Brewers Farm System 2024 Preview: Nashville Sounds

[Harold Hutchison]

The Nashville Sounds will be important for Brewers fans to follow – because a number of players there will likely be in Milwaukee at some point. So, how do the Sounds shape up in 2024? Let’s look them over, and there are some surprising absences from the Opening Day roster.

Image courtesy of © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Pitching
The Sounds took a hit when Robert Gasser went on the injured list with a bone spur in his elbow. While not as serious as other problems, it does delay his expected MLB debut. Carlos F. Rodriguez started on Opening Day. He is likely to be joined by Evan McKendry, Janson Junk, Tobias Myers, and Aaron Ashby. Gasser will return at some point, making this a promising rotation – even without Jacob Misiorowski, who will begin the year in Biloxi.

The team also has Easton McGee and Coleman Crow on the 60-day injured list. Neither will likely pitch much – if at all – in 2024, but both could be future depth for the Brewers. Misiorowski could likely end up in Nashville at some point in 2024, as could some other pitchers on the Shuckers’ roster.

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Bullpen
There are some surprises here – notably the initial absence of James Meeker after a superb 2023 in Biloxi. Lefty Darrell Thompson is recovering from sports hernia surgery. But the Sounds bullpen has some very talented options, but turning to them could make things interesting vis-à-vis the 40-man roster. The only reliever on the 40-man is J.B. Bukauskas. Many others, including the underrated Nick Bennett and Blake Holub, would need to be added if they’re needed in Milwaukee. Harold Chirino looks to be at the cusp of MLB following a Tyrone Taylor-esque pro career, while Jared Koenig could be a Thompson-esque find.

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Catcher
The surprising omission of Wes Clarke (yes, he’s officially a first baseman) after his 2023 breakout season may not last for long, given the apparent injury to top prospect Jeferson Quero on Opening Day. Clarke may end up in Nashville to fill the hole caused by Quero’s injury.

Prior to the injury, Quero, an MLB Pipeline Top-100 prospect, joined Nick Kahle and Brian Navaretto on the Sounds’ Opening Day roster—a very different situation than what many Brewers fans thought at the start of spring training. Austin Nola was expected to get significant time as a mentor to Quero (and compete to back up William Contreras in Milwaukee). The arrival of Gary Sanchez changed all that.

Quero’s recovery from his shoulder injury will be closely watched, as much of his value was in outstanding defense.

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Infielders
Surprisingly, Clarke was not in Nashville to handle first base for the Sounds after he outperformed Jackson Chourio in multiple offensive categories in Biloxi during the 2023 season. Still, between Tyler Black, Owen Miller, and Patrick Dorrian, the Sounds are sound at first. Second base could be interesting, with Vinny Capra, Black, Miller, and Yonny Hernandez as options. Capra could be the primary shortstop, with Hernandez filling. All of these players could conceivably handle the hot corner as well. In addition, Isaac Collins, officially listed as an outfielder, could see some action at second base and third base, as he did in 2023 with the Shuckers.

The positional flexibility of the Shuckers' infield could be crucial—Capra and Miller are both on the 40-man and could be called up to Milwaukee in case of injury, while Black’s addition to the 40-man is probably just a matter of time.

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Outfielders
Joey Wiemer is on the Sounds’ Opening Day roster for the second straight year – and this time, they will be hoping he can improve his swing. He and Chris Roller are on the 40-man roster, so they would be first in line to be called up. Collins brings excellent on-base ability and could man left field, while Brewer Hicklen and Chavez Young round out the Sounds’ official outfielders. Don’t be surprised if Tyler Black and Owen Miller see some time in the outfield, as the former looks for an MLB position, and the latter fills in for purposes of depth. On the flip side, Collins could likely see plenty of time in the infield, as he did in Biloxi.

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Overview
Like all Triple-A rosters, the Sounds roster has its usual mix of prospects and veteran pros. The more intriguing storylines in the Music City will include Wiemer’s swing and Black’s search for a defensive home. Brewers fans will also be watching anxiously for word on Quero’s shoulder.

On the mound, Rodriguez, Gasser, Junk, McKendry, Myers, and Ashby all could find themselves in Milwaukee at some point – and probably sooner rather than later. Bukauskas and some of the other relievers also may end up on a Milwaukee-Nashville shuttle. That said, Nashville still has some exciting talent that Brewers fans will eagerly watch in 2024.

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[LakeshoreLarry]

Thanks for the report.  My dark horse candidate to see significant time in the Milwaukee bullpen is  Bukauskas.  I think he can be a strong late-inning reliever.