Part II

The conversation about the Milwaukee Brewer farm system the writers at Bernie's Crew and Between the Green Pillars are having continues with Part II.

TOPIC

I think we would all agree that while the upper levels of the system are painfully thin on potential "impact starters," there are many intriguing arms in the lower minors. Who are we going to be talking about at this time next year as 2009's breakout pitcher?

Let's see.......

Aaron: I think you have to jump on the Jake Odorizzi train. Jake wasn't all that impressive in the few innings he got last season, but he has solid mechanics and already has four pitches in his repertoire. Odorizzi will probably spend most of the year in Appleton and will undoubtedly gain some strength as he grows into his body. In the end, I think he finds himself in the top 10 of most Brewer Prospect boards.

Ryan: I feel like we buried the lead a little bit here, because Odorizzi is clearly one of the better pitching prospects in the Brewers’ organization. Both Jim and I ranked him as the second best pitcher in the system, behind Jeffress. As Aaron mentioned, Odorizzi has four legit pitches, which is outstanding for a guy fresh out of High School. If he stays healthy, Odorizzi is almost certainly a big league pitcher, and possibly as good as a #2. He is the guy whose every start next year will be noteworthy, and I hope one of my trips up to Appleton will coincide with a start of his.

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