Brewers GM Doug Melvin can't promise Milwaukee fans wins on the major league level, but both he and predecessor Dean Taylor have stressed an improved farm system as being imperative to the team's long-term success.

The upcoming major league baseball amateur draft will help -- the Brewers have the No. 2 overall pick behind the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on June 3. Scouting director Jack Zduriencik and farm director Greg Riddoch must deliver in the face of the team's history of wasted early-round selections.

The current crop of minor league prospects offers some relief, but the notion that Milwaukee's Double-A talent stock will turn things around at Miller Park in a few short years is a bit rosy. Still, there are some intriguing prospects both at Huntsville and elsewhere in the system.

Prince Fielder, 1B, Beloit -- Cecil's son has become the jewel of the team's farm system, at least publicly. Fielder started April with a bang for the Class A Snappers, hitting 5 homers in one nine-game stretch. He's slowed down since then but is still hitting .311 with 7 HR and 26 RBI. The team is excited about his plate patience, too; his OBP of .427 is impressive. Of course, he's not even September call-up material until 2004, and Richie Sexson is the Brewers' best position player, anyway.

Brad Nelson, 1B, High Desert -- Nelson was the organization's leading RBI man in 2002 (116) but started slowly after going on the DL with a wrist injury this year. In just 34 at bats, he's already collected 13 hits, though only one went for extra bases. Like Fielder, Nelson is a lefty and presents the team with an interesting long-range problem considering Sexson is the lone stalwart on the big-league roster.

Corey Hart, 3B, Huntsville -- Facing a middle infield logjam with the presence of teammate J.J. Hardy and AAA's Bill Hall, the Brewers decided to stick Hart at third this year. Defensively (12 errors in 35 games), it's been an adjustment, but Hart has 34 RBI in 39 games and is hitting .287. The next thing Riddoch will focus on with Hart is his plate approach; he's fanned 36 times against just 8 walks. At 6-5, the ex-first baseman could also end up in the outfield.

J.J. Hardy, SS, Huntsville -- Comparisons to Robin Yount are premature, but Hardy has lived up to much of his hype. He's hitting .333 with a .429 OBP and .570 slugging percentage in 93 at bats, a combination of skills the Brewers love. He also has more walks (16) than strikeouts (10), long a rare commodity in the Brewers' pipeline. Even better, the 20-year-old is already MLB-caliber in the field.

Dave Krynzel, OF, Huntsville -- The third high-level position prospect in the Southern League is the speedy Krynzel, who has stolen 13 of 22 bases in the season's first 36 games. With Alex Sanchez's recent benching, Krynzel's development will be watched a little closer. He's hitting .298 with a .375 OBP and 5 triples for the Stars.

Christian Guerrero, often mentioned as one of the team's primary prospects over the last few years (and Vlad's cousin), was released after a .197 start at Huntsville.

Luis Martinez, LHP, Huntsville -- Martinez (6-6, 200) is moving up the team's prospect list after a big start this year. The hard-throwing lefty is 4-2 with a 1.31 ERA in 55 IP, featuring 60 Ks and just one HR allowed.

Mike Jones, RHP, Huntsville -- The righty is off to a good start (5-1, 2.76) in his first season at the AA-level. He's fanned 35 in 45.2 innings, but has struggled with his control (25 walks). Jones is often mentioned as the team's top pitching prospect behind Nick Neugebauer.

Ben Diggins (3-2, 2.36) and Ben Hendrickson (inflamed elbow, just 1-1 thus far) round out a solid Stars staff.

Bill Hall, SS-2B, Indianapolis -- Hall spent September with the big club last year, hitting just .194 in 19 games. At AAA in 2003, he's split time between short and second, hitting .248 in 37 games. He's fanning too much (40 Ks) for a guy with a .348 slugging percentage. With Enrique Cruz likely on the Brewers' 25-man roster all year, Hall probably won't return to Milwaukee until the rosters expand again.

There are several other solid prospects in the system, including pitchers J.M. Gold, Dan Kolb, Pedro Liriano and Manny Parra. For the most part, however, the talent is clustered in the Southern League. And while immediate help isn't pending just yet, the team's key prospects are off to solid starts.