Those narratives will undoubtedly carry into 2018 guided by the very same contradictions: Milwaukee will indeed be developing many young players at the MLB level (including Lewis Brinson, Josh Hader, Brett Phillips, and Brandon Woodruff), while the team also has several opportunities to improve with established players (either through trades involving their prospects, through free agency signings, or both).

To put it another way: GM David Stearns can take the roster in several directions, and certainly has the resources available to contend while continuing to develop some players.

One way to assess player value, and therefore roster needs, is to estimate the surplus value that each player (and their contractual situation) provides the team. Value is assumed to be production and scarcity, recognizing that a player is not simply valuable to a club based on production, but also based on cost and the general availability of that skill set within the MLB. Surplus is the difference provided between a player’s production and their contract, recognizing that these aspects can be double-counted (a team simultaneously receives a player’s production on the field and their production gauged against their contract). Based on these assumptions, I tracked the surplus value of the Brewers 40-man roster (as of October 20, 2017) by using harsh depreciation to reduce each player’s maximum value (recognizing that a player’s performance typically declines over time save for rare cases).

The following chart tracks changes in surplus entering 2017 to entering 2018, while also assigning an Overall Future Potential (OFP) role for each Brewers roster member:

What these surplus numbers can suggest, in the abstract, is the difference between “the number of the wins above replacement” a player will produce during their contract and the OFP a team might receive if they traded the player at this point in time (alternately, they might suggest a contract range; for example, if the Brewers offered Neil Walker a $30 million contract, they would likely retain some surplus value during that contract).

Using the extremely interesting and difficult case of Jonathan Villar to interpret this table, his 2016 campaign and contract control years still loom large enough to suggest that the Brewers should not move the infielder for cheap; but the shortstop-turned-bench/utility option does mean that Villar’s ultimate role is trending downward, meaning that if Milwaukee believes that role decline is real and will continue to materialize, moving Villar for less than his top value could offset the issues of rostering a declining role. This should outline the difficulty of making roster decisions: in the case of Villar, there is not necessarily a right answer.

I should add that surplus value is abstract in the sense that there is a point at which additional surplus does not provide a team transaction value. Scooter Gennett and Chris Carter should be the most specific examples of this phenomenon in recent Brewers memory, as both players retained solidly positive surplus value entering 2017, but were essentially unwanted on the trade market and therefore expendable for nothing. Following this example, a rule of thumb might be to expect any type of roster move once a player’s surplus value dips below $20 million (or, less than three wins above replacement). Looking at the table of the Brewers roster above, this fact should seem intuitive with many of the names on the list (for example, it is highly unlikely that the Brewers would be able to move a player like Andrew Susac or even Eric Thames for their maximal surplus value).

By averaging each player’s 2017, 2018, and OFP surplus value, and comparing that to their change in value over time, a rather intuitive 2018 roster emerges. In this case, I excluded each player with a Negative-50 percent change in value (ex., a 50 percent decline), which produced need at Catcher, Second Base, and Right-Handed Pitcher, with additional question marks about the Utility roles. This is a rather succinct picture of the actual needs for the 2018 Brewers, and it also shows that if a few key free agents are retained, or similar free agents from outside the organizational signed, the Brewers can assemble quite a good roster:

These tables need not force an analyst to rely on numbers alone in order to validate roster decisions. Compare the following descriptions of potential role upgrades for the 2018 Brewers with those players’ statistical trends, and find nearly 20 roster spots (on the 40-Man) that can be upgraded for 2018:

The benefit of this exercise is that additional roster functions can be analyzed, either through descriptive or analytical means. For example, one could compare some of the best Rule 5 Draft Roster Protection candidates with the players above in order to find the most salient moves for the future value of the organization. Via Brewerfan.net:

Once again, this should exhibit a rather intuitive process of evaluation. If the future value of a catcher such as Jacob Nottingham is better than either Stephen Vogt, Andrew Susac, or Jett Bandy (or all three players), it should not hurt to lose one of those players in order to roster Nottingham. Each of these catchers are good candidates for contractual non-tenders for this reason (and, indeed, catcher is a position that the Brewers can upgrade in terms of depth behind/alongside Manny Pina). Similarly, allowing Matt Garza to walk via free agency and rostering Marcos Diplan, Freddy Peralta, or Devin Williams in that place should improve the pitching surplus of the roster. Where it gets more interesting is considering a player like Mauricio Dubon, and whether he simply takes the spot of free agent Eric Sogard, or overtakes Villar or Hernan Perez.

Using these analytical approaches should validate the fact that the Brewers are in a unique position entering 2018. They are a good team, indeed, that also features many up-and-coming players to develop at the MLB level and many declining roles that can be replaced. Where surplus value becomes useful is targeting particular trades, or simply determining when a player should be released or non-tendered.

A player like Keon Broxton, Perez, Susac, or Vogt should demonstrate this difficult decision-making process, and perhaps cause fans to realign their expectations that these types of players can receive impactful trade returns to Milwaukee. Given the packed outfield for 2018, the Brewers could conceivably release a player like Broxton should trade partners refuse to bite with a 45-to-50 OFP / quality depth trade (matching Broxton’s $11.5M-to-$19.8M surplus), for the trouble is that Broxton’s expected role is indeed declining (and any particular trade partner will also know that). This should not simply be viewed as picking on Broxton, as the point exists for Vogt and several other players on the roster.

“Slingin’ Stearns” earned his nickname for wheeling-and-dealing on the trade market during his first offseason in Milwaukee, but that reputation has calmed over time (not surprisingly, as the club completed their rebuilding process). Stearns did not show any hesitation in aggressively using waiver claims and releases to define his 2016-2017 offseason, and now the GM’s reputation may be defined by how effectively he clears roster space for what’s next: refined future development and improved MLB roles to contend in 2018.

The 2017 season proved that these goals can align and coexist within the same roster, so there are no excuses for failing to improve this strategy by learning from the 2017 progression.

Photo Credit: Jim Young, USAToday Sports Images.

The league leader in the MLB for CSAA was Zach Davies, with a 3.51 percent mark. As one can glean from the chart, several minor leaguers in Milwaukee’s system alone eclipsed that total last year. That likely has something to do with the quality of umpiring found at the minor league level versus in the big leagues, so the numbers should be taken with a bit of a grain of salt.

According to the numbers, several of the hurlers at Colorado Springs had difficulty commanding their pitches. Hard-throwing arms like Damien Magnifico and David Goforth have been in The Show before but failed to secure a role in spite of their plus fastballs. In both cases, the lack of a swing-and-miss pitch as well as poor command have held the two pitchers back from becoming big league contributors. Taylor Jungmann and Jorge Lopez were both demoted from Colorado Springs down to Biloxi after struggling mightily to keep hitters from reaching base and runs off the board, and both unsurprisingly graded out well-below average in CSAA while in AAA.

On the flip-side, both Brent Suter and Aaron Wilkerson enjoyed excellent seasons at the AAA level (though Wilkerson didn’t arrive in Colorado Springs until coming over in an early July trade with the Red Sox). Neither arm possesses outstanding “stuff”, especially the left-handed Suter, whose fastball tops out around 85 MPH. But both were able to post dominant Deserved Run Averages in a hitter-friendly ballpark at the highest level of the minors thanks in large part to their excellent command.

In the more pitcher-friendly environs of AA Biloxi, we find a bit more success for Milwaukee’s farmhands. Tristian Archer quietly put together an superlative performance for the Shuckers this past season on the strength of his excellent command, including an 82:9 K/BB ratio in 81.7 innings. Josh Hader also displayed above-average command during his dominant 57.0 inning run through the Southern League, though he backed up a bit upon reaching Colorado Springs while issuing 4.7 free passes per nine innings. Jorge Lopez and Taylor Jungmann both improved upon their dreadful CSAA numbers from Colorado Springs but were still a bit below-average command wise. Control of the strike zone has always been a question for those two and figures to be an issue that both will have to fight through if they want to see big league success. I was a bit suprised by Wei-Chung Wang’s numbers, as he only issued only a combined 2.4 BB/9 innings during his time at AA and AAA. He may have displayed decent control by keeping runners from reaching base via the walk, but his command graded out as below-average at both of his stops in 2016.

No pitcher in Milwaukee’s system improved their stock this year more than Brandon Woodruff. The former 11th-round pick had a middling collegiate career at Mississippi State and posted DRAs of 4.73 and 5.74 in the two years preceding 2016. His stuff ticked up this past season, including improved fastball velocity that was often 95+ MPH and a slider now graded as plus by some outlets. That, along with vastly improved command, helped Woodruff lead the minor leagues with 173 strikeouts in 158.0 combined innings between A+ and AA while allowing only 2.3 batters per nine innings to reach via base on balls. Woodruff posted sub-2.00 DRAs at both of the levels he pitched at this year on his way to winning the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He’s now considered a top-10 organization prospect by many of the ranking outlets (though he didn’t crack BP’s Brewers top 10) and should have a good chance to make an impact on the major league team in 2017.

A quick refresher on Rule 5 draft eligibility:

A player who signed when 18 years old or younger is eligible for the draft after five years. A player who signed at age 19 or older is eligible after four years. According to the rules, it’s how old a player was on the June 5th immediately preceding his signing. The cost of each pick is $50,000 paid to the organization losing the player. If a player is selected, that player must remain on the active MLB roster or disabled list for all of the 2017 season, lest he be run through waivers and offered back to his original team for $25,000.

Thanks to all the trades that Doug Melvin and David Stearns have made over the last two years, Milwaukee’s farm system is stuffed with more talent than we’ve ever seen before. The club added Lewis Brinson, Josh Hader, Brett Phillips, Ryan Cordell, and Taylor Williams to the 40 man roster last month to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, but the Brewers still were unable to safeguard all of the prospects who could draw interest from other teams around the league. Jim Goulart over at Brewerfan.net has a comprehensive list of all the Rule 5 eligible players within the Brewers’ minor leagues, and here are the players who are the most likely to attract attention during this year’s draft:

LHP Wei-Chung Wang
Doug Melvin and company memorably selected Wang in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft from Pittsburgh, at which point he had never pitched above rookie ball. It wasn’t pretty, but Wang stuck with the team all through 2014 and the Brewers were able to retain his rights. After a poor start to the 2015 season in high-A, the Brewers were able to pass Wang through outright waivers and remove him from the 40 man roster. Over the last year and a half since then, he’s re-established himself as a legitimate left-handed pitching prospect. Wang spent last season split between AA Biloxi and AAA Colorado Springs, posting a combined 3.78 ERA in 133.1 innings pitched. He struck out 21 percent of the batters he faced (7.7 K/9) while walking just 6.4 percent (2.4 BB/9), and both FIP (3.38) and DRA (3.96) largely supported his results on the mound.

Despite his success in the minors this year, the new front office regime apparently didn’t feel the need to protect Wang. That didn’t stop JJ Cooper of Baseball America from identifying Wang as one of the top Rule 5 Draft eligible players, noting that while he doesn’t throw as hard as he did a couple of seasons ago – “his fastball is average at best and gets some fringe average grades” – he features an “excellent” changeup to go along with an average slider along with good command and control. Fangraphs’ KATOH projections similarly identified Wang as one of the top left-handers available. The 24 year old (25 next April) does have only five years of club control left after having already spent a season in the big leagues, but he’s an MLB-ready arm who could soak up innings next year at the back-end of a pitching needy team’s starting rotation.

RHP Miguel Diaz
Diaz was an international signee by the Brewers back in 2011 at the tender age of 16 and only just turned 22 a few days ago on 28 November. He spent all of 2016 in Appleton with the Class-A Timber Rattlers, tossing 94.2 innings with a 3.71 ERA and marks of 8.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Both FIP (3.59) and DRA (3.30) feel he was even better than his solid earned run average showed, as well.

We don’t typically see younger, less experienced prospects like Diaz taken in the Rule 5 Draft, which may be why Slingin’ Stearns didn’t feel compelled to protect the youthful right-hander. As we saw with the Padres selection and retention of Luis Perdomo last year, however, it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility. Diaz has quite the promising profile, too; an eye-witness report by BP’s Grant Jones earlier this year graded Diaz as having a 60 OFP, saying he has the “[u]pside of good number three pitcher; risk factor makes power reliever very possible.” Diaz received future grades from Jones of 70 for his fastball, which sat 95-96 MPH and touched 98, along with 60 for his slider and 55 for his changeup. A selecting team could theoretically utilize Diaz’s fastball/slider combination out of the bullpen this year with the idea of continuing his development as a starter in the minor leagues once his contractual rights are retained.

OF Kyle Wren
The Brewers picked up Wren in a minor trade with the Braves during the 2014-15 offseason, shortly after his father Frank was fired as Atlanta’s general manager. The diminutive left-handed hitter played all three outfield positions for both AA Biloxi and AAA Colorado Springs in 2016, slashing an impressive .322/.412/.412 across a combined 471 plate appearances at the two levels. With Milwaukee’s crowded outfield situation, however, Wren wasn’t able to find his way on to the 40 man roster after his strong campaign.

Wren’s game offers very little power, as he owns just an .079 ISO and five home runs in 448 career minor league games. He’s a speedster who has stolen at least 29 bases in all four of his professional seasons, has a line drive approach to all fields and is considered an above-average defender. Wren has only struck out in 13.5 percent of his career plate appearances and showed an increased ability to draw free passes in 2016. Wren walked 13.4 percent of the time this past season after posting just a 7.8 percent walk rate during his first three seasons in the minors. KATOH pegged the 25 year old (26 next April) as the top outfielder available in the Rule 5 Draft, with author Chris Mitchell adding “[f]rankly, I’m surprised a player of Wren’s caliber went unprotected.”

Others Who Could Draw Interest:
UTIL Nate Orf
1B/OF Garrett Cooper
RHP Josh Uhen
RHP Angel Ventura

Related Reading:
3 Up 3 Down: Gatewood / Nottingham / Phillips

Key Promotions
Recently, some of the most intriguing arms in the Brewers system received promotions.

RHP Marcos Diplan has been transferred to Brevard Cty. RHP Kaleb Earls has been placed on the DL. RHP Trey Supak transferred to Wisconsin

— Brewers Player Dev (@BrewersPD) July 10, 2016

#Brewers have promoted RHP Angel Ventura to @BiloxiShuckers and RHP Freddy Peralta to @BCManatees.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) July 9, 2016

This year’s A Wisconsin affiliate has simply been stacked with arms, so much so that one might have forgotten about Marcos Diplan. Within the system, Miguel Diaz and Jon Perrin stormed the stage (although these RHP are both interesting for different reasons) as homegrown arms, and Freddy Peralta (also in Brevard County now) stepped forward to put a face with those names returned in the Adam Lind trade. So, Diplan stood as one of the earliest “rebuilding” trade returns in Milwaukee’s system, but the teenager struck out 89 of 295 batters faced. Questions about Diplan’s size and secondary stuff at times lead one to expect a bullpen profile for the righty, but those huge strike out profiles make even that outcome appear more exciting.

Trey Supak was something of a lottery ticket return as a part of the Jason Rogers trade, even if he ultimately has a frame and some tools worth projecting. Recovering from a previous injury, Supak faced a potentially brief 2016 campaign, but the righty has impressed by making quick work of R Helena: an 11 strikeout / 1 walk campaign preceded Supak’s promotion to Wisconsin, where the 20 year old will look to prove himself against older, full season talent. While Diplan and Supak have completely different frames, development patterns, and injury histories, it’s somewhat tempting to place Supak’s risk category in the same realm as Diplan: you’ve got to dream on the tools as a starter, but there’s still a lot to like even in a relief profile.

In the season of Junior Guerra’s stunning MLB success, non-linear developmental patterns should become an area of further analysis. While Angel Ventura’s path has not meandered in the same way that Guerra’s did, the righty spent three seasons in the Brewers Dominican Summer League before coming to the United States. It’s easy to dismiss Ventura as an “old” prospect in some sense, then, but the righty has consistently posted solid strike out rates in both A Wisconsin and A+ Brevard County. Now, while he’s working in AA Biloxi, the 6’2″ prospect continues to serve as underrated organizational depth, this time only a couple of steps away from the MLB. While all eyes are rightfully on Orlando Arcia to officially judge the retooled Milwaukee International system a success, Ventura could also serve as a success story and a lesson about patience in player development.

Three Up
Jon Perrin, A+ Brevard County (Kyle Lesniewski): While Brewers fans might rightfully focus on the aggressive assignment for RHP Cody Ponce out of the 2015 draft, his 27th round counterpart Jon Perrin has forced his way to the same level in 2016. Kyle Lesniewski previously featured Perrin at BPMilwaukee, tempering expectations from his A Wisconsin dominance by noting the righty’s age and rotational profile. Now, with eleven games under his belt in Brevard County, the extreme strike out / walk profile looks good (19 percent / five percent). While it’s tough to lay off of the Mike Fiers comparisons given Perrin’s size, depth status, and draft profile, one must watch the righty’s flyball rate, as that may be the most important comparison and aspect of Perrin’s game to define his advancement.

Franly Mallen, R Helena (Nicholas Zettel): Before there was Gilbert Lara, Milwaukee’s big International smash, there was Franly Mallen, a much less hyped but arguably as interesting prospect for the Brewers system. When Mallen was signed, reports did not necessarily highlight a standout tool, although some scouts reportedly looked for projectable power. Last year was arguably a type of breakout for Mallen, in the sense that he received one of the most aggressive promotions out of the Dominican Summer League from the Brewers front office. Mallen has done nothing but rake in Helena, boasting TAv of .366 and .311 (at age 19, now, no less). The youngster is already off of shortstop, which could speak more to the jampacked shortstop position in the system than Mallen’s glove, but it remains to be seen if this move is permanent. Even so fans can salivate at the Javier Betancourt / Wendell Rijo / Isan Diaz / Franly Mallen potential pipeline at second base, if that move is permanent.

Nate Orf, AAA Colorado Springs (James Fisher): At every turn, when the Brewers system improved in 2015, most of the hype went to players like Orlando Arcia and Jorge Lopez. But Nate Orf, an undrafted free agent signed by the Brewers in 2013, also carried his production to AA Biloxi last year, earning a spot in the Arizona Fall League. James Fisher called Orf a “utility guy that can really hit.  Under the radar guy that will be a big leaguer, [and] deserves some recognition.” True to form, Orf is posting a .294 TAv while playing second base, third base, and shortstop in Colorado Springs. Should the Brewers make as many trades as one might expect during the deadline crunch, fans and analysts should look out for the 26 year old Orf in Brewers blue, solidifying the multifaceted infielder as a true Bruce Seid era success story.

Three Down
Gilbert Lara, R Helena (Nicholas Zettel): It seems roundly unfair to place Lara in this category (if anything, it’s an argument against prospect bonus hype): the 18 year old only has instructional ball and 344 plate appearances in the USA as his professional experience, and has a long way to go to reach his toolsy projections. BaseballProspectus ranked Lara fifth in the Brewers system due to his immense talent, with power being the calling card here. Those tools simply have not shown up in games yet, as Lara works to define his plate discipline and approach.

Wei-Chung Wang, AA Biloxi (James Fisher): Don’t look now, but just as soon as we brainstormed this feature, Wei-Chung Wang looks to be on another second half surge. James noted that Wang’s stuff is backing up, and also noted that the strike out / walk profile is not ideal. Once again, Wang has his work cut out for him, as the southpaw will arguably need to stabilize his up-again, down-again organizational status as he tries to convince the Milwaukee front office to protect him from the Rule 5 draft this autumn.

Clint Coulter, A+ Brevard County (Kyle Lesniewski): Last year, some fans and analysts clamored about the placement of Coulter within year-end prospect lists, as the catcher-turned-right fielder’s stock fell. The rough times in Brevard County continued in 2016. This time around, one might point to Coulter’s notably below average competition (.673 opposing OPS, placing Coulter’s competition ahead of only 25% of Florida Southern regulars) and age as additional question marks for the prospect. The silver lining is that Coulter’s bat improved in June and is currently solidly hot in July (.311 AVG with five extra base hits in 50 PA), so hopefully Coulter has a redemption storyline on target.

The Brewers selected Wang from the Pirates rookie league affiliate knowing that he’d be a project, though. Despite his poor showing in the big leagues the Taiwanese lefty showed enough during his minor league rehab assignment (26.1 IP, 2.39 ERA, 22:4 K/BB) and an Arizona Fall League stint (23.0 IP, 2.74 ERA, 12:2 K/BB) that Baseball America considered him a top-10 prospect for Milwaukee entering the 2015 season. After a year in The Show, Wei-Chung was assigned to high-A Brevard County to continue his minor league development as a starter.

The Florida State League is considered a pitching paradise thanks to the run-suppressing humidity and cavernous ballparks, but it certainly didn’t seem that way for Wang at first. Through his first 12 starts in Brevard County Wang was only able to manage a 5.93 ERA and saw a significant uptick in his walk rate (8.3 percent) and WHIP (1.66). I had an opportunity to speak with him around that time and Wang attributed his struggles to focusing too heavily on throwing his curveball, causing him to lose feel with his fastball and have trouble locating.

The Brewers were obviously concerned with the struggles as well, and on June 16th, 2015, they designated Wang for assignment to clear room on the 40 man roster for Matt Dominguez. That lead Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel to pen an article entitled “The Brewers Had High Hopes for Wei-Chung Wang,” which felt like a postmortem of sorts of the young lefty’s career. On the other hand, Craig Counsell said at the time “I don’t think you’re giving up on Wei-Chung Wang. He still has a chance to be a major league pitcher.”

Thanks in part to a high salary for a low-level minor leaguer (it’s stipulated that the salary of a player on the 40 man roster cannot be cut by more than 20% from the previous year, meaning Wang was making in excess of $300,000), Wei-Chung wound up clearing waivers and was outrighted off the 40 man roster. He was ultimately able to stay in the Milwaukee organization. Looking back, that may have been exactly the wake up call that the 23 year old needed.

Wang finished the season with a flourish, posting a 1.59 ERA in his final 14 starts of 2015, covering 85.0 innings. He slashed his walk rate nearly in half to just 4.7 percent while posting a 51:16 K/BB ratio and tossing three complete games. Wang’s game is more about controlling contact than it is overpowering batters, and he was masterful during the final three months of the season in allowing just a .224 batting average against and two measly home runs.

So far that success has carried over to the AA level in 2016. Wang has been a major part of a standout starting rotation for the 15-5 Biloxi Shuckers. In four starts and 22.0 innings, Wei-Chung has posted a 3.27 ERA and 18:8 K/BB rate while allowing opponents to hit just .210 off him.

Earlier this season our own Travis Sarandos noted that it has been nearly three full years since a left-handed pitcher has started a game for the Milwaukee Brewers. While Josh Hader has been receiving most of the attention (and deservedly so) for his excellent work with the Shuckers, we shouldn’t make the mistake of overlooking Wei-Chung Wang, who has been hard at work over the past nine months trying to re-establish himself within the organization. Wang’s arsenal still features a starter’s three-pitch mix with a low-90s fastball, big-breaking curve, and a deceptive changeup. Now 24, he’s experiencing the kind of success the organization surely envisioned when they brought him into the fold and he still looks the part of a future mid-rotation starter.

With questions surrounding Hader’s physical ability to handle a starter’s workload and his issues working past the fourth or fifth inning this season, it may very well be that Wei-Chung Wang has the best chance to become the next lefty fixture in the Brewers’ starting rotation. Only time will tell, but there looks to still be a good chance to get some excellent value from a prospect whose future was in jeopardy just a short time ago.

RHP Hiram Burgos:  (L, 3-4) 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR — 3.35 ERA
RHP Brandon Kintzler:  1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 5.50 ERA
CF Kyle Wren:  1-for-3, SB (15), R — .246 AVG

RHP Jorge Ortega:  (W, 1-0) 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K — 1.50 ERA
RHP Rob Wooten:  (H, 7) 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 4.76 ERA
CF Kyle Wren:  2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R — .250 AVG
1B Matt Clark:  2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, K — .284 AVG

LHP Wei-Chung Wang:  (W, 1-0) 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K — 0.00 ERA
RHP Austin Ross:  1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 6.96 ERA
1B Matt Clark:  3-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R — .288 AVG
LF Matt Long:  2-for-3, 3 RBI — .258 AVG

RHP Josh Roenicke:  (L, 7-12) 3.1 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 6.15 ERA
1B Matt Clark:  2-for-2, 2B, HR (20), RBI, BB, 2 R — .291 AVG
LF Matt Long:  2-for-4, HR (7), RBI, R — .260 AVG

Biloxi Shuckers: (35-34), 2.5 GB

RHP Jorge Lopez:  5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR — 2.26 ERA
SS Orlando Arcia:  3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI — .309 AVG
RF Garrett Cooper:  2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, R — .652 AVG
LF Victor Roache:  2-for-3, RBI, SB (2), R — .247 AVG

RHP Adrian Houser:  (L, 4-1) 2.0 IP, 5 H, 7 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR — 2.92 ERA
RHP Martin Viramontes:  3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K — 6.39 ERA
LF Victor Roache:  2-for-4, HR (8), RBI, R — .251 AVG

[Sunday’s game postponed due to rain.]

LHP Josh Hader:  (L, 1-4) 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K — 2.79 ERA
RHP Manny Barreda:  1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K — 3.38 ERA
C Parker Berberet:  3-for-3, 2B — .232 AVG

RHP Tyler Wagner:  5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K — 2.25 ERA
RHP Yhonathan Barrios:  (W, 3-2) 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K — 3.15 ERA
RF Garrett Cooper:  1-for-1, 2 BB, R — .552 AVG

Brevard County Manatees: (26-40), 15.5 GB

RHP Cy Sneed:  7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K — 2.47 ERA
RHP Preston Gainey:  (L, 2-4) 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K — 2.70 ERA
DH Dustin Houle:  2-for-4, 3B — .289 AVG

LHP Zach Hirsch:  (L, 1-4) 3.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K — 4.89 ERA
RHP Tristan Archer:  5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K — 3.42 ERA
C Dustin Houle:  2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 K — .300 AVG

RHP Javier Salas:  4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K — 4.13 ERA
RHP Brandon Woodruff:  (L, 4-7) 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K — 3.45 ERA
RF Clint Coulter:  1-for-3, K — .246 AVG

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: (27-42), 20.5 GB

RHP Angel Ventura:  6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 8 K — 3.09 ERA
LHP Kodi Medeiros:  (L, 4-5) 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K — 4.44 ERA
SS Jake Gatewood:  1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, K — .207 AVG
3B Tucker Neuhaus:  2-for-5, 2 RBI — .244 AVG

RHP Eric Hanhold:  (L, 0-4) 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K — 7.60 ERA
SS Jake Gatewood:  2-for-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R, K — .213 AVG
1B Sthervin Matos:  4-for-5, 2B, RBI, R — .228 AVG

RHP Cody Ponce:  5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K — 2.15 ERA
RHP Devin Williams:  (L, 3-9) 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR — 3.44 ERA
1B David Denson:  1-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, R — .229 AVG
2B Tucker Neuhaus:  1-for-4, 2B — .249 AVG

RHP David Burkhalter:  (L, 5-9) 3.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K — 4.99 ERA
RHP Gian Rizzo:  2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 3.09 ERA
DH David Denson:  0-for-2, 2 BB, K — .226 AVG

Helena Brewers: (15-22), 4.0 GB

RHP J.B. Kole:  (W, 1-4) 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K — 4.38 ERA
RHP Jon Olczak:  (S, 1) 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K — 2.60 ERA
3B Jose Cuas:  1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K — .258 AVG
RF Carlos Belonis:  1-for-4, 2 SB (20), 2 R — .261 AVG

LHP Drake Owenby:  (L, 1-3) 3.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 2 K — 7.67 ERA
RHP Jordan Yamamoto:  2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K — 7.84 ERA
CF Trent Clark:  2-for-5, K — .375 AVG

RHP Marcos Diplan:  (L, 2-2) 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K — 3.75 ERA
LHP Jake Drossner:  4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K — 3.64 ERA
2B George Iskenderian:  1-for-3, BB, K — .328 AVG

RHP Joshua Torres:  5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K — 3.27 ERA
RHP Bubba Blau:  (L, 3-5) 3.1 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR — 6.57 ERA
LF Troy Stokes:  2-for-3, BB, K — .272 AVG

Prospect of the Day:  LHP Wei-Chung Wang, Colorado Springs

Wang recently received a surprise promotion to Triple-A Colorado Springs, a move that saw him leapfrog Double-A during the Shuckers’ postseason campaign. The left-hander had enjoyed significant success in recent months, and that continued against the New Orleans Zephyrs. He tossed six scoreless frames and struck out five. In his last 14 games (85.0 innings), Wang has compiled a 1.59 ERA and has held opposing hitters to a mere .311 slugging percentage. A dominating stretch.

At only 23 years old, the Taiwanese native has already had a storied career. The Brewers plucked him away from Pittsburgh’s rookie leagues, which thrust him in the big leagues despite never pitching anywhere higher than the Gulf Coast League. To make matters worse, Milwaukee rarely gave him the ball, which prevented him from developing a schedule or rhythm in the majors. It all unraveled quickly, and many Brewers fans dismissed him as another failed prospect — all this while Wang should’ve been pitching in Class-A ball.

Things didn’t improve much this spring; however, after staying in the same place for the first time in almost two years, Wang appears to be settling in nicely. He’s developing his curveball, pounding the strike zone, and keeping hitters off balance. His sub-2.00 ERA since the middle of June — as cited earlier — is evidence of this. He’s finally where he should be, in the minors, trying to develop into a solid back-end starter.

RHP Drew Gagnon:  6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HR — 6.39 ERA
LHP Michael Kirkman:  (L, 2-1) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K — 2.57 ERA
1B Matt Clark:  1-for-4, RBI, 3 K — .267 AVG

RHP Tim Dillard:  (L, 2-2) 1.1 IP, 11 H, 12 R (11 ER), 1 BB, 0 K — 7.14 ERA
RHP Austin Ross:  1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 0.00 ERA
C Juan Centeno:  3-for-4, 2B — .211 AVG
2B Luis Sardinas:  2-for-4, E (10, fielding) — .262 AVG

RHP Tyler Thornburg:  (L, 1-5) 4.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, 2 HR — 5.29 ERA
RHP Jaye Chapman:  1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 1.29 ERA
SS Luis Sardinas:  2-for-3, R — .268 AVG
3B Matt Dominguez:  2-for-4, 2 RBI — .251 AVG

Biloxi Shuckers: (6-4), — GB

LHP Hobbs Johnson:  5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 1 HR — 3.36 ERA
LHP Mike Strong:  (L, 3-1) 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR — 3.13 ERA
SS Orlando Arcia:  1-for-4, SB (9), R, K — .309 AVG
LF Josh Fellhauer:  0-for-0, BB, 2 SB (5), R — .279 AVG

RHP Brooks Hall:  (L, 7-5) 4.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR — 4.68 ERA
LHP Trevor Seidenberger:  2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 6.75 ERA
CF Michael Reed:  1-for-3, RBI, BB, SB (22) — .285 AVG
DH Orlando Arcia:  1-for-4, 3B, R, 2 K — .308 AVG

LHP Brent Suter:  5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K — 2.00 ERA
LHP Mike Strong:  (W, 4-1) 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K — 3.05 ERA
RHP Damien Magnifico:  (S, 10) 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K — 1.62 ERA
1B Nick Ramirez:  3-for-4, 2B, HR (11), 4 RBI, BB, 3 R — .287 AVG
LF Victor Roache:  1-for-3, HR (2), 4 RBI, BB, R, K — .205 AVG
DH Orlando Arcia:  3-for-5, RBI, SB (10), R, K — .313 AVG

Brevard County Manatees: (4-6), 3.5 GB

RHP Jorge Ortega:  (L, 6-5) 4.0 IP, 10 H, 7 H (6 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR — 2.33 ERA
RHP Mark Williams:  2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR — 3.15 ERA
SS Angel Ortega:  2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R — .209 AVG
RF Clint Coulter:  1-for-4, HR (11), RBI, R, 3 K — .262 AVG

RHP Cy Sneed:  (L, 0-1) 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR — 9.00 ERA
RHP Tristan Archer:  4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K — 4.81 ERA
C Cameron Garfield:  2-for-4, 2B, 2 R — .241 AVG
1B Garrett Cooper:  1-for-2, 2 BB, R, K — .270 AVG

LHP Wei-Chung Wang:  (W, 6-2) 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K — 4.54 ERA
RHP Mark Williams:  (S, 2) 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K — 3.43 ERA
3B Taylor Brennan:  2-for-3, BB, SB (11), R — .246 AVG
RF Clint Coulter:  1-for-3, RBI, R — .262 AVG

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: (4-7), 6.0 GB

RHP Jonathan Perrin:  4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K — 5.79 ERA
LHP Luis Ortega:  (L, 1-7) 0.2 IP, 0 BB, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K — 4.66 ERA
CF Brandon Diaz:  2-for-4, RBI, SB (19) — .233 AVG

RHP Angel Ventura:  5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K — 2.84 ERA
RHP Luke Curtis:  (W, 4-1) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K — 3.67 ERA
LHP Tyler Linehan:  (S, 2) 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 6.33 ERA
CF Brandon Diaz:  3-for-5, 3 RBI, R, K — .241 AVG
3B Dustin DeMuth:  1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, BB, R — .280 AVG

RHP Cody Ponce:  4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K — 0.00 ERA
RHP David Burkhalter:  (W, 2-5) 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR — 4.75 ERA
DH Carlos Leal:  1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, K — .310 AVG
CF Brandon Diaz:  0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 SB (21), R, K — .239 AVG

Helena Brewers: (7-10), 3.0 GB

RHP Jordan Yamamoto:  7.0 IP, 11 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR — 7.84 ERA
RHP Bubba Blau:  (W, 1-3) 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR — 12.46 ERA
CF Monte Harrison:  5-for-6, 3 RBI, 2 SB (5), 4 R — .228 AVG
LF Troy Stokes:  2-for-6, 3B, RBI, 2 BB, 2 R, K — .370 AVG
SS Jake Gatewood:  2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, R, 2 K — .283 AVG

LHP Christian Trent:  3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 8.10 ERA
RHP Brock Hudgens:  (L, 0-1) 1.0 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR — 21.00 ERA
RHP Marcos Diplan:  4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K — 3.38 ERA
RF Steven Karkenny:  1-for-1, BB — .270 AVG

RHP Milton Gomez:  (W, 1-0) 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K — 4.50 ERA
LHP Jake Drossner:  (H, 1) 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K — 4.50 ERA
CF Omar Cotto:  3-for-4, RBI, BB, 5 SB (11), R — .308 AVG
LF Troy Stokes:  0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB (6), R, K — .321 AVG

AZL Brewers: (5-8), 3.0 GB

RHP Nash Walters:  4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K — 1.00 ERA
LHP Quintin Torres-Costa:  (W, 1-0) 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K — 3.38 ERA
1B Tyrone Perry:  3-for-3, 2B, HR (1), 5 RBI, BB, 2 R — .361 AVG
SS Gilbert Lara:  4-for-5, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 3 R — .420 AVG
RF Demi Orimoloye:  3-for-5, RBI, R — .500 AVG

RHP John Ely:  (L, 0-1) 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 27.00 ERA
LF Joantgel Segovia:  1-for-2, 2 BB — .314 AVG
RF Demi Orimoloye:  1-for-3, 2 SB (2), 2 R — .462 AVG

DSL Brewers: (13-17), 9.0 GB

RHP Wuilder Rodriguez:  (W, 1-0) 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K — 1.13 ERA
RHP Jesus Brea:  (S, 1) 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K — 0.00 ERA
CF Marcos Pinero:  2-for-2, BB, SB (5), R — .286 AVG
2B Javier Castillo:  2-for-3, RBI — .269 AVG

RHP Carlos Luna:  (W, 1-2) 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K — 1.52 ERA
LF Adolfo Morillo:  2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R — .301 AVG
RF Yerison Pena:  2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, R — .390 AVG

Prospect of the Day:  LHP Wei-Chung Wang, Brevard County

It’s been a while since Brewers fans have heard about Wang. The organization performed some roster gymnastics in 2014 to effectively acquire the left-hander from the Pittsburgh Pirates for nothing, eventually shifting him to the disabled list and assigning him to the maximum-possible rehab assignment. In 2015, he has returned to the minors but hasn’t compiled great numbers. He owns a 4.54 ERA in 15 starts, posting an unsightly 1.52 WHIP — certainly a far cry away from the kind of numbers that would justify the roster crunch the Brewers suffered a year ago with a competitive club.

In recent starts, though, Wang has seemingly begun to turn it around, surrendering just a single run over his last 20.2 innings, striking out 12 and walking six. He posted a 2.03 ERA in June and has a 1.80 ERA in July. While it’s not a stretch that will garner attention throughout the prospect world, for a guy who has dealt with extreme stress over the past two years, it’s nice to see him settle in at a level, pitch regularly, and steadily improve.

A scout told me that he saw the southpaw in spring training of 2014 and opined that he could envision Wang developing into a back-end starter. Wang still possesses the three-pitch repertoire to justify that ceiling, and the results are finally starting to bubble to the surface. It’s been a winding road for the 23-year-old native of Taiwan. Perhaps we’re beginning to see a faint light at the end of the tunnel.