Joey Wiemer blooped a double down the right-field line on the first pitch he saw in the majors on Saturday. He then followed that up with a hit in each of the next two games, so he already has a three-game hit streak in the majors.
The 24-year-old outfielder had a decent chance of making the big-league club with a strong spring, but ultimately was the last guy cut as the rosters were finalized. The club had an immediate need when third baseman Luis Urias went down with an injury, so the easy decision was made to move Brian Anderson back to the infield and promote Wiemer.
Wiemer was 11-for-42 this spring with a home run and was successful in all three stolen base attempts.
Drafted in the fourth round in 2020 out of the University of CIncinnati, Wiemer nearly put up a 30-30 season (27 HRs, 30 SBs with a .958 OPS) in his 2021 debut, finishing at high-A. He started a little slower at Double-A last season (.761 OPS in 84 games, but with 15 HRs and 25 SBs), but finished strong with an .888 OPS, 6 HRs and 6 SBs in 43 games at Triple A.
So what can we expect from the 6-foot-4, 220-pound outfielder in his rookie season? Wiemer has had no issues moving up two levels per season since being drafted, combining his elite speed with some considerable pop as well. If he adjusts to the majors fairly quickly, there could be quite a long leash in Milwaukee. A 15/15 season is a realistic expectation with 450 ABs, with a 20/20 season being a possibility.
Strikeouts have been an issue for him in the past (reaching a high of 30.2% last season in Double-A), but he lowered that rate in his short time in Triple-A and has always drawn lots of walks. When he connects, he produces elite-level exit velocities and has been very successful on the basepaths (61-for-70 in stolen-base attempts).
As for the long-term future, Wiemer has the ability to play in multiple All-Star games with his power/speed combo and defensive skills (His cannon arm grades a 70 on MLB Pipeline). In his prime, he could put up multiple 30/30 seasons with 100-plus runs scored and highlight-reel throws to home plate to catch runners trying to score.