Photo credit: Oregon State University
Drew Rasmussen one of the most interesting stories throughout the Brewers' developmental teams in 2019.
By the time a player reaches the majors for the first time, they’ve had years if not decades to imagine what it might be like. None of them probably imagined what it might be like to debut in 2021, however, taking the field or the mound or coming to the plate in a cavernous empty stadium.
Nonetheless, expanded rosters and a tight abbreviated MLB schedule create an increased likelihood that the Brewers will turn to a few players this season that they haven’t used before. Their summer camp roster is relatively light on debut opportunities: 41 of the 45 players they invited to Miller Park have previous MLB experience, and none of the organization’s top 10 prospects according to FanGraphs were included.
With that said, here are the four players vying for a spot on their first MLB roster in the tight window before Opening Day:
Zack Brown
It’s been a wild ride on the developmental ladder for the former fifth round pick in the 2016 draft, but Brown could finally reach the top rung this season. Brown was the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2018, when he dominated the AA level with a 2.44 ERA across 125 2/3 innings and was slowed only by a late season ankle sprain. He earned a promotion to AAA in 2019 but struggled in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and the Brewers left him off their 40-man roster and opted not to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft last winter.
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After going unselected and remaining in the organization, Brown pitched in four Cactus League games this spring and it’s likely a good sign for his chances that the Brewers invited him to camp but left out other advanced minor league starting pitchers like Ethan Small, Dylan File and Trey Supak. With a short ramp up to Opening Day, it makes sense for the Brewers to use one of their extra roster spots on a stretched-out long reliever who can cover some innings if a starter leaves early. Brown would seem to be a fit for that role.
J.P. Feyereisen
A River Falls, Wisconsin native and a UW-Stevens Point alum, Feyereisen has been waiting a long time for the opportunity to pitch in his home state again. Originally drafted by Cleveland in 2014, the righty spent the last three seasons pitching in AAA in the Yankees organization and made 40 relief appearances there in 2019. He was coming off an excellent season (2.49 ERA, 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings) when the Brewers acquired him at the end of the minor league season, and now he’s had to wait 10 months to show what he can do.
Like Brown, Feyereisen was getting a look this spring and appeared in four Cactus League games. It’s likely to be a tight race for bullpen spots this spring, but there’s always room for a pitcher who can get a big strikeout when needed.
Drew Rasmussen
Rasmussen was one of the most interesting stories in the Brewers organization in 2019. The Brewers selected him in the sixth round in 2018 knowing he’d need some time to recover from his second Tommy John surgery, but he opened some eyes last spring with his repertoire and made up for lost time with a quick ascent up the ladder. He made his professional debut on the mound at Miller Park pitching for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and a month later he had already been promoted twice and found himself pitching for AA Biloxi.
The Brewers have been using Rasmussen primarily as a starter to keep him on a regular schedule but his outings have been brief, as he’s thrown just 74 1/3 innings in 27 appearances in 2019. He’s a candidate to be a lights out reliever, although as noted above the competition for that role is challenging.
Mark Mathias
Of the 22 position players in camp the only one that hasn’t played in the majors is Mathias, a 25-year-old utility infielder the Brewers acquired from Cleveland last fall. He spent the 2019 season with AAA Columbus, where he played in 115 games and batted .269 with a .355 on-base percentage and .442 slugging while setting a career high with 12 home runs and going 13-for-15 on stolen base attempts.
The Brewers value versatility and Mathias has that, splitting time between second and third base in 2019 and also having some limited experience at shortstop. With Orlando Arcia, Keston Hiura, Luis Urias, Jedd Gyorko, Ryon Healy, Brock Holt and Eric Sogard all competing for playing time in the infield, however, Mathias seems like a long shot to get an immediate opportunity.
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