatility, including the ability to play center field. Michael Fiers sure put up some impressive numbers in the big leagues, but I’m still left wondering how sustainable that performance is.

All three players could have been somewhere in the back third of last year’s list, but I don’t view that as some sort of egregious error that I should be beating myself up over.