Thurs. 9/15 - Looking for Another Sounds and Shuckers Productive (and Entertaining) Evening

[Jim Goulart]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Thursday, lineup updates, etc.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth

Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

[Joseph Zarr]

Well this is cool:

Shuckers Trainer, Matt Deal, named Southern League Trainer of the Year

The first such award for a Shucker Trainer.

[Ro Mueller]

AAA Nashville seeks a 2nd straight victory over Jacksonville at home, with RHP Josh Lindblom aiming for a 6th consecutive solid start (4-0 record, 2.17 ERA over last 29 innings). 2021 first round pick CF Sal Frelick smacked 2 homers yesterday in extending his on-base streak to 31 games:

[Ro Mueller]

AA Biloxi is on a roll, having won 6 games in a row and getting LF Tristen Lutz (.784 OPS) back from injury for his first game since August 26th. LHP Brandon Knarr takes the mound on the road at Pensacola tonight; he's been solid over his last 5 games (2.67 ERA over 30 1/3 IP), winning his last 2 starts:

 

[Ro Mueller]

Good start. 2-to-nothing Sounds in the 2nd inning now. Frelick had led off with a a single before this Ruiz blast: 

 

[Joseph Zarr]

The Frelick to Ruiz 1-2 punch is a very real thing. My word are they fantastic together.

[wiguy94]

Brandon Knarr strikes out 3 straight after loading the bases in the 5th to keep the score tied 0-0.

[Joseph Zarr]

Sounds lead 3-1 in the top of the 5th (1 down - Lindbolm doing classic AAAA Lindbolm stuff). AND, Columbus trails 10-6 in the 8th to Omaha. Let's go!

[Joseph Zarr]

That's 6 consecutive Quality Starts for Lindbolm. He completes 6 IP tonight with 1 ER. He's been fantastic at the most important point of the Sounds season. Love it.

[Joseph Zarr]

AND, LHP Brandon Knarr completes 6 scoreless IP. He ends his outing (most likely) with a strikeout. Fantastic stuff of late for the Knarrly man.

[Joseph Zarr]

Fantastic 1-2-3 inning of work here in the top of the 7th for Trevor Gott. That was night and day more dialed and impactful than outing number one (shocker). He looked really really good. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Yeison Coca walked, stole second, stole third...and Corey Ray knocks him across with a sacrifice fly to left. 1-0 Biloxi baby. Let's go for 7, lads!!

[Joseph Zarr]

Oh, hey Esteury Ruiz smacks a double to left field. And, hey guess what? He steals his 77th base of his season and 6th in two nights. AND, because he adds such ridiculous pressure on opponents, the throw was rushed and makes its way into left field. Ruiz scores. 4-1 Sounds baby. Columbus lost its third in a row to Omaha. IF the Sounds pull this out, they will be 4.5 games ahead with 12 games remaining.

[Joseph Zarr]

Two two-out singles to right field by Jon Singleton and Joey Wiemer. Pablo Reyes works that count full and smashes a 103 mph oppo double to the gap between right and center. 6-1 Sounds. That's their 10th hit tonight. Let's go!

[CheeseheadInQC]

If you include Mitchell's pre-promotion numbers, at this moment the Brewers have four legitimate outfield prospects each with a .900+ OPS in triple-A.

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

If you include Mitchell's pre-promotion numbers, at this moment the Brewers have four legitimate outfield prospects each with a .900+ OPS in triple-A.

Yuppers. It's unreal. AND, they each offer vastly different qualities as players yet they're all ridiculously rangy in the outfield and speedy on the basepaths. Couple that with Chourio in the wings? It's an unreal wealth of riches. And, it is awesome.

[Joseph Zarr]

RHP Jake Cousins is starting to find his groove again. He had shown flashes in the past month but hadn't really stacked successes. He tossed 7 pitches last night. 7 strikes. 2 punch outs. He started his evening here in the 8th inning with two vintage Cousins sliders and then a nasty breaking ball for the three-pitch strikeout. Just struck out batter number two on a 2-2 nasty slider. Batter number 3, a lefty, managed a right field single. Fear not, he buckles batter number 4 at the knees with a fantastic heater. 

THIS is the Jake Cousins I love to watch hurl those 7th-9th innings.

[Joseph Zarr]

Cam Devanney just ripped a deep double off the wall in left center...and an angel grew its wings. Lottta hard contact again tonight for these talented Sounds gunners. 

[Joseph Zarr]

With a man on first base, and two down, Clayton Andrews was pulled for Harold Chirino. He has proceeded to give up a 1-2 single up the middle and walked the next batter on 4 pitches. Bases are juiced. Shuckers clinging to a 1-0 lead here in the 8th. He works his next batter right off the bat to 0-2 on an inside heater and an outside breaking ball. He's ripping 99 on the radar gun now. Outside heater low and away hits that mark. With a 1-2 count, he misses by an inch low on a 97 heater. 2-2. Low and outside, 3-2. AND, he strikes him out on a high heater. WHEWwwwwwwww. 1-0 and we are on to the 9th frame. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Cam Robinson works around a couple seeing eye singles and a wild pitch (probably a passed ball, if we're being honest) with his second strikeout of his ninth frame. That's 10 K's total for the Sounds pitching staff and their fourth consecutive quality start by a Starter. That's now a 4.5 game lead over Columbus and I'm feeling pretty dang good about it! Sounds win 6-1! Let's GO!

[Robocaller]

1 hour ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Two two-out singles to right field by Jon Singleton and Joey Wiemer. Pablo Reyes works that count full and smashes a 103 mph oppo double to the gap between right and center. 6-1 Sounds. That's their 10th hit tonight. Let's go!

I was wondering how close Wiemer got behind Singleton when they both scored on that double. That's two pretty big boys running the bases.

[Jim French Stepstool]

4 hours ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

If you include Mitchell's pre-promotion numbers, at this moment the Brewers have four legitimate outfield prospects each with a .900+ OPS in triple-A.

Frelick & Ruiz have been pretty devastating. So good in fact, that it's overshadowed what has been a real nice stretch for Wiemer as well. Don't want to see ANY of these guys get dealt, but for the life of me I don't know what they're going to do, esp with Chourio bringing up the rear as Joseph said. It's not a problem, it's a "situation", right??

Nice to also see Lutz make it back for the final handful of games. He's had a solid year in Biloxi.

[Robocaller]

5 hours ago, Robocaller said:

I was wondering how close Wiemer got behind Singleton when they both scored on that double. That's two pretty big boys running the bases.

no one saw it or grabbed the video?

 

[UpandIn]

3 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Yuppers. It's unreal. AND, they each offer vastly different qualities as players yet they're all ridiculously rangy in the outfield and speedy on the basepaths. Couple that with Chourio in the wings? It's an unreal wealth of riches. And, it is awesome.

Chourio? Pft...dude can't even hit .100 in AA. I've seen all I need to see there. Best trade him this off-season while he's still got SOME value!

And Turang 0-5? Ruiz 1 SB? I guess he thinks one 5 SB game and now he can just coast the rest of the way apparently?

 

BTW, look back at the Brewers prospect ranking by Fangraphs just mid 2021...I went a couple years not following our prospects nearly as closely as I did prior and this year. I guess with the Alternate Training Site, all we got was little bits of information. Ashby looks great, whoever's impressed. 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-42-prospects-milwaukee-brewers/

 

They were WAY ahead of Quero than I was(and I believe most people were). This does not include last years picks obvious, but the right ups were pretty damn accurate. 

Quote

Quero is a very physical, well-rounded catcher who already has sizable power even though his body isn’t maxed out. He can get on top of letter-high fastballs even though his levers are pretty long, he is capable of impacting pitches the other way when he’s late on stuff away from him, and he tracks pitches well for an 18-year-old. He is also an advanced defender with a plus arm and above-average athleticism for a catcher, and his size portends resilience to the physical grind of catching as well as plus raw power at maturity. There’s a lot of risk inherent in teenage catching but Quero not only has everyday ability but potential All-Star-level tools.

High on Chourio.

Quote

 His speed also gives him a leadoff hitter look at present but Chourio has precocious power for a 17-year-old that mostly manifests as doubles and triples right now. But he’s so young and athletic that more power is very likely to come. Chourio is a bit of a bucket strider right now but he has feel for moving the barrel around the zone. He can turn on pitches down and in and drive pitches up and away from him to right field. He’s an exciting collection of tools, youth, and athleticism who I underrated on the amateur market.

Cam Devanney-Zarr's favorite

Quote

- Devanney is older but also has a great frame and big raw thump.

And then Joey Wiemer...maybe the most accurate one yet despite checking in at #26.

Quote

Wiemer takes some of the hardest, most reckless hacks I’ve ever seen, and he’s going to strike out a ton because he’s always swinging for the moon. But he’s also got a rare collection of tools for a college draftee, including elite arm strength and plus power. Even among pro athletes, Wiemer stands out for his size and explosiveness. If his approach can be toned down without sacrificing much of the power, he might break out, but he’s more likely to be a volatile platoon outfielder.

Welp...looks like his approach has toned down and that 70 power and 80 arm had some validity to it. Not sure the speed of 50 isn't cheating him, but...still, they really nailed him.

 

This system would look THAT much better if not for that ill-fated Daniel Norris trade, but...as Forrest would say, "it happens."

Also...if Ethan Small was touching 96, I REALLY hope he gets back there. If he could just have confidence in his stuff and not nibble until he's 3-1 and then has to either give in or put a man on base and instead challenge a guy with a 94MPH fastball in the zone or get that big curve over for a strike earlier on, it should help him develop into the #3-4 pitcher he has the potential to develop into. 

We should also keep in mind, he's yet to throw 200 professional innings yet in his career, so a little patience here is in order.

 

 My MAIN thought though is...MAN, what an ugly system this looked like just a year ago. Loved Ashby, always loved Turang. Mitchell...I'm still a bit split on(nothing to do with his limited MLB at bats). 

What could this look like in another year? Could Avina be tearing it up in AA? Devanney hitting .300/.375/.475 in AAA, maybe Misiorowski rolling up to AAA, Gasser dominating and earning a call up and another half a dozen young guys like Barrios, Stiven Cruz, Medina, Para, who knows. But this system should be top ~10-14 going into next year with a lot more talent coming down the pipeline. 

[Jim Goulart]

Here's your final Link Report for games of Thursday 9/15