Wondering which young players could have an impact in the majors this year? Let MLB FanHouse guide the way in Better Know a Prospect. In this edition we look at three players from the Milwaukee system, which always seems to have major league-ready talent on the doorstep. Mat Gamel, 3B/OF/Wherever: If you remember Ryan Braun's rookie year, you remember Braun arriving on the scene, destroying the baseball, and becoming the first regular third baseman since the Cretaceous Period to have a fielding percentage worse than .900. It's time to do that all over again. Gamel destroyed the ball in Double-A last year (19 homers, .326/.395/.537), but made 30 errors in 126 games. With Bill Hall's bat abandoning him, Gamel could probably start the season at third base in Milwaukee, but the concerns over his defense might keep that from happening. Unless Hall turns things around dramatically, though, the Brewers are eventually going to have to look past him, especially if Gamel keeps hitting in the minors.
Alcides Escobar (pictured), SS: Escobar is known for his glove, but he had a breakout year at the plate in 2008 at the age of 21 in Double-A, putting up a .797 OPS that was better than at any other stop in the minors. He hit pretty poorly in a short winter ball stint in the Dominican and he'll almost certainly start the year out at Triple-A, but he could end up playing second in Milwaukee this year if Rickie Weeks falters again and he could end up playing at short if J.J. Hardy is traded. He or Hardy (probably Hardy) could be moved to third if Gamel is particularly disastrous there. However it happens, plan on Escobar getting some solid playing time with the big club this year.
Angel Salome, C: There's a bit of a dip in big-league-ready talent in the Brewers system after the first two guys, but if we're looking for someone to make an impact in 2009, I'll take Salome in the third spot. The reason for that is pretty straightforward: Eventually someone is going to realize that Jason Kendall isn't very good anymore. OK, so maybe it's a bit of a reach on my part to say that that someone will be Ken Macha, who managed Kendall in Oakland, but at 35, Kendall's offense keeps dipping further and further and Salome rocked the ball in Double-A last year. If he stays hot in Triple-A in 2009, he'll at least be giving the Brewers something to think about the way Geovany Soto did for the Cubs in 2007.
For comprehensive coverage of the minor leagues, visit John Sickels at Minor League Ball and Baseball America. For minor league statistics, visit Baseball-Reference and Minor League Splits.
