Carlos Rodriguez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #27 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.
  
  Track Record: A sixth-round pick from Florida Southwestern State JC in 2021, Rodriguez was the Brewers’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2022 and was the co-winner of the award in 2023 with lefthander Robert Gasser. In 2024, Rodriguez had uneven results in Triple-A Nashville. He made three starts with Milwaukee in June, got shelled and went back down to Nashville.
  
  Scouting Report: A compact, stocky righthander, Rodriguez has already exceeded expectations from when he was drafted and should be able to carve out a role in the big leagues. Rodriguez isn’t a hard thrower and lacks a true plus pitch, instead relying on his ability to mix and match with a wide repertoire. He throws both four-seam and two-seam fastballs at 91-94 mph and touches 95. Rodriguez has solid control but his fastball command escaped him at times in 2024 and led to trouble. His best pitch is an above-average changeup at 84-86 mph with lively tailing action and he uses it heavily against lefties. His slider and curveball are both fringe-average pitches with lower spin, using his slider mainly against righties and his curve to hitters from both sides. He throws a fringe-average cutter at 86-89 mph to hitters from both sides but leans on it more against righties.
  
  The Future: Rodriguez projects as a No. 5 starter or swingman who could end up in the bullpen, though if he can tighten his fastball command, there might be enough upside for more. He should return to Triple-A and try to force his way back to Milwaukee.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 50.
• Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #11 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Rodriguez could be another junior college pitching success story for the Brewers, who signed him for $250,000 as a sixth-round pick from Florida Southwestern State JC in 2021. Rodriguez was the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2022 and shared the honor with lefthander Robert Gasser again in 2023, when he led the Double-A Southern League with a 2.77 ERA.
  
  Scouting Report: Rodriguez continues to surprise and has now proven successful at the upper levels. He lacks a big fastball or a wipeout secondary pitch but continually finds a way to mix and match his arsenal. Rodriguez has good control of a fastball that sits at 90-94 mph and can scrape 95 and mixes four- and two-seamers. His 83-85 changeup is his best pitch, an above-average offering with 17 inches of horizontal run to fade away from lefties. It’s the pitch that gets the highest rate of swing-and-miss and a key reason why his OPS allowed was near equal against lefties (.566) and righties (.563) in 2023. His 78-82 mph slider is a fringe-average pitch that flashes better at times, with a low-to-mid-70s curveball that he will sprinkle in occasionally when he’s ahead in the count and a mid-80s cutter that gives him six pitches to attack hitters. With a stocky, strong build, Rodriguez has been a solid strike-thrower, though his success comes more from his ability to mix his stuff and location rather than precise command.
  
  The Future: There are still scouts who think Rodriguez could end up in a relief role, but he now looks more likely to be able to stick as a starter, most likely toward the back of the rotation, though he could continue to surprise. Rodriguez most likely opens 2024 in Triple-A, but if his success there continues, he should be in the mix for starts in Milwaukee when a need arises.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 50