Watch out for these four prospects in 2025 as they look to build upon promising seasons and jump in the Brewers’ prospect rankings
Every season, there are a handful of prospects who take a big step forward, going from a name that few have heard of to an exciting piece of the organization’s future. These improvements can come for a number of reasons. Some players improve just by playing more baseball and against better competition, maturation through experience if you will. Others recover from lingering injuries or add strength in the offseason to hasten their development. Positional changes and targeted improvements of certain skills can also have ripple effects on a player’s development. For example, moving a starting pitcher to a relief role could allow them to focus on their two best pitches, and the reduced workload can lead to velocity improvements. Or perhaps a focus on pulling the ball more leads to improved power numbers. Regardless of the reason, there are indicators we can analyze to determine the likelihood that a prospect will have a breakout season.
Let’s take a look at four under-the-radar Brewers prospects, two pitchers and two position players, who could take a big (maybe not quite quantum) leap forward in 2025.
LHP Tate Kuehner
After spending four seasons at the University of Louisville, Kuehner was drafted by the Brewers in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft. While in college, Kuehner started just 14 of the 70 games he appeared in, functioning mainly as a left-handed relief option, and earning four and five saves in his junior and senior years respectively.
However, since joining the Brewers organization, Kuehner has transformed into a starter, making 13 starts in High-A and six starts in Double-A last season. Overall, Kuehner posted a 3.19 ERA and struck out 115 batters across 104 innings between the two levels. Despite being stretched out and consistently starting games for the first time in several years, Kuehner increased his velocity this past year, now sitting in the mid 90s with his rising fastball. A funky, three-quarters arm slot allows Kuehner to generate good run on his fastball, which he often throws at the top of the zone. However, his arm slot does lead to some concerns with command, leading Kuehner to post a subpar 4.66 BB/9 in 2024. That being said, Kuehner’s struggles with command are paired with a low HR/9 rate and low HR to fly ball ratio, suggesting that he favors leaving the ball a few inches off the plate or above the zone rather than missing down the middle.
Kuehner’s numbers slipped a little bit during the end of the season, likely caused more by fatigue than the transition to Double-A. He should benefit from a full offseason of preparation for his new role as a starter. Kuehner will almost certainly start the season in Double-A Biloxi, but strong early season numbers in the pitcher-friendly Southern League could lead to a quick promotion to Triple-A.
LHP Mark Manfredi
The Brewers took Manfredi in the same class as Kuehner with their ninth-round selection. With mid-90s velocity, a four-pitch mix, and a high strikeout rate from the left-side, it’s not hard to see why the organization is excited about the former Dayton Flyer.
Another reason to be excited about Manfredi is the resemblance that his delivery bears to former Brewers closer Josh Hader. Like Hader, Manfredi turns his back to the batter before delivering his pitch from a similar side arm release point. But the similarities don’t stop there. Manfredi just completed a full season of High-A ball, where he started 12 of the 28 games he appeared in and posted a 4.23 FIP. In 2014, Hader pitched a full season of High-A ball in the Astros organization, starting 15 of the 22 games he appeared in and posted a 4.10 FIP. Although Hader remained a starter for the entirety of his minor league career, his eventual transition to the bullpen resulted in a slight increase in velocity, and a sharp increase in his strikeout numbers.
Manfredi could benefit from a similar change.
While he posted an impressive 11.25 K/9 rate and generated a ton of swing-and-miss, Manfredi struggles significantly with command, posting a dreadful 5.09 BB/9 rate. A switch to the bullpen could allow Manfredi to focus more on commanding his fastball and slider, the best of his breaking pitches, becoming a nasty two-pitch reliever. This switch could also lead to an increase in velocity, bringing Manfredi up to 96-97 on the radar gun. The organization demonstrated its interest in Manfredi’s arsenal by sending him to the Arizona Fall League this offseason, but Manfredi seemed to be experimenting with his pitches and posted very rough numbers in his limited number of appearances for the Peoria Javelinas.
If Manfredi can rein in his command issues and show success as a high-leverage reliever, his funky delivery and ability to miss bats could lead to a big year in 2025. Manfredi will likely start the year in Double-A but demonstrating that he can consistently find the zone could result in his promotion to Triple-A Nashville before the end of the season.
2B Josh Adamczewski
The Brewers drafted Adamczewski out of high school in the 15th round of the 2023 MLB draft, prying him away from a commitment to Ball State University. Adamczewski, a smooth swinging lefty, got off to a blistering start in Rookie ball this past season slashing .336/.472/.478 in 32 games. This earned him a promotion to Low-A Carolina, where he continued to rake, posting a .273/.415./.515 slash line across just nine games. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by injury after these first 41 games, ultimately resulting in a small sample size of excellent numbers.
Despite the sample size, there is much to like about Adamczewski’s brief 2024 season. Perhaps most encouraging was his advanced plate discipline, resulting in above-average strikeout (19.7%) and walk (18.0%) rates. He also posted an impressive contact rate (72.4%) showing good bat control to go along with his excellent awareness of the strike zone.
Limited range and a below average arm mean he will likely stay at 2B throughout his baseball career, but he does show some promise on the base paths, swiping eight bags in his 41 games in 2024. Right now, Adamczewski looks like the steal of the 2023 draft, but a full season in the minors should give the organization a better idea of just how good their 15th-rounder really is.
He will likely start the year back in Single-A Carolina, but if he picks up where he left off before his injury last year, he should quickly earn a promotion to High-A and could even end the season in Double-A.
C/OF Marco Dinges
Tools only get you so far in baseball. Without a strong work ethic, resilience, and mental toughness, even the most talented players wouldn’t succeed in the big leagues. If there’s one thing that Brewers 2024 fourth-round pick Marco Dinges has, its toughness.
Dinges overcame a rare immune deficiency disorder two years ago that left him hospitalized for more than six weeks. The following year, Dinges transferred from JUCO Tallahassee State College to Florida State. He slashed .323/.415/.583 with 15 HR in 64 games while serving as the primary DH for the Seminoles in 2024 before being drafted by the Brewers.
He finished the summer with 13 games at Low-A Carolina and hit a respectable .271/.364/.354 in the small sample size. While Dinges has mostly served as a DH in the past two seasons, he does have a strong arm behind the dish and the Brewers will seemingly give him the opportunity to catch at the minor league level. Dinges did play outfield with Tallahassee State so that could be his long-term defensive home. Regardless of where he plays in the field, his power is exciting and he pairs it with good plate discipline, walking more than he struck out at Florida State.
Dinges will likely start the year back in Low-A where he finished last season but could advance as far as Double-A this year if he can replicate his collegiate success at the professional level.