Brewers' top two prospects?are Breakout standouts

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski are the Brewers' top two prospects per MLB Pipeline, and it was easy to see why in their Spring Breakout game on Sunday against Kansas City, a 4-3 loss in seven innings at Surprise Stadium.

Chourio, the No. 2 overall prospect, showcased both his bat and his speed, while Misiorowski touched 98 mph with his fastball and pitched through command issues to strike out five in 2 2/3 scoreless, hitless innings.

“It was awesome,” Misiorowski said of MLB's initial spring showcase. “Obviously a little trouble, but oh well. It is what it is. Having fun, competing against a team that isn’t us. That was the main focus.”

Misiorowski, the Brewers’ second-round pick in the 2022 Draft, hit two batters in the first and walked three in the third before leaving with two outs in the inning.

When he was in the strike zone, however, the Royals had trouble putting the ball in play. Misiorowski got his first batter on a groundout to shortstop and finished a 1-2-3 second with a pair of flyouts, the last with the only changeup he threw.

“I had to test it a little bit,” said Misiorowski, who seems likely to start the season at Double-A Biloxi, where he ended 2023.

Misiorowski maintained his 95-96 mph velocity throughout, working in his breaking stuff in the second and third innings. He got four of his strikeouts with the fastball and escaped a second-and-third situation in the first by getting Carter Jensen to swing over a slider.

“I’ve been working on secondary stuff a lot in Spring Training, so why not throw it?” He said. “I loved the way it looked. [The curveball] is another pitch in the arsenal that I think I can use to my advantage.”

Chourio made hard contact on an RBI single in the fourth inning to give the Brewers a 3-0 lead, lining a changeup into left field to drive in Tyler Black, who tripled to deep center field with one out. Black is the Brewers' No. 4 prospect (No. 46 overall).

“I love hitting behind Black,” Chourio said of his teammate for half of last season in Biloxi. “I love being in the same lineup with him. I like the confidence that he carries himself with and how he plays the game.”

Chourio showed off his speed in the first inning, after Royals third baseman Cayden Wallace misplayed his grounder toward the hole for an error. Chourio did not hesitate as the ball bounced into short left field, and he slid into second base just ahead of the throw. He scored when Eric Brown Jr. walked with the bases loaded.

“I didn’t think about it too much,” Chourio said of his decision to advance. "Just kind of acted in he moment. Really enjoyed the day today. It was very exciting. We had a good time. We felt great about it.”

Left-handed-hitting outfielder Yophery Rodriguez, 18, made an impression, hitting two balls hard to the opposite field. Milwaukee's No. 11 prospect lined a single to left field to lead off the second against right-hander Mason Barnett, the Royals’ MLB Pipeline pitching prospect of the year in 2023.

Like Chourio, Rodriguez is a top signing out of the Dominican Republic. He received a $1.5 million signing bonus in 2023 and spent the season in the Dominican Summer League, where he had six homers, 12 stolen bases and an .842 OPS in 52 games.

“This is a great experience,” Rodriguez said. “I had a lot of fun today. Playing with Chourio and those guys, they are all good people and they treat me well. I feel like I have been here my whole life.

“The Dominican Republic was a step I had to take in my life to get here. That was good preparation for me. Now I’m here and I’m ready to go. I’m ready to fly.”

Rodriguez had more walks than strikeouts last summer, and is a candidate to open in the Arizona Complex League this season.

“Hitting,” he said when asked what he does best. “I train hard. I like to face hard pitchers, talented pitchers. I like the challenge.”

Jeferson Quero, the Brewers' No. 3 prospect (No. 35 overall), was hit in the right hand by a 1-0 pitch in the first inning but stayed in the game and took one more at-bat as the DH. Right-handed prospect Logan Henderson was removed with left oblique discomfort after his second pitch to Blake Mitchell, his second batter, in the fourth inning. Trevor Werner homered to open the inning.