The Milwaukee Brewers will head into the 2023 season with two rookie position players on their Opening Day roster. One of them, Brice Turang, has not even made his Major League debut yet. The final roster spot came down to Mequon, Wisconsin native Owen Miller and the Brewers’ number three prospect Joey Wiemer. According to Adam McCalvy, Wiemer was just assigned to minor league camp, meaning that Miller has earned the team’s final roster spot.
More Brewers roster news: INF/OF Owen Miller has been informed that he is on the team.
OF Joey Wiemer, @MLBPipeline’s No. 3 Brewers prospect, reassigned to Minor League camp.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) March 27, 2023
Why Did the Milwaukee Brewers Choose Miller Over Wiemer?
There were many fans on social media that questioned the decision to send Wiemer back down to the minors instead of allowing the phenom to start the season with the Big League club. When one considers the two players positional versatility and experience, though, it is easy to see why Miller got the nod.
Though he had a good Spring Training, Joey Wiemer has just 174 at bats on the Triple-A level. Last year was the first season in which he played above High-A ball. While he hit well (.256/.336/.456, 21 home runs, 77 RBI, 31 stolen bases), he mostly plays right field and center field. The Brewers have Garrett Mitchell in center field, and he has shown that he can hit Major League hitting.
Owen Miller, on the other hand, can play all four infield positions and in the outfield. Manager Craig Counsell values positional versatility, which may be a factor in why Miller got the nod over Wiemer. Additionally, Miller has a full season of Major League experience already. Last year, with the Cleveland Guardians, he hit .243/.301/.351 with six home runs and 51 RBI.
Do not be surprised, however, to see both Wiemer and Sal Frelick, the Brewers’ number two overall prospect, make their Major League debuts at some point this season.
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