With the 2026 Arizona Fall League in the books, let’s take a look at how each Brewers prospect fared with the Scottsdale Scorpions.
Jett Williams
Williams, who’s getting his feet back under him after missing the last three months of the season with a right wrist injury, hit just .217 (15-for-69), but five of those 15 hits went for extra bases (a home run, two doubles, and two triples). He also stole an impressive 12 bases and walked 16 times to 19 strikeouts. Only Bitonti came close to his 69 at-bats
among Brewers prospects in Scottsdale.
Eric Bitonti
Bitonti, who had a breakout season in 2026 (.916 OPS at High-A Wisconsin), put up a .757 OPS in 65 at-bats and earned a spot in the AFL Home Run Derby. The strikeouts are still an issue (26, compared to just 10 walks), but he’s showing the 60-grade power that has the Brewers excited about him.
Matthew Wood
Wood, another breakout player this past season, went 12-for-43 with four doubles, and his .828 OPS was the highest of any Scorpion with at least 40 at-bats. He’ll be 26 on Opening Day and should begin 2027 in Triple-A, but given the uncertainty behind starting catcher William Contreras, he could see big-league time before the year is out.
Braylon Payne
Payne went 7-for-35 with a pair of triples. Like Wood and Bitonti, he broke out in a big way this year, putting together a 25-homer, 25-steal season that made him the fourth-youngest minor leaguer to accomplish the feat since 1946. His 16 strikeouts are a little concerning, given that he was presumably in the AFL to work on his bat-to-ball skills, but he showed an extremely high ceiling this season, and a 35-at-bat sample doesn’t change that.
Miqueas Mercedes
Mercedes, who posted a 2.81 ERA in Single-A this season, had an impressive showing this fall. The 20-year-old, who won’t turn 21 until next July, recorded a 3.52 ERA in 15 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and striking out 19. His main problem from the regular season remains: he’s incredibly wild, with 15 walks. Still, the stuff is there if he can figure out how to find the zone consistently.
Peyton Niksch
The 22-year-old Niksch, who ended the season with Double-A Biloxi, started off strong, allowing just two earned runs in his first 6 2/3 innings, but came back down to earth after that. He finished the fall having allowed 16 earned runs on 18 hits in 15 2/3 innings. He did strike out 16, roughly one batter per inning, but he also walked eight.
Ryan Birchard
Birchard started the fall by allowing three earned runs in three outings (3 2/3 innings), though two of those outings were hitless and scoreless. He made two more appearances but recorded just four outs, allowing a whopping 10 earned runs. Command was the main culprit: he walked 12 batters, more than two per inning, compared to seven strikeouts. For a pitcher who walked nearly a quarter of the batters he faced this season, that’s not what the Brewers want to see.
Joshua Quezada
Quezada was used exclusively out of the bullpen this fall, posting a 7.27 ERA across eight appearances (8 2/3 innings). He allowed 10 hits and walked five but struck out 12, and he picked up one save in two chances. The ERA isn’t pretty, but the strikeout numbers are encouraging in a league known for not being especially kind to pitchers.
José Meneses
Meneses, a lefty long reliever, held opponents to a .174 batting average and struck out 11 in six innings. The problem was the walks: he issued seven free passes, which helps explain how he allowed seven runs (four earned) on just four hits for a 6.00 ERA. That said, he had a successful 2026 season, posting a 1.88 ERA with Single-A Wilson before earning a promotion to High-A Wisconsin. If he can tighten up his command, his swing-and-miss stuff gives him a path to a big-league bullpen.
