2021 Brewers non-roster spring training capsules

The Milwaukee Brewers will have 21 non-roster players at spring training this season (pitchers and catchers report Feb. 18, by the way). In 2020, they brought in 20 and in 2019 it was 15 — including a second baseman named Keston Hiura. Among the 21 this year are some prospects getting their first taste of the majors while others are veterans hoping for another chance. Don’t discount these guys — among last year’s non-roster spring training camp players, even in a short 60-game season, Justin Grimm, Logan Morrison, Jace Peterson and Drew Rasmussen all made it to the big club for various stints.

Here’s a look at each of this year’s 21 invitees to Milwaukee’s camp.

LHP Clayton Andrews

The former 17th-round pick in 2018 has always been a favorite of our in-season Young Brewers Tracker for two reasons: 1. He’s only 5-foot-6; 2. He also plays the outfield (although he won’t do this with Milwaukee … we think). Andrews was a non-roster invite in 2020 as well and spent time at Milwaukee’s alternate training site during the season. The diminutive left-hander split his time in 2019 between Single-A Carolina and Double-A Biloxi. At Carolina he had a 3.86 ERA, 1.214 WHIP and 14.1 K/9 while at Biloxi he posted a 2.59 ERA, 1.085 WHIP and 9.5 K/9. In his 58 minor-league games, Andrews has a 1.061 WHIP (6.4 H/9) and 12.8 K/9. As with most players who didn’t play in the minors in 2020, it’s going to be a tough road making the MLB roster … at least on opening day.

LHP Aaron Ashby

The 2018 fourth-round pick in 2018 has yet to pitch above the Single-A level, so beginning the year in the minors (presuming there is minor-league baseball in 2021) is likely. In 2019, he made 11 appearances with 10 starts at Low-A Wisconsin, recording a 3.28 ERA, 1.230 WHIP and 11.8 K/9 in 61 innings, and 13 starts at High-A Carolina, posting a 3.46 ERA, 1.323 WHIP and 7.6 K/9 in 65 innings.

RHP Brad Boxberger

It’s not been announced by the team yet but it has been reported that Boxberger will sign a minor-league deal with the Brewers which includes a spring invite. In 2020, he pitched in 18 innings for Miami with a 3.00 ERA but with a 1.389 WHIP and 9.0 K/9, the latter the second-worst rate of his nine-year career. Boxberger has a career 3.56 ERA, 1.310 WHIP and 11.3 K/9. He also has allowed at least 1.0 HR/9 in each of his nine seasons with a career rate of 1.3 HR/9.

RHP Zack Brown

Like Andrews, Brown was in camp in 2020 and later the alternate training site. The organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2018 was hit hard at Triple-A San Antonio in 2019, recording a 5.73 ERA and 1.731 WHIP in 25 games. The former sixth-round pick turned 26 in December.

RHP Jake Cousins

An interesting addition as Cousins turns 27 in July and has never pitched above Low-A. Signed by the Brewers after being released by Washington in 2019, Cousins pitched in 14 games in that year in rookie ball with the Brewers Blue team and with Single-A Wisconsin, all in relief. In 2020, he pitched in 15 games for the independent Chicago Dogs, tossing 16 innings with a 3.38 ERA, 0.938 WHIP and 14.1 K/9.

OF Dylan Cozens

Signed to a minor-league deal in December, the left-handed hitting Cozens was a non-roster invite to Tampa Bay camp last year and also was assigned to the Rays’ alternate camp in-season. Cozens, who turns 27 in May, has 45 MLB plate appearances with Philadelphia from 2018-19, batting .154 with a homer. In three Triple-A seasons he slashed .219/.321/.464. He has 48 assists in eight minor-league seasons, including 12 with Double-A Reading in 2016.

3B Zach Green

The former third-round pick of Philadelphia has displayed some power in the minors in recent years. He batted .281/.346/.532 with 20 home runs in 114 games splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018 then smashed to the tune of .282/.380/659 with 25 homers in only 72 games in Triple-A in 2019, earning a call up with San Francisco, where he played eight games, going 2-for-14 with one dinger. Green, who will be 27 this season, spent time at the Giants’ alternate site in 2020.

LHP Blaine Hardy

Hardy spent seven seasons with Detroit from 2014-19, compiling a 4.11 ERA, 1.329 WHIP and 7.1 K/9 over 289 2/3 innings in 233 games. In 2019 with the Tigers he posted a 4.47 ERA, 1.150 and 5.9 K/9. Signed by Minnesota and invited to 2020 spring training, Hardy didn’t appear with the Twins nor was at their alternate camp.

C Payton Henry

For the second straight year, Henry, a sixth-round pick in 2016, is a non-roster invite. The team always needs extra catcher in the spring. It’s doubtful Henry will make the initial roster having never spent a day above Single-A. In 2019, he played at High-A Carolina, batting .242/.315/.395 with 14 HR in 121 games. He did throw out 38% of attempted base stealers in 2019 as well as 44% in 2018 at Low-A Wisconsin. Maybe he’s a defensive catcher of the future. Emphasis on future.

RHP Thomas Jankins

A 13th-round pick in 2016, Jankins has worked his way up the system. In 2019, he spent the majority of the year at Triple-A San Antonio, where he posted a 4.38 EA, 1.370 WHIP and 6.6 K/9 in 23 games (21 starts). He’s never been a strikeout pitcher (7.1 K/9 in four minor-league seasons) but also not prone to allowing home runs (0.9/9). Jankins was not at Milwaukee’s alternate camp in 2020.

OF Tristen Lutz

The 22-year-old Lutz was a competitive balance first-round pick in 2017. He moved up one level in the minors his first couple of years, playing for High-A Carolina in 2019, where he batted .255/.335/.419 with 13 home run in 112 games. Lutz likely would have been in Double-A in 2020 and he was part of the alternate camp, so a debut in 2021 isn’t out of the question.

LHP Hoby Milner

Milner has pitched 55 2/3 innings in the majors over 74 games, all in relief, with Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Angels from 2017-20. He had a 2.07 ERA in 31 1/3 innings with the Phillies in 2017, but also a 1.468 WHIP and 6.3 K/9. Overall, Milner has a career 4.53 ERA, 1.509 WHIP and 7.4 K/9. With the Angels last season he allowed 12 runs on 13 hits with 13 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. He’s been a good pitcher in Triple-A, however, with a 3.51 ERA, 1.080 WHIP and 11.5 K/9 in 146 career innings.

OF Garrett Mitchell

Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2020 has yet to play professionally. He wasn’t included in the Brewers’ alternate training site in the abbreviated season last year. Mitchell, who turns 23 in September, spent three years at UCLA as the Bruins’ center fielder. He his .355 with five steals in 15 games as a junior. This is likely just giving him a taste of pro baseball before he gets some minor-league seasoning.

UT Jace Peterson

Peterson was a non-roster invite last year as well and ended up playing 26 games with 61 plate appearances. He slashed .200/.393/.356 with two home runs in his limited time while appearing in right field (13 games), left field (4), first base (4) third base (4) and second base (3). He’ll have another opportunity to earn a utility spot on the 2021 team or be ready for recall from Triple-A when needed.

UT Pablo Reyes

Reyes sat out the 2020 season due to a suspension for using Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. General manager David Stearns said the team looked into Reyes and his background and obviously didn’t have concerns. Reyes has 220 MLB plate appearances with Pittsburgh from 2018-19, owning a slash line of .229/.295/.368 while playing all over the diamond — second, third, short and all three outfield spots. In 589 Triple-A plate appearances, he hit .288/.341/.471 with 18 home runs and 18 steals. We know how much the Brewers like guys in the majors and minors with positional versatility.

RHP Miguel Sanchez

Sanchez was a non-roster invite last year as well although the Brewers never placed him at their alternate training site. At Triple-A San Antonio in 2019 he had 4.35 ERA, 1.317 WHIP and 9.3 K/9 in 60 innings. Sanchez, who began in Milwaukee’s system in 2016 and has pitched at every minor-league level, turned 27 in December.

3B Travis Shaw

Shaw is remembered perhaps best by Brewers fans for hitting 31 home runs in 2017 and 32 in 2018. But his hitting fell of the table after that. In 2019, he was hitting .157/.281/270 being sent to Triple-A. In 50 games for Toronto last season he slashed an underwhelming .239/.306/.411 with six home runs. Shaw, who reportedly has signed a minor-league contract with a spring invite, turns 31 in April

LHP Ethan Small

Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2019 was scheduled to pitch for Single-A Carolina in 2020 before the minors were shut down. Small was at the Brewers’ alternate training site. He pitched all of 21 innings after being drafted, dominating lower-level hitters to the tune of five runs (two earned) on 11 hits and four walks with 36 strikeouts in 21 innings. He turns 24 on Feb. 14, so with a little more seasoning in the minors he should be up in the majors soon enough.

LHP Quintin Torres-Costa

The 26-year-old former 35th-round pick has made an impressive climb up the Brewers’ chain. In 2018, he had a combined 1.31 ERA, 0.945 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 while splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A. Injured for much of 2019, he tossed nine innings in the Arizona Fall League and allowed six hits while fanning 15 in nine innings. He hasn’t pitched since, as he was not in the alternate site, but an interesting project nonetheless.

SS Brice Turang

Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2018 has yet to play above Single-A, but Turang was at the Brewers’ alternate training site in 2020. The left-handed hitting shortstop played for both Low-A Wisconsin and High-A Carolina in 2019, combining to slash .256/.367/.340, although he batted only .200/.338/.276 for the Mudcats. Of course, he was also only 19 years old in 2019. There’s no reason to rush him to the majors.

RHP Jordan Zimmermann

Maybe moving back to the National League will help Zimmermann, a Wisconsin native and UW-Stevens Point alum. From 2011-15 with Washington he posted a 3.14 ERA, 1.135 WHIP and 7.3 K/9 in 155 starts. Things did not go as well for him after signing as a free agent with Detroit. In 99 games (97 starts) with the Tigers from 2016-20, he had a 5.63 ERA, 1.441 WHIP and 6.4 K/9. Injuries were partly to blame — he never reached 30 starts with Detroit after doing in in four consecutive seasons with the Nationals. Twice he had over a 6.00 ERA in a full season for the Tigers, including 6.91 in 2019 in 23 starts. He made only three appearances in 2020, all in September, allowing six runs (five earned) in 5 2/3 innings. Maybe he can rekindle some of the magic?