#1:  Jonathan Lucroy, Double-A

Prior to the season, Brewers fans debated whether Lucroy was the top catching prospect in the system.

Now, there is no question that Jonathan Lucroy has risen to the zenith.  Tom Haudricourt tweeted over the weekend that a major league scout covering the AFL said Lucroy is not far away from the majors.

The UL-Lafayette product displayed fantastic plate discipline, walking 78 times compared to only 66 strikeouts.  He allows the ball to travel deep into his stance before committing.  This not only gives Jonathan more time to assess whether the pitch will be a strike, but it also allows him to take the ball to the opposite field, which he does quite well.  He displayed that ability last Spring Training.

His power production was not where I expected it to be, but multiple reports surfaced throughout the season that Jonathan chose to focus more on his defense and game-calling abilities to begin the year.  Once the second-half arrived, however, his power returned and the 23-year old turned in a fine season.  A .798 OPS on a "down" offensive season is nothing to cry home about.  Neither are the 32 walks and .150 ISO.

Although a bit under the radar outside the Brewers organization, Jonathan Lucroy certainly has a chance to break camp on the 25-man roster if he can continue to impress in Arizona this month.

#2:  Angel Salome, Triple-A

2009 was an injury-plagued season for Angel. 

He battled back issues to begin the year and a finger injury to end the season, limiting him to only 82 games.  This severely depressed his defensive development.  Still, Angel possesses a cannon behind the plate and managed to throw out 30% of potential base-stealers.

Offensively, his numbers regressed across the board.  His OPS fell from .973 in 2008 to .748 in 2009.  His batting average dropped from .360 in 2008 to .286 in 2009.  His walk rate fell and strikeout rate increased.  

This was a season to forget for Angel Salome.  Next year will be a welcome opportunity for a rebound, and he will hopefully be able to improve his offensive and defensive abilities once returning 100% healthy.

#3:  Cameron Garfield, High-Rookie

Cameron broke onto the season with a 5-for-5 performance in his professional debut.

While the tools and talent occasionally surfaced throughout July and August, the remainder of his season illustrated just how raw the 18-year old backstop truly is.  He possesses decent power potential, but a long swing.  That is evidenced by his four home runs in only 59 games.  Garfield, however, struck out in 28% of his at-bats.  The young man also compiled a measly 4.4% walk rate.  All areas in which a young, prep hitter typically struggles. 

Milwaukee drafted Cameron Garfield for his advanced defensive abilities and offensive potential.  The defensive skills may not have come as advertised, but his pure potential both at and behind the plate are exciting.

#4:  Shawn Zarraga, High-Rookie

Zarraga caught the attention of Brewers fans last season after hitting .300 with a .136 ISO power with the Baby Brewes in the Arizona League.

The excitement over his bat quickly waned in 2009, however, as he scuffled to a .462 OPS with the Timber Rattlers to begin the season.  Shawn showed absolutely no power.  He split time between Low-A ball and Rookie ball without hitting a single home run and only two doubles.  The 20-year old backstop possesses a large frame at 6-2 and 215 lbs (which is quite generous), but does not utilize his legs well during his swing.

Despite these struggles, it is difficult to ignore the small sample sizes.  He only played in 52 games this season, but he still displays a good eye at the plate and saw his offense pick up a bit after returning to Helena.  It would be nice to see what Zarraga could do with consistent playing time in 2010.

#5:  Tyler Roberts, Low-Rookie

A 10th-round selection in the 2009 Draft, Tyler performed very well in only 24 game with the AZL Brewers.

The statistics are difficult to analyze due to the extremely small sample size, but the 15.3% walk rate and .407 OBP are very encouraging for a catcher who just turned 19-years old a bit over a week ago.  Much beyond that is a total crap shoot.

Roberts is yet another prep catcher with a solid defensive scouting report.  The main question mark concerning Tyler Roberts is his bat, but the early returns are rather encouraging.  2010 will be a much better gauge of his abilities than the smattering random at-bats he received this season.

Honorable Mention:  Carlos Corporan, Triple-A