Milwaukee used its 12th starting pitcher of the season Sunday, and this one undoubtedly faced more scrutiny from Brewers' brass than all but one other.

When Nick Neugebauer worked five innings and struck out nine Cincinnati hitters in his big-league debut, you can bet Dean Taylor caught himself daydreaming a few times about 2002 and beyond. And with the Brewers in the midst of a miserable two-month stretch of baseball, Taylor could be excused for letting his mind drift under normal circumstances.

But having just gotten a taste of the 21-year-old Neugebauer, who joins fellow rookie and NL All-Star Ben Sheets as the undeniable future of baseball in Milwaukee, for once Taylor's dreams didn't end in cold sweats and screaming.

Jeff D'Amico, Jamey Wright, Ruben Quevedo, Sheets and now Neugebauer. The fivesome represent Taylor's master plan.

In order for this rotation to ever be great - or simply to ever be - they must get and remain healthy, perhaps the most daunting X-factor the franchise will ever face. D'Amico, who recovered from myriad arm problems and surgeries to nearly claim the NL earned run title last year, missed basically the entire season after sitting out '98 and '99. But he's just 25. Can he ever be counted on to stay healthy and effective?

Wright appeared to be nearing his vast potential as late as mid-June, but a two-month slide left him at 8-8 before a solid performance Monday night in Chicago. Wright's shoulder problems seem to be behind him, but 2002 will be a critical year in the sinkerballer's development. Kevin Brown comparisons will cease eventually if he can't win 15 games, though he'll only be 27 on Opening Day, 2002.

Early returns on Quevedo are good. For a 22-year-old, he seems to know what the rest of the staff's elders do not - throwing strikes early in the count saves you untold headaches. After getting belted around by Atlanta in his Crew debut, he pitched ahead in the count against Montreal and Philadelphia and struck out 18 batters in two wins. Two years from now, acquiring him for David Weathers might be printed on Taylor's business card. It might also be nothing more than a media guide footnote if Quevedo ends up getting traded as many times as Juan Acevedo.

Sheets has currently entered a dead-arm stage, which is scary, but predictable. The rest of Sheets' season is important simply to ensure he's structurally sound, and the Brewers should shut him down completely if need be. But assuming he's OK, it's important for Sheets to get two or three more Ws. He was 10-4 the day the National League announced his All-Star selection; he's 10-9 now. Not winning a game in the second-half could weigh heavily on Sheets' mind in the offseason. Well, at least on mine.

And finally, there is Neugebauer. As exciting as Sunday's debut was, his promotion feels rushed. Sure, it's good PR for the team - I found myself listening in via spotty radio reception in Michigan, something I wouldn't have done had Mac Suzuki been starting - but it can have scary consequences. Taylor seems smart enough to baby his prodigy's arm, and minor-league and major-league innings are basically the same. Let's just hope the 21-year-old doesn't get shell-shocked by a few bad outings. Early returns may preclude that possibility, and the rookie's unshakeable makeup could well avoid any resulting baggage from a few ugly losses.

Allen Levrault (he's not bad, really, if he can limit the gopher balls, and he just turned 24), Jose Mieses (slowly getting back on track after some arm trouble in the minors), Kyle Peterson (remember him?) and Neugebauer-clone J.M. Gold (great gas, recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2000) are also dotted prominently on the team's pitching org chart. At one time or another, they're all likely to play a big role.

For now, though, Taylor has to be salivating over a starting rotation consisting of a healthy D'Amico, an established Wright, and three potential stars in Quevedo, Sheets, and Neugebauer. The odds of all five developing fully and staying off the DL consistently aren't great, but at this point the Brewers at least have the law of averages on their side.

Let's just hope Jimmy Haynes isn't averse to long relief.