Henry making most of his time in camp

TEMPE, Ariz. -- With less than three weeks remaining until Opening Day, the Brewers have some whittling-down to do of their roster, which as of Saturday contained all 57 players they opened camp with nearly a month ago.

Some of the players who soon will be sent to the Minor League side are prospects the Brewers see as factoring in to their future. In fact, often, the first players sent out are the ones with the brightest upside, and they are sent out of big league camp in order to receive enough at-bats or innings, to get ready for their seasons.

That includes the many top 30 prospects the Brewers invited to big league Spring Training this year. This time can be especially valuable for a catcher, who by the end of camp will have caught dozens of bullpen sessions and worked with veteran pitchers during live games while absorbing every bit of information they can.

Payton Henry, the Brewers' No. 10 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is one of those catchers.

"It’s more about the 'eyes and ears' part of it," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "Catching Major League pitchers. Being around Major League catchers. He has got quite a way on his development curve left, but he is a talented young player, and it sticks out right away. It’s a player we are very focused on, for sure."

Five months ago, Henry was screaming at the TV while excitedly cheering for the Brewers during their run through the postseason. Today, the 21-year-old is one of the youngest and most inexperienced players in big league camp, working with many of the pitchers he watched play in the National League Championship Series last year.

"Every single one of these guys is different to catch, and they like doing different things," Henry said. "The main key is guys overall, they've been great to catch. They've all taught me a little bit different approach toward hitters, the way they face hitters and things like that. They stick out as a whole, as a staff to me."

Catching is one of the most taxing positions on the field, and it's challenging for teams to scout, draft and develop true Major League talent at this position. Henry, drafted in the sixth round by the Brewers in 2016, has been lauded for his raw power plus steadiness behind the plate. Last year, he threw out nearly 44 percent of attempted base-stealers, drawing attention for his quick release and strong, accurate arm.

That said, he's never played above Class A, and his Major League ETA is, loosely, 2021. There is no sense of urgency to push him before he's ready, but it's likely he has more big league camps in his future. That gives him time to learn more on the job, a process that was in the very beginning stages this spring.

“He just played in [Class A] Appleton last year,” Counsell said. “Catching, it’s a tough position. As he goes up the chain -- we haven’t really added ‘information’ to his plate yet. The massive amount of game planning that gets put on their plate, it’s not on his plate yet [except for] a very small extent. But that’s coming. Lots of progress to go through."

Step one has worked out well so far.

"It's been fun to be able to catch all these guys up here," Henry said. "They've taught me a lot, just to be able to even catch the 'pens and then get in live game action. It's been good for me. Little bit of change of pace, just from the monotonous practice schedule. It's nice to be able to get in games, be able to go out there and compete."