[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers top position player prospect is centerfielder Joe McPhillips. McPhillips, who was the 5th player overall taken in the 1967 amateur draft, has pretty much dominated in the minor leagues since getting off to a sluggish start his first season in the Rookie league.
McPhillips is a premiere fielder who is likely to win gold glove awards eventually, has great gap power and potentially above average HR power- he showed signs of blossoming in that area this season at single A Bainbridge where he hit 17 HR's in 129 games- and is projected to draw a high number of walks while striking out a near average amount of the time. It is this last area that he particularly needs to make progress as he is still much too prone to being struck out. But if he does develop a bit more plate discipline he should be an above average hitter at least. With near top of the scale speed he has the potential to be five-tools impact player in the WPK.

A lesser prospect, but one who has also put up great minor league numbers, is Jordan Gallardo. Gallardo was just added to the 40-man roster this off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and is near major league ready as a bench player. He is a gifted fielder and baserunner and should be an adequate big league hitter with good plate discipline. At this point our scouting team projects him as an average big league outfielder, though with well-above average players ahead of him that isn't going to earn him a starting job in a Brewers uniform. Still, management loves his self-effacing and hard-working attitude as well as his readily apparent baseball smarts. Gallardo will likely be in a Brewers uniform before the end of the 1970 season.
Another minor leaguer with some major league potential is Ramon Lopez, who was picked up in a trade in the 1968 season. Lopez has mostly played leftfield but with his cannon arm and above average range, he profiles as a potentially solid rightfielder. He is unlikely to hit for much power and is perhaps just an average contact hitter but he does display good plate discipline, has plus plus speed, and is a very hard worker (one of those guys who provides spark to a lineup and a clubhouse). Lopez is still at least a few years away from the bigs.

The scouting staff has been a bit conflicted about the 19-year old Aruba native Joost Poot. On the one hand, Poot is an incredibly gifted defensive outfielder with top-of-the-line speed. On the other hand, almost every hitting tool he has projects out as average. Poot is likely a role player at best. But with his raw talents, and at his young age, anything could happen still.

21-year old rightfielder Josh Schaeffer is another player the scouting staff isn't quite sure what to make of. Schaeffer has displayed a potent bat in the minors thus far and evidences a rather advanced eye. He is solid in the field with a plus arm. He has plus speed though he is just an average base-runner. His power game- both gap and HR- profile out as just average but he has the potential to be an above average contact hitter. The biggest question mark with Schaeffer is his character and desire to compete. The scouting staff sees him as likely an effective contributor eventually even if well short of being a star player. Time will tell if he wants it enough.