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A month away did not diminish what Luis Peña could do in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
After a scary incident in which Peña, the consensus No. 2 prospect in the organization, collapsed in the dugout and left a Class High A Wisconsin game in an ambulance, the shortstop is back in action a little more than a month later.
The 19-year-old dynamo first reported to the Arizona Complex League and then returned to the Timber Rattlers on May 27. In three games, he's already got three hits, three walks, an RBI and a stolen base.
In three games with the Arizona Brewers, he logged a double and triple among his four hits, with an RBI and two swipes.
He also made a slick-fielding play at shortstop.
Peña has a .948 OPS in the minors this year, with one homer, nine stolen bases and 10 RBIs in 66 at-bats.
With the high-profile success of the Brewers farm system, we've been providing weekly updates on what's going on throughout the organization:
We haven't given much love to pitchers in this space because they seldom get more than one outing per week, but we can't ignore what Jaron DeBerry did for Biloxi, even if we have an offensive candidate, too.
The 23-year-old right-hander, a third-round pick in 2024, hasn't quite made his way to the upper reaches of Brewers prospect lists, but that's only a matter of time, even with his 4.84 ERA in 10 starts this year.
DeBerry has registered back-to-back excellent outings, and his May 30 showing was spectacular. He allowed just one hit in a complete-game seven-inning performance, with two walks and four strikeouts in his team's 5-0 win over Columbus. It was his second straight seven-inning showing after he allowed two runs on three hits against Birmingham on May 23 with nine strikeouts.
It was only seven innings because it came in the context of a doubleheader, but it's the 11th complete-game shutout in franchise history.
But, we also can't forget Eric Bitonti.
The left-handed-slugging first baseman, a third-round pick in 2023, has taken longer to get going in his minor-league career than his fellow high-school draftee in 2023, Cooper Pratt. But he's up to a .399 on-base percentage at Class High A Wisconsin, with an .863 OPS, six homers and nine stolen bases.
He had eight hits in the final four games of the week alone, pus three walks during six games against Peoria. Among those hits: three doubles, a triple and a home run, plus a stolen base.
Bitonti slugged .526 in May after a .391 mark in April.
Ho-hum, another excellent week for Made in the limited number of games at Biloxi.
The 19-year-old wunderkind shortstop had a three-hit day in the first game of a May 30 doubleheader, with a triple and three RBIs. He added a double in the nightcap in four at-bats. He also finished with a walk and stolen base in three games.
Made has an .815 OPS as the youngest player in the Southern League, with six homers and 40 RBIs, plus 19 steals.
Thanks to another blast May 31 –one launched 107 miles per hour, no less – he's up to 15 home runs this year to easily lead the Midwest League – second place only has 10. He had hits in six of seven games this week, with two homers and four RBIs.
His strikeout count, however, remains elevated, with eight in the final three games of the week and now 69 punchouts in 160 at-bats this year. But his OPS is up to 1.036 and his on-base percentage is .411 as he continues to terrorize the league.
Pratt was the subject of a profile for The Athletic as most onlookers wonder when he'll get the call to the big leagues.
The Brewers' shortstop-in-waiting has reached base in 21 straight games, with hits in all six games this week, including a triple and stolen base (plus three walks). He has a .753 OPS and a .362 on-base percentage, with five homers and 25 RBIs.
The 22-year-old third baseman had just one hit in 17 at-bats for Nashville, though he did drive in a pair of runs and walked three times. His OPS flickered above .800 for the year earlier in the month but it's back down to .718, though he still has a .350 on-base percentage, five homers and 12 stolen bases.
Payne hasn't played since May 21, but he's not on the injured list at Wisconsin.
The 21-year-old switch-hitting outfielder added another impressive catch to his cadre of outfield highlights for Nashville. And, it was yet another excellent week at the dish, with nine hits in 20 at-bats, including a triple and two doubles. He drove in a pair, walked three times in one game and lifted his OPS to .962 with a .452 on-base percentage. He's still sitting on a career-high seven homers and has stolen 18 bases.
There is considerable buzz around Jayden Dubanewicz, a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher at Class A Wilson. In 13⅔ innings, he has 17 strikeouts and a 1.98 ERA, including the scoreless three innings he pitched May 27.
Dubanewicz had a 2.40 ERA in 19 appearances last year, his first professional season after the Brewers made him a 16th-round pick in the 2024 draft. The Florida high schooler, wooed away from a strong commitment to Florida by a hefty $665,000 signing bonus that season, has seen a velocity jump to as high as 97 mph, a welcome sight after an injury scare before the season.
Pitchers really took center stage last week in the organization. Among the best:
Back on the position side:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers minor-league update; Luis Peña back after scary moment
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After a scary incident in which Peña, the consensus No. 2 prospect in the organization, collapsed in the dugout and left a Class High A Wisconsin game in an ambulance, the shortstop is back in action a little more than a month later.
The 19-year-old dynamo first reported to the Arizona Complex League and then returned to the Timber Rattlers on May 27. In three games, he's already got three hits, three walks, an RBI and a stolen base.
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In three games with the Arizona Brewers, he logged a double and triple among his four hits, with an RBI and two swipes.
He also made a slick-fielding play at shortstop.
Peña has a .948 OPS in the minors this year, with one homer, nine stolen bases and 10 RBIs in 66 at-bats.
With the high-profile success of the Brewers farm system, we've been providing weekly updates on what's going on throughout the organization:
Here's what happened last week
- There's a reason why newly activated pitcher Rob Zastryzny considers Class AAA Nashville one of the best minor-league teams he has seen. The Sounds (35-22) went 5-1 last week over the Gwinnett Stripers (Braves), although Nashville is only tied for the West Division lead with Memphis, also 35-22.
- Meanwhile, Class AA Biloxi (25-23) is barely able to play at all. The Sounds did go 3-2 this week against the Columbus Clingstones (Braves), but four of those games were played in seven-inning doubleheaders as the team tried to dodge persistent rain showers in the southeast.
- Class High A Wisconsin (26-22) went 3-4 against the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), but at least the parent club got the best of the Cardinals with a series sweep.
- Class A Wilson (26-25) won big on May 31 to ensure that all four of the team's top minor-league teams finished the week with a winning record. The Warbirds went 3-3 against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs).
- The rookie-ball Arizona Brewers (10-12) went 4-2 against assorted foes.
Standout performances from the 40-man roster
- Craig Yoho is on a tear lately at Class AAA Nashville, and it seems wild that the right-handed reliever hasn't been to the big leagues this season. He's got a 1.06 ERA in 15 games with a 0.82 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 17 innings. He allowed one hit with four strikeouts in three innings this week, logging a pair of saves.
- Brian Fitzpatrick continued his perfect 0.00 ERA at AAA this season, with two more scoreless innings last week. Needless to say, if the Brewers need relievers, the 26-year-olds – Fitzpatrick and Yoho – have it covered.
- Left-handed starter Robert Gasser didn't let his recent demotion back to AAA haunt him. In his return May 29, he allowed just two runs (one earned) in five innings, with three hits, no walks and six strikeouts.
- Left-handed-hitting outfielder Akil Baddoo, activated from the injured list and officially sent to AAA, had four hits and three walks in five games for the Sounds.
Best performance last week from a Brewers top prospect
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We haven't given much love to pitchers in this space because they seldom get more than one outing per week, but we can't ignore what Jaron DeBerry did for Biloxi, even if we have an offensive candidate, too.
The 23-year-old right-hander, a third-round pick in 2024, hasn't quite made his way to the upper reaches of Brewers prospect lists, but that's only a matter of time, even with his 4.84 ERA in 10 starts this year.
DeBerry has registered back-to-back excellent outings, and his May 30 showing was spectacular. He allowed just one hit in a complete-game seven-inning performance, with two walks and four strikeouts in his team's 5-0 win over Columbus. It was his second straight seven-inning showing after he allowed two runs on three hits against Birmingham on May 23 with nine strikeouts.
It was only seven innings because it came in the context of a doubleheader, but it's the 11th complete-game shutout in franchise history.
But, we also can't forget Eric Bitonti.
The left-handed-slugging first baseman, a third-round pick in 2023, has taken longer to get going in his minor-league career than his fellow high-school draftee in 2023, Cooper Pratt. But he's up to a .399 on-base percentage at Class High A Wisconsin, with an .863 OPS, six homers and nine stolen bases.
He had eight hits in the final four games of the week alone, pus three walks during six games against Peoria. Among those hits: three doubles, a triple and a home run, plus a stolen base.
Bitonti slugged .526 in May after a .391 mark in April.
How Brewers prospect Jesús Made fared last week
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Ho-hum, another excellent week for Made in the limited number of games at Biloxi.
The 19-year-old wunderkind shortstop had a three-hit day in the first game of a May 30 doubleheader, with a triple and three RBIs. He added a double in the nightcap in four at-bats. He also finished with a walk and stolen base in three games.
Made has an .815 OPS as the youngest player in the Southern League, with six homers and 40 RBIs, plus 19 steals.
How Brewers prospect Andrew Fischer fared last week
Thanks to another blast May 31 –one launched 107 miles per hour, no less – he's up to 15 home runs this year to easily lead the Midwest League – second place only has 10. He had hits in six of seven games this week, with two homers and four RBIs.
His strikeout count, however, remains elevated, with eight in the final three games of the week and now 69 punchouts in 160 at-bats this year. But his OPS is up to 1.036 and his on-base percentage is .411 as he continues to terrorize the league.
How Brewers prospect Cooper Pratt fared last week
Pratt was the subject of a profile for The Athletic as most onlookers wonder when he'll get the call to the big leagues.
The Brewers' shortstop-in-waiting has reached base in 21 straight games, with hits in all six games this week, including a triple and stolen base (plus three walks). He has a .753 OPS and a .362 on-base percentage, with five homers and 25 RBIs.
How Brewers prospect Jett Williams fared last week
The 22-year-old third baseman had just one hit in 17 at-bats for Nashville, though he did drive in a pair of runs and walked three times. His OPS flickered above .800 for the year earlier in the month but it's back down to .718, though he still has a .350 on-base percentage, five homers and 12 stolen bases.
How Brewers prospect Braylon Payne fared last week
Payne hasn't played since May 21, but he's not on the injured list at Wisconsin.
How Brewers prospect Luis Lara fared this week
The 21-year-old switch-hitting outfielder added another impressive catch to his cadre of outfield highlights for Nashville. And, it was yet another excellent week at the dish, with nine hits in 20 at-bats, including a triple and two doubles. He drove in a pair, walked three times in one game and lifted his OPS to .962 with a .452 on-base percentage. He's still sitting on a career-high seven homers and has stolen 18 bases.
A Brewers name you might want to learn
There is considerable buzz around Jayden Dubanewicz, a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher at Class A Wilson. In 13⅔ innings, he has 17 strikeouts and a 1.98 ERA, including the scoreless three innings he pitched May 27.
Dubanewicz had a 2.40 ERA in 19 appearances last year, his first professional season after the Brewers made him a 16th-round pick in the 2024 draft. The Florida high schooler, wooed away from a strong commitment to Florida by a hefty $665,000 signing bonus that season, has seen a velocity jump to as high as 97 mph, a welcome sight after an injury scare before the season.
Brewers minor-league highlights May 25-31
Pitchers really took center stage last week in the organization. Among the best:
- Tyson Hardin, Nashville: The move up to AAA has worked well for Hardin. The 24-year-old right-hander worked six scoreless innings May 28, making it three effective Nashville starts since he was promoted to the highest level of the food chain. Hardin allowed just two hits and one walk in his outing, with five strikeouts.
- Bishop Letson, Biloxi: One of the top pitching prospects in the organization, Letson had an encouraging 5⅓ innings on May 30, allowing two hits and one run, with four walks and six strikeouts. The right-hander from Indiana, just 21 years old, has a 5.81 ERA in 31 innings.
- Tyler Renz, Wilson: The 19-year-old righty made two appearances, allowing no runs on four hits in five innings on May 26 (two walks, six strikeouts) before another three-inning outing May 31, where he allowed one run on two hits with three walks and two punchouts. For the year, he has a 3.59 ERA in 11 games (42⅔ innings).
- Ma'Kale Holden, Arizona: The 19-year-old right-handed draft pick in 2025 allowed one earned run on two hits in six innings May 25. He's got a 2.04 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 18 innings.
- Enderson Mercado, Wilson: The 19-year-old southpaw has been up and down this season but threw five innings of two-hit ball, allowing two runs (one earned) with two walks and eight strikeouts May 28.
- Carlos Carra, Wilson: The 19-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit May 31 in five innings, with two walks and six strikeouts.
- Thomas Pannone, Nashville: Don't rule out the 32-year-old left-hander from making an appearance at some point this year in Milwaukee. The minor-league veteran who briefly appeared with the Brewers in 2023 has a 3.03 ERA at Nashville, helped by his recent start in which he allowed two earned runs on four hits in six innings, with no walks and one strikeout.
Back on the position side:
- Luke Adams is back in action and pounding the baseball out of the park, albeit at the Arizona Complex League level. The 22-year-old third baseman, ranked No. 11 in the organization by MLB Pipeline, began the year at Nashville but hasn't played since he was injured April 11. But now back with the Arizona Brewers, he had five hits in four games, including a double and an eye-popping three home runs, good for five RBIs.
- Wilson's Handelfry Encarnacion had another big week, going 10-for-23 with two doubles and a triple. He had a four-hit day May 28 and drove in seven runs over the past week, with three stolen bases. The 18-year-old left-handed outfielder has a .796 OPS at Class A, with six homers and 11 stolen bases.
- Biloxi leadoff hitter and second baseman Dylan O'Rae ran his hitting streak to eight games with hits in all five games against Columbus, plus three more stolen bases to bring his season total to 29, now leading the Southern League. He has an .826 OPS thanks to his .439 on-base percentage. The 22-year-old Canadian is having a great bounceback season after missing all of 2025 with injury.
- Brady Ebel, a shortstop taken out of high school in the first round of the 2025 draft, stayed hot with another seven hits in six games last week for Class A Wilson, including a double and nine walks. He drove in four runs and also stole a base. For the year, he's up to a more-than-respectable .787 OPS for the season after a brutally slow start. He'll turn 19 in July.
- Kenny Fenelon, an 18-year-old outfielder in rookie ball, had hits in all five games this week and six overall, with two homers, a double, two RBIs, four walks and three stolen bases. Fenelon got the top signing bonus in the Brewers' international class last year, signed out of the Dominican Republic, and he has a .948 OPS in 73 at-bats in Arizona, with four homers and 10 steals.
- Nashville catcher Jeferson Quero hit a home run May 27 and had two more doubles last week, plus three walks. His OPS at AAA stands at .754, with six homers and 34 RBIs as he looks to get back to the big-league level, where he has just one at-bat this year.
- Top catching prospect Marco Dinges has been playing a somewhat limited schedule and has been serving only in the designated hitter capacity recently, but he did hit another home run May 26 and still has an .843 OPS at Wisconsin, with seven homers.
- Biloxi slugging first baseman Blake Burke also played in just three games this week, with a double May 29. After a torrid start to the season in the power department, he has just one home run since May 12, with an .844 OPS and 12 homers.
- Nashville corner infielder Brock Wilken saw time in just two games this week and hasn't played since May 27. The first-round pick in 2023 is still struggling, with a .168 batting average and .609 OPS at AAA. He has two homers, two triples and 10 doubles this season in 167 at-bats.
- Alexander Frias homered for the third time this season with the Arizona Brewers, and his OPS is up to an eye-popping 1.125 after he amassed another seven hits in five games. The 18-year-old has been playing right field.
- Cam Wagoner has been more than an uplifting story for Biloxi; he also has a 1.74 ERA in 10⅓ innings and a 0.58 WHIP after another two hitless innings this week (three strikeouts, no walks).
- Biloxi catcher/DH Matthew Wood had five hits in five games against Columbus, including a double, and has an .840 OPS. The 25-year-old was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and has six homers this season. Fellow catcher and Biloxi Shucker Darrien Miller, a 2019 draft pick, has a 1.064 OPS this season with eight homers in 92 at-bats.
- Biloxi's Mike Boeve had five hits and drove in five runs, with a stolen base. The 24-year-old taken in the second round of the 2023 draft has a .720 OPS in 170 at-bats this year, with four homers and nine stolen bases. He's been playing left field and first base.
What's on deck, games June 1-7
- Nashville at Jacksonville (Marlins)
- Biloxi vs. Montgomery (Rays)
- Wisconsin at Cedar Rapids (Twins)
- Wilson vs. Salem (Red Sox)
- Arizona Complex League and Dominican Summer League Brewers teams also in action
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers minor-league update; Luis Peña back after scary moment
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