Carlos F. Rodriguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #14 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Rodriguez pitched in junior college at Florida Southwestern State when the Brewers drafted him in the sixth round in 2021 and signed him for $250,000. He has been a pleasant surprise in the system since then, winning the organization's minor league pitcher of the year award in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: In a system that's lighter on pitchers, Rodriguez sticks out for the success he's had and his feel for pitching. He pitches at 89-93 mph and touches 95 with good control of his fastball. His best pitch is an above-average changeup at 83-86 mph with a lot of fading action at 17 inches of horizontal break to keep hitters off balance. Rodriguez also throws a fringe-average slider in the low-80s that spins around 2,400 rpm and is an effective pitch at the lower levels but will get tested against more advanced hitters. He dabbles with a low-70s curveball to give hitters another look as well. Rodriguez doesn't have knockout stuff, but his feel for mixing his pitches, changing speeds and moving the ball around the zone has yielded good results.
  
  The Future: Rodriguez will get his first test at the upper levels in 2023 when he gets to Double-A. There's a split camp among scouts about whether his future will be in a rotation or a relief role, but the upside is there for a back-end starter.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 40. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #215 prospect in 2020 draft
  Rodriguez is an undersized righthander listed at 5-foot-11, 180-pounds, but he boasts big arm strength and impressive athleticism. Over the summer, Rodriguez ran his fastball up to 94, though it sat more in the 89-93 mph range. He has a fast arm but can get a bit erratic with his control and has some effort and a noticeable head whack in his delivery. Rodriguez has shown some feel for landing a solid changeup in the 80-86 mph range that has fading life and above-average potential. He’s also thrown both a curveball and a slider, though his feel for both offerings is lacking. His curveball is a mid-70s offering with 12-to-6 shape, while his slider is in the 80-85 mph range with late bite at times. Both pitches have shown a tendency to back up on him, but he does flash impressive ability to spin the ball at his best and his curveball was in the 2,500-2,600 rpm range last summer. Rodriguez will need to improve his control, but his athleticism might allow him to make the necessary steps, whether that’s in pro ball or at Miami.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Rodriguez pitched in junior college at Florida Southwestern State when the Brewers drafted him in the sixth round in 2021 and signed him for $250,000. He has been a pleasant surprise in the system since then, winning the organization's minor league pitcher of the year award in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: In a system that's lighter on pitchers, Rodriguez sticks out for the success he's had and his feel for pitching. He pitches at 89-93 mph and touches 95 with good control of his fastball. His best pitch is an above-average changeup at 83-86 mph with a lot of fading action at 17 inches of horizontal break to keep hitters off balance. Rodriguez also throws a fringe-average slider in the low-80s that spins around 2,400 rpm and is an effective pitch at the lower levels but will get tested against more advanced hitters. He dabbles with a low-70s curveball to give hitters another look as well. Rodriguez doesn't have knockout stuff, but his feel for mixing his pitches, changing speeds and moving the ball around the zone has yielded good results.
  
  The Future: Rodriguez will get his first test at the upper levels in 2023 when he gets to Double-A. There's a split camp among scouts about whether his future will be in a rotation or a relief role, but the upside is there for a back-end starter.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 40. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Rodriguez pitched in junior college at Florida Southwestern State when the Brewers drafted him in the sixth round in 2021 and signed him for $250,000. He has been a pleasant surprise in the system since then, winning the organization's minor league pitcher of the year award in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: In a system that's lighter on pitchers, Rodriguez sticks out for the success he's had and his feel for pitching. He pitches at 89-93 mph and touches 95 with good control of his fastball. His best pitch is an above-average changeup at 83-86 mph with a lot of fading action at 17 inches of horizontal break to keep hitters off balance. Rodriguez also throws a fringe-average slider in the low-80s that spins around 2,400 rpm and is an effective pitch at the lower levels but will get tested against more advanced hitters. He dabbles with a low-70s curveball to give hitters another look as well. Rodriguez doesn't have knockout stuff, but his feel for mixing his pitches, changing speeds and moving the ball around the zone has yielded good results.
  
  The Future: Rodriguez will get his first test at the upper levels in 2023 when he gets to Double-A. There's a split camp among scouts about whether his future will be in a rotation or a relief role, but the upside is there for a back-end starter.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 40. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Midseason Update: A sixth-round pick in 2021, Rodriguez has stood out for his performance in a system lacking that&#39s lighter on pitching. He pitches in the low-90s but can run it up to the mid-90s, with an above-average changeup that keeps hitters off balance and is his best secondary pitch. He throws a slider that&#39s still a fringy pitch that he will need to develop. Rodriguez is a solid strike-thrower who should continue to develop as a starter, though some scouts think he could end up in a relief role long term.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the most advanced pure hitters in the 2017 international class and signed with the Brewers for $1.355 million. He lived up to that reputation by hitting over .320 in each of his first two seasons as a pro. Rodriguez spent time at the alternate training site in 2020, where he wasn't a standout but held his own against significantly older competition and a lefty-heavy pitching group.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Rodriguez's bat control is among the best in the Brewers' system. He has a career strikeout rate of just 10% and has a knack for putting the bat to the ball. He doesn't walk much, in part because he makes contact early in counts, and will need to be more selective to enhance his on-base skills. Rodriguez's power is mostly to the gaps. While he added strength in 2020 and started driving the ball, he's mostly a line-drive hitter with 8-12 home run potential. Where Rodriguez ends up defensively is his biggest question. He's an average runner without the burner speed of a typical center fielder. Some observers like his defensive instincts in center, while others think he looks more comfortable in a corner.
  
  THE FUTURE: There's some tweener outfield risk with Rodriguez, but he has hit at every level so far and that may be enough to carry him.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Rodriguez was one of the most advanced pure hitters in the 2017 international class and signed with the Brewers for $1.355 million. He lived up to that reputation by hitting over .320 in each of his first two seasons as a pro. Rodriguez spent time at the alternate training site in 2020, where he wasn't a standout but held his own against significantly older competition and a lefty-heavy pitching group.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Rodriguez's bat control is among the best in the Brewers' system. He has a career strikeout rate of just 10% and has a knack for putting the bat to the ball. He doesn't walk much, in part because he makes contact early in counts, and will need to be more selective to enhance his on-base skills. Rodriguez's power is mostly to the gaps. While he added strength in 2020 and started driving the ball, he's mostly a line-drive hitter with 8-12 home run potential. Where Rodriguez ends up defensively is his biggest question. He's an average runner without the burner speed of a typical center fielder. Some observers like his defensive instincts in center, while others think he looks more comfortable in a corner.
  
  THE FUTURE: There's some tweener outfield risk with Rodriguez, but he has hit at every level so far and that may be enough to carry him.