Brewers: Orlando Arcia tops updated prospects list
By Phil Watson
26. Cody Ponce, RHP
Cody Ponce, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound right-hander selected in the second-round out of Cal Poly Pomona last month, has already been moved up the chain to Wisconsin.
He is 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA and 0.947 WHIP in three starts and two relief appearances, fanning 14 in 19 innings.
That came after he made two starts at Helena, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks in five innings.
The 21-year-old has a fastball that can get to 96, but has a tendency to straighten out, and his secondary pitches are still works in progress.
27. Omar Garcia, OF
Omar Garcia, 21, was a seventh-round pick out of Miami-Dade College in Florida in 2013 and has been solid at Brevard County this season, hitting .262/.316/.298 in 92 games, with 38 runs, six doubles, a home run and 23 RBI while going 39-for-47 on the bases.
Last season at Wisconsin, he hit .263/.342/.322 in 113 games, scoring 57 runs with 17 doubles, three triples and 23 RBI to go with 44 steals in 65 attempts.
Garcia’s approach at the plate right now is to slash and run, sacrificing any hint of power in an effort to just get on base and use his speed, which is extraordinary.
28. David Burkhalter, RHP
David Burkhalter was chosen in the sixth round last year out of Ruston (La.) High School and has started and relieved this season at Wisconsin.
He is 3-6 with a 4.71 ERA and 1.266 WHIP in seven starts and 14 relief appearances, striking out 69 batters in 72.2 innings.
Last season in the Arizona Rookie League, he was 0-5 in four starts and six relief outings with a 7.15 ERA and 1.809 WHIP in 22.2 innings, fanning 19.
At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, the hope is he can add bulk and power to improve an average fastball.
Feb 27, 2015; Maryvale, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ariel Pena (68) poses during photo day at Maryvale Baseball Park . Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
29. Ariel Pena, RHP
Ariel Pena came to the Brewers from the Los Angeles Angels in the July 2012 trade that sent right-hander Zack Greinke west in exchange for right-hander Johnny Hellweg and shortstop Jean Segura.
The 26-year-old has never progressed past Triple-A, where he was advanced to briefly in 2011 and has pitched exclusively the last two seasons.
After starting for his entire pro career, which began when he was signed out of the Dominican Republic in the winter of 2006, he has been a reliever at Colorado Springs this year, where he has a 5.16 ERA and 1.471 WHIP in 36 appearances and 52.1 innings, striking out 50.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pounder was 9-8 at Nashville last season in 24 starts and one relief outing, posting a 4.56 ERA and 1.332 WHIP in 128.1 innings with 140 strikeouts.
30. Jordan Yamamoto, RHP
Jordan Yamamoto was the Brewers’ other draft pick off the islands in 2014, selected in the 12th round out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu.
He has struggled at Helena this season, going 1-4 in seven starts and a relief appearance with a 7.82 ERA and 1.974 WHIP in 38 innings with 39 strikeouts.
Last year in the Arizona Rookie League, the 19-year-old was 0-1 in three starts and seven relief outings, with a 4.57 ERA and 1.615 WHIP in 21.2 innings, striking out 22.