Brinson paces 5 Brewers in Top 100 Prospects list

January 26th, 2017

The Brewers have five players among MLB.com's Top 100 prospects, including their 2016 first-round pick, outfielder Corey Ray, and the two players acquired in the deal.
Ray ranks 30th, while outfielder and right-hander , who were Nos. 2-3 on the Rangers' list of top prospects when they were dealt to the Brewers for Lucroy, are Nos. 18 and 62, respectively, on MLB.com's latest list.
:: Complete 2017 Top Prospects coverage ::
The annual ranking of MLB's Top 100 prospects is assembled by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status entering the 2017 season are eligible for the list. Players who were at least 23 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.
MLB Pipeline's 2017 Top 100 Prospects list
The Rangers selected Brinson, 22, in the first round of the 2012 Draft, and he batted .268 with 15 home runs, 24 doubles, six triples and 17 stolen bases in 104 games last season. In his first game in Triple-A Colorado Springs after the trade, he went 4-for-4 before belting a grand slam the next day. At Colorado Springs, Brinson hit .382 in 89 at-bats.
Texas picked Ortiz, 21, in the first round of the 2014 Draft. He has not been pushed innings-wise because of injuries. He totaled a career-high 90 2/3 frames last season in 22 games (20 starts). At Double-A Biloxi, Ortiz went 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA in six starts, striking out 16 and walking 10 over 23 1/3 innings.

Ray, 22, spent most of last season at Class A Advanced Brevard County, batting .247 with five home runs, 13 doubles and two triples in 57 games. He underwent surgery in October to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

The other Brewers prospects in the Top 100 are left-hander  (No. 38) and middle infielder (No. 65).
Hader was the Orioles' 19th-round pick in 2012 before being acquired by the Brewers in July '15 from the Astros in the trade that sent and Mike Fiers to Houston. Milwaukee added Hader to its 40-man roster after last season.

The 22-year-old made 25 combined starts in 2016. He posted a 2-1 record and a 1.11 ERA in 11 starts at Double-A Biloxi before going 1-7 with a 5.22 ERA in 14 starts at Triple-A Colorado Springs. The lefty struck out 161 total batters over 126 innings.
Hader also appeared in the All-Star Futures Game for the U.S. team, entering with two outs in the eighth inning and the World Team leading, 4-3. The lefty struck out then-Marlins prospect on a 96-mph fastball.

Diaz, 20, batted .264 in 135 games at Class A Wisconsin, knocking 20 home runs, 34 doubles and five triples. Acquired from the D-backs as part of the five-player trade that sent to Arizona, Diaz could be a star in the middle infield. A left-handed hitter, he was named the Pioneer League Player of the Year in 2015, posting an on-base percentage of .436 in 68 games.