Brady Ebel, Josh Hammond Impressing In Arizona Bridge League
Image credit: Brady Ebel (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
It’s hard to believe, but it’s already been a month since the 2025 MLB Draft wrapped. In the time since, freshly-signed prospects have traded in draft day celebrations for early morning workouts, daily instruction and—in many cases—their first taste of professional baseball.
Some draftees are still settling in at their team complexes. Others are already making noise in affiliate ball. Across Arizona, the energy is high, the competition is real and the first impressions are beginning to form.
Last week, we presented our first look at the 2025 bridge league and continuation camp. Today, we’re back with more bridge league notes.
Milwaukee Draft Picks Brewing Down In Maryvale
Triston McKenzie was pitching in the big leagues earlier this year. Around that same time, new Brewers shortstop Brady Ebel was still in the thick of his senior season at Corona High School.
The two faced off on Tuesday morning under the relentless Arizona sun.
Ebel took a big cut at a pitch left over the heart of the plate—a no-doubt swing with intent behind it. The ball jumped off the bat and kept carrying and carrying… until it finally came to rest in the glove of the right fielder, just a step in front of the warning track.
He jogged back to the dugout with a smile stretched across his face. Maybe if he’d timed it just a split second better—or squeezed in some extra push-ups before bed the night before—he’d have been trotting around the bases instead.
Ebel even approached ACL Brewers manager Rafael Neda, asking for an extra at-bat against McKenzie. Neda jokingly brushed him off.
The son of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, Brady has made a strong impression on Neda through the first couple weeks he’s been at the Brewers complex in Maryvale.
“He’s a high school draft pick with a lot of talent who loves the game,” Neda said of Ebel. “He controls the strike zone really well. His swing decisions are advanced. Coming out of high school, that’s a strong tool to have. Now we just want to see how he goes out there and goes at it and continues to compete.”
If recent success is any indication, the Brewers have solidified their reputation as one of the premier organizations in scouting and player development—both domestically and internationally.
Their track record speaks for itself, and when you take a closer look at their top two selections from this year’s draft, it becomes clear that Milwaukee is once again poised to replenish its talent pipeline with high-upside prospects.
Enter Andrew Fischer, the Brewers’ first-round pick out of Tennessee. Nede highlighted him as another player who has come in with an advanced toolset.
Fischer is a bat-first, lefthanded hitter with a standout mix of contact, power and on-base skills. A patient, disciplined hitter, he rarely chases and is content to draw walks. But he also swings with intent when he attacks. In 2025, Fischer posted one of the nation’s top barrel rates and consistently launched towering fly balls to his pull side. Defensively, the Brewers drafted Fischer as a third baseman, but he has primarily played first base, where his limited range and modest athleticism fit best. Still, he has some experience at the hot corner and may also get a look in a corner outfield role thanks to a serviceable arm.
“He knows himself more than the freshly-drafted high school player,” Neda said of Fischer. “He has a better routine going into the sense of the things that he has done in the past, and he’s more mature, physically and mentally.”
Don’t expect to see Fischer play down at the bridge league anymore, though, as he was promoted to High-A Wisconsin.
Royals Aren’t Surprised By Early Results
Royals field coordinator Scott Thorman is entering his 12th year with the organization, a tenure that’s given him a front-row seat to the franchise’s evolution. He witnessed the rise of homegrown stars like Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez—key pillars of Kansas City’s unforgettable run to the 2015 World Series title.
Now, Thorman is watching the next wave take shape. Headlined by superstar Bobby Witt Jr., slugger Vinnie Pasquantino and rising rookie Jac Caglianone, the Royals’ pipeline is once again on the rise—and Thorman is right in the middle of it all.
Among the standouts are top Royals draft picks Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond, both of whome are already earning regular looks in the lineup. Their presence signals a continued investment in building from within—a philosophy that’s long defined the Royals’ identity.
“The number of homegrown, scouted, drafted and developed talent that we have in the big leagues is a product of our player development system and our scouting system,” Thorman said. “We take a lot of pride in teaching the game. Different levels require different teaching, different building blocks to their careers, and this is the foundation of their careers that hopefully will last them all the way through.”
Hammond brings loud tools and a fiery edge. He generates plus raw power with explosive bat speed, though he can get out front on breaking stuff. The hit tool lags but shows promise and should grow with more reps. Defensively, he’s a steady athlete with a strong arm, but his limited range will likely push him from shortstop to third, where he could thrive.
Gamble, meanwhile, offers a promising mix of speed, athleticism and positional flexibility. He has the tools to hit for both average and power, though his swing can get lengthy, and his approach is still developing. A plus runner with quick acceleration, he’s a consistent stolen base threat.
The Royals are happy with what they’ve see so far from their top 2025 draft picks and are hoping to develop these fresh faces into players who can help the team in Kansas City.
“A famous quote around here is, ‘We don’t put expectations on anyone, but we don’t put limitations on them either,’” Thorman said. “We want to give them every opportunity to succeed and get in the system and be around the coaches, be around the staff and get them what they need.”
Guardians On The Rise
Admittedly, this is only the second installment of these bridge reports, but for the first time, we’re spotlighting a non-drafted player.
Dauri Fernandez emerged as one of the most impressive bats in the Arizona Complex League, wrapping up the season with a strong .310/.383/.480 slash line, six home runs and 27 RBIs. He’s aggressive early in counts, but with the consistent production he’s shown, it’s hard to question the approach.
The Guardians opted to keep the 18-year-old at the complex rather than assign him to an affiliate—a move that speaks more to long-term development than readiness. Signed for $215,000 in 2024, Fernandez has already proven to be a versatile defender capable of handling multiple infield positions. A switch-hitter with advanced discipline, he’s shown a knack for making consistent contact while keeping his strikeout numbers in check.
That well-rounded game was on display during the Guardians’ matchup against the Brewers on Tuesday. Fernandez drove an opposite-field single on a pitch up and away, showing advanced barrel control. Later in the inning, he showcased his instincts on the base paths by taking an extra base on a bloop single. It was an aggressive, yet calculated move that drew praise from a scout in the bleachers: “Wow, now that’s some really good baseball instincts for a young guy.”
Most of the Guardians’ high-end draft picks were sent to Low-A Lynchburg, but a few remain. That includes second-round pick Dean Curley (Tennessee) and eighth-round selection Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine).
Curley spent the majority of his collegiate career at shortstop but has played a bit of third base down in Arizona. He offers a well-rounded offensive profile with a disciplined approach, solid contact skills and above-average raw power.
Despite having a plus arm, Curley struggled with throwing accuracy down the stretch this past season with Tennessee. Playing more third base should allow his arm to shine.
Martinez is a power bat who is the RBI career leader at UC Irvine. The raw power is evident in his swing and imposing 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame. With the right adjustments at the pro level, he has plenty of potential to be a strong power bat in the middle of the lineup.
Martinez was also featured in a story at the beginning of the year, in which he talks about embracing his culture and paving the way for other Latino college baseball players. You can read that here.
Writer’s note: I’ve received your emails and messages about Baseball America’s coverage of the action here in the desert, and I sincerely appreciate the support and feedback. With the league still in its early stages, I’m actively working on ways to refine and expand how we tell these stories.
If there’s anything specific you’d like to see more of, feel free to reach out at [email protected]. Being based in Phoenix gives me a unique advantage in covering this wave of talent up close, and I’m excited to keep bringing you deeper access and better insight as the league continues to grow and providing more reporting that you can’t get anywhere else.
