The Milwaukee Brewers talent pipeline got a fresh infusion with the 2026 MLB Draft, and this week marked the first time some of those players appeared in the top levels of the minor leagues.
At the top of the list was second-round pick Sawyer Strosnider, who began his career at Class A Wisconsin with a bang by tripling for his first professional hit.
The 21-year-old outfielder from Texas Christian didn’t stop there, recording seven hits in his first 18 at-bats, with a double, four RBIs, three runs scored, two walks and a stolen base.
He’s ranked No. 17 in the organization according to MLB Pipeline.
Then, there was third-round pick Kyle Jones (No. 26 on Pipeline) at Class A Wilson. The 21-year-old outfielder from Florida recorded nine hits in 24 at-bats, scoring four runs, driving in seven runs, drawing two walks and stealing two bases in his first week with the Warbirds. It was capped with a two-run homer Aug. 16.
How about an even more familiar name? Carsten Sabathia III, the 20th-round pick in 2026 and son of CC Sabathia, notched his first professional home run at Class A Wilson on Aug. 16, plus he had a double among eight hits in 19 at-bats with Wilson, driving in five.
Here’s what happened with Brewers minor league teams last week
Standout performances from the Brewers’ 40-man roster last week
Best performance from a Brewers top prospect
Shortstop Brady Ebel bumped up to No. 5 in the MLB Pipeline rankings within the Brewers system, and then he got bumped up on the organizational depth chart, too.
It began with an incredible showing Aug. 11, when he finished a single shy of the cycle and drove in six runs in his 3-for-5 performance for Class A Wilson. He doubled again among his two hits Aug. 13, scoring three times and stealing three bases, then added another double Aug. 16.
All told, Ebel had seven hits during the week, with three doubles, a triple, a homer, six driven in, five walks and four stolen bases. For the capper, he was promoted to Class High A Wisconsin on Aug. 16.
With a .416 on-base percentage and .836 OPS, Ebel has enjoyed a strong first professional season. The first-round pick in 2025 has 10 homers, 38 stolen bases and 68 RBIs.
His brother and Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2026, Trey Ebel, was also promoted to Wilson and will essentially take his older brother’s place.
How did No. 1 prospect Jesús Made do this week?
The 19-year-old saw his six-game hitting streak snapped Aug. 16, though he only had one hit in the previous five games each week, including a double and RBI. He also walked four times. He’s sitting at an .804 OPS this year with 13 homers, 32 steals and 79 RBIs at Class AA Biloxi.
How did No. 2 prospect Luis Peña do this week?
Back at shortstop after his return from injury kept him to a designated hitter capacity initially, Peña hasn’t missed a beat in the field. He did go just 4-for-23 this week against Cedar Rapids for Class high A Wisconsin, but he still has an .834 OPS this year with 29 steals as a 19-year-old.
How did No. 3 prospect Josh Adamczewski do this week?
Adamczewski appeared in only three games with Biloxi this week, going 0-for-10 and then missing a couple of games before appearing only on defense Aug. 16. He did, however, get rocketed all the way up to top-three in the Pipeline organizational rankings in the midst of a season with a .962 OPS. The 21-year-old had 16 homers and 15 steals over two levels.
How did No. 6 prospect Andrew Fischer do this week?
The 22-year-old first-round pick in 2025 kept mashing homers, with two more this week to bring his season-long total to 37. He had only four hits total but also included a double in that haul, with five RBIs. In 49 games at Biloxi, he has a .972 OPS but he does have 73 strikeouts in 215 plate appearances at the level (34% strikeout rate). He’s tied with Joey Meyer for the second-most home runs by a Brewers minor leaguer in a season.
How did No. 7 prospect Braylon Payne do this week?
The 20-year-old moved south on his Aug. 14 birthday, promoted from Class High A Wisconsin to AA Biloxi. He now has hits in his first two AA games, including a triple Aug. 16, and two stolen bases. His year-long totals are 23 homers, 24 steals and a .933 OPS.
How did No. 13 prospect Blake Burke do in his first week at Triple-A
Promoted to Class AAA Nashville, Burke went 4-for-23 with three runs and three walks. For the year, he has a .942 OPS, with 30 homers and 28 stolen bases. The 23-year-old masher could be a late-season power option for the Brewers if he’s able to find a groove against big-league pitching.
A Brewers minor-league name you might want to learn
Wilson infielder Juan Ortuno, 19, had a huge week for the Warbirds, recording seven hits in the final five games of the week alone and finishing the week with six runs, a double, a homer, five RBIs, four walks and four stolen bases. The intriguing native of Venezuela has 32 steals this year and a .737 OPS.
Brewers minor-league highlights Aug. 10-16
Brewers minor-league games Aug. 17-23
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Brewers minor league report | Big debut week for 2026 draftees
Reporting by JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
