Today's Baseball Prospect of the Day

Mat Gamel is a fast-rising third base prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system. Originally drafted out of Chipotla Junior College in Floriday, he's toiled in relative obscurity until last season, when he received the spotlight for breaking the FSL minor league record for consecutive game hitting streak (33). The logical successor to Ryan Braun's mantle in more ways than one, he also led the entire minor leagues with 53 errors in 128 games.

But like Braun, it's his bat that matters, and since Gamel hit .300 and slugged .472 (9 homers), he was tagged for a AA promotion for the start of 2008. 

Gamel is a strong professional hitter with good concentration and quick hands that give him line-drive power to all fields. His swing has a hint of natural loft that could signal increased home run output in the years to come. He's not fast, but he is above average on the bases. In the field, few of his throwing errors came from a lack of arm strength, so he may be following Ryan Braun to the outfield soon: he may have enough arm for right, in fact.

Gamel will open 2008 in AA and be on the radar if the Brewers suffer from injury problems. In lieu of that, he should be competing for a 2009 bench job in spring training. 

Update: Gamel did start the season in AA, as expected, and he's been the hottest hitter in the Milwaukee system, with a .362 average and an OPS over 1.000 through his first 100 games. He's pushing hard for a late-season callup.  

Each and every day, TodaysProspect.com looks at a new up-and-coming player somewhere in baseball, helping you learn a little more about baseball's talent pool one day at a time.

To look back through earlier prospects of the day, click the 123 date boxes on the top right corner of this page.

Height: 6-0

Weight: 205

Birthdate: 7/26/1985

Bats: L

Throws: R

Team: MLW

Birthplace: Jacksonville, FL

College: Chipola JC

ABs pre-2008: 0