Similar to past years, Brewerfan.net recently conducted a poll of the Milwaukee Brewers top prospects, asking the users to submit their own top 20 lists to figure out how those top prospects stack up in the eyes of the fans.

50 users participated in the poll, and 54 different players received votes. Points were assigned in reverse order of the votes they received. Meaning, a player receiving the top vote received 20 points, the second best prospect received 19 points, and so on. The order would be determined by the total point value, meaning the prospect with the most points would be named the Brewers top prospect.

Here are how the top prospects stack up in the collective eyes of the fans that participated:

1. Mat Gamel – 3B
Total points: 961. First-place votes: 24. Second-place votes: 19. Third place votes: 4. Lowest ranking: 6th.
Last year Gamel checked in as the near-unanimous third-best prospect in the Brewers’ system, and was the better all-around hitter than Matt LaPorta was when the two were teammates with the Huntsville Stars this past year despite not being able to match LaPorta’s prodigious power. This year Gamel just edged out Alcides Escobar for top prospect honors, marking the third time in three years that the Brewers have had two players worthy of the top spot. Gamel’s second half slide at the plate is often attributed to a tender right elbow, which also kept him from participating in the Arizona Fall League. While Doug Melvin tossed out the idea of Gamel opening this coming season with the big-league club, he could definitely use some time at AAA Nashville to open the year to get his bat, and glove, back on track.

2. Alcides Escobar - SS
Total points: 953. First-place votes: 23. Second-place votes: 17. Third place votes: 6. Lowest ranking: 7th.
As noted above, this year marks the third in a row in which the Brewers top prospect list has a 1A and 1B prospect. Two years ago nine points separated Yovani Gallardo and Ryan Braun. Last year only three points stood between Manny Parra and Matt LaPorta. This year Escobar trailed Gamel by only eight points, and had just one fewer first-place vote after finishing sixth on this list a year ago. Most recognized that Escobar’s ceiling is indeed higher, and there obviously aren’t any questions with his glove, as Doug Melvin has even admitted to having considered moving Hardy to third base to make room for the sensational young shortstop. Escobar does need some time at AAA to prove that he will be able to adjust to pitching at the big-league level, as the Brewers should make sure he’s as finished of a product as possible before bumping him up for good.

3. Jeremy Jeffress – RHP
Total points: 877. First-place votes: 2. Second-place votes: 6. Most popular position: 3rd (23 votes). Lowest ranking: 8th.
Jeffress jumped up one spot from the fourth spot last year, although at this time last year people were more skeptical of Jeffress’ status in the system given his suspension for using a banned substance, believed to be marijuana. Similar to the third-ranked prospects each of the last two years, Mat Gamel and Will Inman, there is a clear distinction at this spot as well, with nearly 75 point separating Jeffress from both second and fourth place. His name appeared on every ballot, and by finishing third on 23 ballots, it was clear that most everyone feels he is truly deserving of the third spot, and he could sit atop this list next year with another strong season.

4. Angel Salome – C
Total points: 793. Highest vote: 2nd (3 votes). Most popular position: 4th (11 votes). Lowest ranking: 12th.
Like Jeffress, Salome also jumped a spot from last year to this year, with similar skepticism surrounding him as he too was amidst a suspension, his for the use of a banned performance enhancing substance. Salome was also among the six players that showed up on every person’s ballot as he continues to hit the ball very well during a steady ascension towards Milwaukee. Like Gamel and Escobar, Salome enjoyed a huge season at AA Huntsville last year, which resulted in a late season call-up. He too needs time at the AAA level to iron out problems defensively. Pretty much every part of his game has been labeled unorthodox, starting with his shorter stature, so he will need to work hard to continue to defy the norm.

5. Taylor Green – 3B
Total points: 739. Highest vote: 2nd (3 votes). Most popular position: 7th (11 votes). Lowest ranking: 12th.
The fifth of five players that received a vote from everyone, Green’s most popular position may have been seventh, but he received 25 votes from the fourth to the sixth spots. He proved this year that his breakout season in 2007 was no fluke, and improved his position by four spots. It’s clear more and more fans are starting to be aware of Green’s ability at the plate, who put up big numbers in both the Florida State League and the Arizona Fall League before having both seasons ended prematurely due to injuries. He’s not flashy in any aspect of his game, but he’s a dedicated, hard worker that continually gets the job done.

6. Brett Lawrie – C
Total points: 715. Highest vote: 1st (1 vote). Most popular position: 5th (10 votes).
Lawrie fell one vote shy from receiving one from everyone that participated, as his rankings were a lot more varied as many people noted they had a hard time placing a player in the top 10 that hadn’t even had a professional at-bat under his belt. The person that ranked him first overall noted that he is the one player in the system that can be a legitimate, perennial all-star down the road, even if he hasn’t made his professional debut. While the Brewers drafted him as a catcher, and stated that they intend to groom him that way, it remains to be seen whether he sticks at the position long-term. Wisconsin residents hope his career begins with the Timber Rattlers.

7. Jonathan Lucroy – C
Total points: 711. Highest vote: 2nd (1 vote). Most popular position: 6th (14 votes).
Brewers’ fans should feel more comfortable about the organization’s situation at catcher moving forward, as Lucroy represents the third backstop among the top seven prospects. Like Lawrie, Lucroy fell one vote short of receiving one from everyone that submitted a top 20 list, with a few out there still concerned about his ability to hit. If you follow the numbers you shouldn’t be that concerned, as he hit for average and power at two stops in the lower minors, and is poised to move up to AA Huntsville this coming season where he and Taylor Green should make even bigger names for themselves.

8. Lorenzo Cain – OF
Total points: 678. Highest vote: 2nd (1 vote). Most popular position: 14th (16 votes).
Cain rebounded well this past season, as he was 14th on this list a year ago, but was ninth two years ago. He is the third player in a row to fall one vote short of receiving one from everybody, and his 16 votes at the eighth spot represent the most of any player at any one spot not ranked in the top three. Without a doubt, Cain helped himself with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, where he was able to showcase his dynamic offensive package. Some fans noted that they want to see Cain perform at a high level over the course of one full season before they rate him any further on this list, and he will be in a good position to do so, most likely with the Huntsville Stars, to open the 2009 season.

9. Cole Gillespie – OF
Total points: 494. Highest vote: 5th (3 votes). Most popular position: 11th (10 votes).
Gillespie dropped two spots from a year ago despite being the sixth and final player that showed up on everyone’s submission. Those that provided comments seemed to agree that while his upside is limited at the big-league level, there are few on this list that have a greater chance of actually having at worst a two to five year career as a reserve. If Gillespie batted left-handed, he could have a shot to make the club out of spring training, and due to the presence of right-handed sluggers Ryan Braun and Corey Hart, Gillespie’s best opportunity to play may come with another organization.

10. Jake Odorizzi – RHP
Total points: 477. Highest vote: 7th (4 votes). Most popular position: 9th (10 votes).
While the top 10 is dominated by positional prospects, the tides start to turn through the second half of this list, starting with Odorizzi. Expectations clearly are high for the young flamethrower, who in the eyes of the fans is the second-best pitching prospect in the system, and the first of a plethora of arms the team took in last June’s draft. While he has a long ways to go, his upside clearly is evident, and that potential allowed him to debut as high as he has on this list. Like Lawrie, the Wisconsin faithful are hoping he opens this year with the T-Rats.

11. Caleb Gindl – OF
Total points: 403. Highest vote: 4th (1 vote). Most popular position: 12th (9 votes).
After leading the Pioneer League in hitting as an 18-year old, Caleb was able to move up one spot on this list from last year by finishing strong in the South Atlantic League. His height is always going to lead to him having his fair share of doubters, with several people openly asking how many players of his stature have succeeded in the big-leagues. However, you can’t argue with his intensity, and more importantly, his numbers, as he has hit .326/.397/.505 during his first two seasons and performed well in Hawaii last fall.

12. Omar Aguilar – RHP
Total points: 366. Highest vote: 5th (1 vote). Most popular position: 16th (8 votes).
Aguilar’s most popular position may have been 16th, but the majority of his votes came from the 11th spot to that 16th position. He is a newcomer to this list after finishing last year with only 18 points thanks to a breakout season in which he posted 17 saves across two levels in the system, finishing the 2008 season with Huntsville. That success led to him being placed in the Arizona Fall League, where he continued to enjoy success, as he didn’t give up any earned runs until his 11th and final appearance of the fall.

13. Alexandre Periard – RHP
Total points: 350. Highest vote: 7th (3 votes). Most popular position: 12th (8 votes).
Similar to Aguilar, Periard is making his fan top prospect list debut, finishing last year with 20 votes from the fan base that participated. Unlike Aguilar, Periard didn’t perform very well in the Arizona Fall League. Like Anundsen a few places below, Periard has made a slow yet steady climb up the Brewers organizational ladder after being drafted as a 16-year old out of high school. He still has some work to do to refine his game, as he has reportedly can throw in the mid-90s but doesn’t record as many strikeouts as he should with that kind of stuff. He’s one of a very few legitimate prospects in the system that could provide help in the starting rotation within the next year or two.

14. Zach Braddock – LHP
Total points: 344. Highest vote: 7th (1 vote). Most popular position: 13th (6 votes).
Another season riddled with uncertainty and injuries leave many fans skeptical about his future. Moving up two spots from last year is proof that those same fans are excited about the big lefty can do moving forward if he is able to stay healthy. Braddock did recently have a procedure that hopefully will cure the problems he dealt with last year, but he needs to do a better job keeping his big body in better shape to sustain the success he’s capable of over a full season.

15. Cody Scarpetta – RHP
Total points: 273. Highest vote: 7th (1 vote). Most popular position: 14th (8 votes).
Another newcomer to this list, Scarpetta didn’t pitch that much during the regular season, but the Brewers did have him make four appearances in the Hawaiian Winter Baseball league as an injury replacement for Mike Ramlow. He pitched well enough during his last appearance of the HWB, and during 12 appearances last summer, to get the attention of the fans. Scarpetta is poised to open the 2009 season with the Wisconsin organization where Brewers fans will be able to get an up-close look at him.

16. Brent Brewer - SS
Total points: 232. Highest vote: 6th (1 vote). Most popular position: 14th (8 votes).
Opinions varied greatly on Brewer, whose votes came in from sixth until the 20th spot, as most recognized that he deserved to be among the top 20 despite an inconsistent career so far. He has gone from 19th to 8th to 16th in the three years we have been conducting this poll, more evidence that he really needs to work on refining his game at this point in his career. The potential is obviously still there, as few prospects in the Brewers’ system can come close to matching his natural, athletic ability, and he did thrive in limited action in the Arizona Fall League.

17. Cutter Dykstra – OF
Total points: 147. Highest vote: 9th (1 vote). Most popular position: 15th (5 votes).
Dykstra is the third and final member of the 2008 draft class to make this list, and he like Brewer is one of the best overall athletes in the Brewers system. Unlike Brewer, the finer points to Dykstra’s game are more refined, thanks to being the son of former Major-League All-Star Lenny Dykstra. Cutter is a similar player, who relies on hustle and speed along with some pop in his bat to provide a dangerous offensive threat. Brewers fans can look forward to seeing him play in Appleton in 2009.

18. Tim Dillard – RHP
Total points: 118. Highest vote: 9th (1 vote). Most popular position: 14th, 15th, 17th and 19th (3 votes).
As you can tell by the number of spots Dillard received three votes for, few people had the same idea of where he fit on this list. He definitely put himself back onto the radar after falling out of the top 20 last year (he was 15th on this list two years ago) by throwing in the mid-90s this year and performing well during a brief cup of coffee with the big-league club. Most people recognize that he is always going to be limited as a serviceable bullpen arm, but given his readiness to perform in the Major Leagues he clearly has value.

19. Evan Anundsen – RHP
Total points: 116. Highest vote: 12th (1 vote). Most popular position: 16th (10 votes).
Anundsen is making his top prospect fan poll debut, rewarded somewhat for his slow but steady climb towards full season baseball. Link report readers often look to Anundsen’s groundball to flyout ratio from game-to-game, as he has arguably the best sinking fastball in the system. Since he doesn’t throw particularly hard, the Brewers may be inclined to see how he fares in short relief, similar to their conversion of Tim Dillard, but don’t look for that to happen next year after tossing 145 innings in 2008.

20. Wily Peralta – RHP
Total points: 106. Highest vote: 8th (2 votes). Most popular position: 20th (4 votes).
I was happy to see Peralta make this list, because he enjoyed a breakout season similar to players like Taylor Green and Zach Braddock in past years, and is the one player I think most of us are most looking forward to seeing how he can perform in 2009. Those that had the opportunity to see Peralta pitch in the Pioneer League know how special he can be, with a nasty arsenal that includes a mid-90s fastball, mid-80s slider and solid changeup. He is a similar prospect to Aguilar overall, as he could be fast-tracked if he were developed as a reliever, but his value is greater as a starter.

Others receiving votes:
Brad Nelson (79), Seth Lintz (57), Efrain Nieves (47), Evan Frederickson (47), Chris Cody (47), Rob Wooten (45), Brae Wright (34), Mark Rogers (28), Luis Pena (27), Bobby Bramhall (27), Hernan Iribarren (26), David Welch (24), Eric Fryer (21), Donovan Hand (19), Erik Komatsu (16), Logan Schafer (14), R.J. Seidel (12), Shawn Zarraga (12), Mike Jones (11), Cody Adams (10), Steffan Wilson (8), Josh Butler (5), Lee Haydel (5), Mike Ramlow (5), Blake Billings (3), Roque Mercedes (3), Amaury Rivas (3), Chris Errecart (2), Stephen Chapman (1), Eduardo Morlan (1), Rigoberto Almonte (1), Chris Dennis (1), Brock Kjeldgaard (1), Maverick Lasker (1).

Ranking notes
According to this poll, things are starting to even out in the system when it comes to hitters versus pitchers. While the positional prospects dominated the top 10, the pitchers dominated the second 10. After holding a 13 to seven advantage a year ago, the hitters are only up 11 to nine this year, the same ratio found in this poll two years ago. That may turn into a trend over the next few years given how the team loaded up on pitchers during the 2008 draft.

Of the pitchers listed, only one is left-handed (Braddock), which may indicate one of the organization’s weaknesses. Two of the pitchers are currently being groomed as relievers (Aguilar, Dillard).

Manny Parra, the top prospect on this list a year ago, graduated from prospect status during his first full season with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Matt LaPorta, who finished second on this list a year ago, was the key cog used to acquire CC Sabathia. Among the other top prospects from this list last year, Michael Brantley (11th) and Rob Bryson (18th) were also part of the Sabathia trade while Darren Ford (10th) was dealt to acquire Ray Durham.

There are nine new members on this year’s list compared to last year’s, which saw 10 newcomers. The turnover is largely due to the promotion of Parra and the trades for Sabathia and Durham as noted before.

Two of the four players that fell off the list, Hernan Iribarren (15th) and Luis Pena (20th), could be asked to make contributions to the big-league club this coming season. A third, R.J. Seidel (19th) remains one of the more talented pitchers in the Brewers system, and he very well may return to this list next year with a strong season at Brevard County.

The fourth prospect to fall off from the top 20, Mark Rogers, continues to be riddled with injuries, although the team is hopeful he can return to the mound this year.

Outfield prospects do not dominate this list as much as they have in year’s past. Last year six of the top 20 prospects were represented by outfielders, while this year there are only four. The addition of Lawrie, should he continue to be developed as a catcher, gives the Brewers three backstops in the top 20 to go along with four infielders (two shortstops and two third basemen) and the four outfielders.

Last year it was noted that Manny Parra was the only player that was a safe bet to graduate off of this list to no longer be considered a prospect. This year there seem to be less sure bets to do so. Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar and/or Angel Salome could see time with the big-league Brewers, and General Manager Doug Melvin has publicly wondered if Gamel or Escobar in particular could make the club out of spring training. More than likely this trio opens the 2009 season and spends significant time, barring injuries, at AAA Nashville.

Tim Dillard is the closest to Major League ready among those represented on the top 20 as listed above, but the bullpen competition in the spring is expected to be fierce.

Regardless of who projects to graduate off of this list over the course of the next year, the Brewers’ talent is stacking up favorably towards the upper levels of the system after slowly but surely building towards the big-leagues to form what might be called the second wave of talent. Gamel, Escobar, Salome, Green, Cain, Lucroy and Gillespie may all be fighting for an everyday or bench spot on the roster, while Jeffress, Aguilar, Dillard and Periard will be vying for time on the pitching staff. That could cause for significant turnover on this list, not to mention the big-league roster, over the next two years.

Thank you to everyone that participated. To discuss the results in greater detail, please be sure to visit the minor league page of the Fan Forum.

Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Brewerfan.net and Perfect Game USA, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.