RHP Maverick Lasker:

When the Brewers drafted Lasker in the 5th round last year, he was somewhat overlooked because of all the early picks the Brewers had in that draft. If he was noticed at all, it was for having parents that must have seen Top Gun way too many times, and the fact that he was signed away from a commitment to Tony Gwynn's San Diego State. He didn't pitch professionally last season while recovering from a sore arm, but is off to a solid start to his pro career this season. Last week, Lasker threw 5 innings while allowing 3 hits, no walks, no runs and 5 strikeouts.

Thus far this season Lasker has pitched 23 innings, allowed 21 hits, 9 earned runs while posting a 15:6 K:BB ratio. He is limiting batters to .253 batting average and has nearly twice as many groundballs to flyballs. According to John Sickels, Lasker throws a "90-93 MPH fastball, a good curveball and good changeup," and is athletic enough to add velocity as he grows into his 6'2" frame.

Lasker won't turn 20 until next February, so the Brewers have plenty of time to be careful with Lasker and take precautions to try and keep him healthy. He does a good job pounding the zone and producing grounders, but a strikeout spike would help up his stock considerably. The absolute best case scenario for Maverick is probably a mid-rotation starter for a good team, but he'll have to stay healthy and maintain or even improve his velocity to get to that point. 

Three Up

RHP Eric Arnett: The Brewers first round pick out of Indiana University finally had a performance worth writing home about last Monday in Helena, pitching three hitless and scoreless innings. We'll overlook the fact that he walked 2 and only struck out 1.

RHP R.J. Seidel: The La Crosse native had a rough go of it rehabbing in Arizona (6.67 ERA in 28 1/3 innings), but stepped it up right away on his promotion to Wisconsin. He allowed 1 hit on a home run, but that was his only run allowed in 4 1/3 innings and he struck out 7 hitters while only walking 1.

LHP Caleb Thielbar: The Brewers popped the South Dakota State lefty in the 18th round of this June's draft, and he's done very well so far facing mostly younger competition in the Arizona League, posting a 2.66 ERA in 23 2/3 innings. He struck out 6 and walked 1 while allowing only 1 run in 8 innings last week. We'll have to wait and see how he does facing more appropriate competition, but this is a good start.

Three Down

RHP Evan Anundsen: Anundsen had not given up more than 3 earned runs in any of his previous nine starts for the Brevard County Manatees, but that probably isn't much consolation after giving up 7 hits, 2 walks and 9 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings last week. It's hard to earn a late season promotion when you've got something like that on your recent resume.

3B Taylor Green: Green, one of the Brewers bevy of potential but not surefire position prospects, had a rough week down at AA Huntsville. He went 2 for 19 with a double and a couple walks. Of course as this is being written Green already has a HR this week to his credit. Perhaps he can go from the outhouse to the penthouse in one week.

RHP Cody Scarpetta: Scarpetta is having a pretty decent year (3.91 ERA and 88 K's in 71 1/3 innings), but he'll want to forget his start on Sunday. In 3 2/3 innings, the fireballer allowed 4 hits, 6 walks and 8 earned runs for the Timber Rattlers. He needs to tighten up on the walks (41 this season) going forward to avoid repeats of this type of performance going forward.