With the 2026 Arizona Fall League campaign coming to an end, several Milwaukee Brewers prospects completed their offseason assignments with the Scottsdale Scorpions. The group featured a mix of rising hitters continuing breakout years or returning from injuries, alongside pitchers testing their repertoires against advanced competition.
Hitters Highlighted by Power and Rebound Performances
Infielder Jett Williams worked to regain his rhythm following a three-month absence caused by a right wrist injury. Over 69 at-bats—the highest total among Milwaukee position players on the roster apart from Eric Bitonti—he batted .217 with 15 hits. Five of those hits went for extra bases, including two doubles, two triples, and a home run. Williams also flashed speed and plate discipline by stealing 12 bases and drawing 16 walks against 19 strikeouts.
Bitonti entered the desert following a strong regular season in which he posted a .916 OPS for High-A Wisconsin. The infielder participated in the AFL Home Run Derby and finished the fall with a .757 OPS across 65 at-bats. While swing-and-miss issues remained present, resulting in 26 strikeouts alongside 10 walks, he continued to display the plus raw power that has drawn praise within the organization.
Catcher Matthew Wood extended his own breakout summer by generating an .828 OPS, the highest mark of any Scorpions hitter with at least 40 at-bats. Wood tallied 12 hits in 43 at-bats, including four doubles. The backstop will turn 26 on Opening Day and is projected to begin the 2027 season at Triple-A, positioning him as potential major-league depth behind starting catcher William Contreras.
Outfielder Braylon Payne notched seven hits in 35 at-bats, highlighted by a pair of triples. During the regular season, Payne became the fourth-youngest minor league player since 1946 to assemble a 25-homer, 25-steal campaign. Although he struck out 16 times in Arizona while working on bat-to-ball contact, his overall ceiling remains exceptionally high.
Pitchers Flash Strikeout Upside Amid Command Struggles
On the mound, 20-year-old right-hander Miqueas Mercedes posted a 3.52 ERA across 15 1/3 innings after recording a 2.81 ERA at Single-A during the regular season. Mercedes limited opponents to 10 hits and struck out 19 batters, though strike-zone command was an issue as he issued 15 walks.
Right-hander Peyton Niksch, a 22-year-old who concluded the regular season with Double-A Biloxi, delivered uneven results. After conceding just two earned runs over his initial 6 2/3 innings, Niksch ran into trouble and finished the fall with 16 earned runs allowed on 18 hits over 15 2/3 frames, alongside 16 strikeouts and eight walks.
Reliever Ryan Birchard experienced severe control difficulties. After yielding three earned runs across his first three outings, Birchard surrendered 10 earned runs while securing only four outs over his next two appearances. He concluded his fall tenure having walked 12 batters against seven strikeouts in five total innings, echoing regular-season trends where he walked nearly a quarter of opposing hitters.
Joshua Quezada worked solely out of the Scottsdale bullpen, recording a 7.27 ERA in eight appearances covering 8 2/3 innings. Quezada yielded 10 hits and five walks while notching 12 strikeouts and converting one save in two opportunities.
Left-handed long reliever José Meneses held opposing hitters to a .174 batting average and collected 11 strikeouts in six innings. Seven walks contributed to a 6.00 ERA, as he surrendered four earned runs on four hits. Meneses joined the AFL following a successful 2026 campaign that included a 1.88 ERA with Single-A Wilson before a bump to High-A Wisconsin, and improving his strike throwing remains the key to unlocking a potential major-league bullpen role.
