Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/18): These Timber Rattlers are a Blast (Literally!)

[Jim Goulart]

There is a first-place Wisconsin team providing fans with a bunch of exciting, well-executed baseball these days. Oh wait, there's actually two, and the young men in Appleton put on another show on Saturday. Was another of the organization's top prospects banged up during the proceedings? Meanwhile, the Sounds were skunked, the Shuckers displayed life at the plate, the Mudcats got muddy, and the Maryvale kids hunkered down for a long, long contest.

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Let's check it all out!

Transactions:

• Biloxi Shuckers activated LHP Adam Seminaris from the 7-day injured list
• Wisconsin Timber Rattlers released RHP Joseph Hernandez

The January 2023 deal in which Brewers RH reliever Justin Topa was dealt to Seattle for Hernandez will go down as a rare misfire for GM Matt Arnold. The Mariners got a very solid big-league season from Topa, and then spun him to Minnesota with three others for Jorge Polanco. Topa has yet to throw an MLB pitch for the Twins, as he's rehabbing a knee injury. As for Hernandez, he missed two months in the middle of last season and was delayed on rejoining the Timber Rattlers this spring. The Instagram account of brewersfarm has more on a rather middling Brewers' experience. Hernandez only turns 24 next month, so it would not be surprising to see him find an affiliated home elsewhere in time, best wishes to Joseph.

One additional transaction note - Baseball America reported that Milwaukee released RHP Jolon "Lun" Zhao, the native of Beijing, China signed by the Crew in June of 2018. Zhao made six very nice appearances in that age 16 season in Maryvale and Helena. Tommy John surgery and subsequent rehab complications, along with the lost Covid season, meant that Zhao did not pitch officially again until 2021 back in Maryvale. Zhao would open 2022 in Carolina, was hit hard in two brief appearances, and landed on the injured list, from which he retired in late June. The formal announcement of his release at this time means the Brewers have relinquished his rights, there may have been paperwork delays on Zhao's part. Regardless, a fascinating side venture by the team has ended.

 

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Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Jacksonville (Marlins) 10, Nashville 0
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine:

Sounds' Win Streak Ends in Shut Out Loss to Jacksonville - Rehabbing Marlins infielder Tim Anderson has four hits, scores five runs in Jumbo Shrimp’s 10-0 win

Before we get to Aaron Ashby commentary, we'll take a quick peek at the Sounds' suddenly overcrowded roster. Keeping in mind the AAA active roster limit is 28, we see 12 position players (not counting MLB rehabber Joey Wiemer) and 16 pitchers. So even with the previously reported placements of LHP Nick Bennett and RHP Nolan Blackwood to the nebulous Development List, there are all kinds of mound options for Manager Rick Sweet.

Via Cot's Contracts:

LHP Aaron Ashby signed extension with Milwaukee 7/23/22
5 years/$20.5M (2023-27), plus 2028-2029 club options
$1M signing bonus
23: $1M, 24: $1.25M, 25: $3.25M, 26: $5.5M, 27: $7.5M, 28: $9M club option ($1M buyout), 29: $13M club option

You can understand why the Brewers will be patient with Aaron. That's a guaranteed $16.25 million over three years starting in 2025.

Seven hits and four walks within his four innings here (81 pitches). It would be nice to see real evidence of command improvement, but it's not like Ashby was ever exemplary in that area even when healthy. Take the money when offered, young pitchers.

I was curious about the three unearned runs in the 6th allowed by RHP Harold Chirino, so I checked out the error charged to Joey Wiemer in center field. Wiemer had to race into right-center and was a step onto the warning track when he reached out and the ball just nicked his glove and fell to the ground. It was a catchable ball, but I'm calling it a double based on Joey's proximity to the wall.

Ironically the very next batter sends a high fly directly to Wiemer, but Joey can't find it as he's running in, extending his arms to indicate as such. The ball drops, two more runs score, and because that ball wasn't touched at all, it was ruled a base hit.

It just seems like all of last year's outfield "freshmen" have inexplicably taken a step back defensively in '24 (Wiemer, Frelick, Perkins - Chourio, too).

Tyler Black reappeared, started at first base, and the handwringing there ends.

 

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Biloxi Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 5, Mississippi (Braves) 2
Box Score and Game Log

Bowman Sets Season-High with 3.1 Innings, Leads Shuckers to 5-2 Win over M-Braves - Shuckers’ lineup sets series-high with five runs, 10 hits in win

Ten hits and six walks for Biloxi, nice to see, though Zavier Warren's double was the lone knock for extra bases. Shame on us for quibbling, we will take Shuckers offense like this every night based on what we discussed yesterday regarding Southern League output overall.

Welcome back, Ernesto Martinez after a full week idle (1-for-4 as the designated hitter). 

Eric Brown, Jr. doubled in his final at-bat Friday, then reached three times on Saturday. He has a long road to climb, but we hope the exciting 2023 Arizona Fall League version of Brown, Jr. is ready to fly.

When are we allowed to get truly excited about Jacob Misiorowski performances? Not yet. Only 37 strikes among his 79 pitches here. Five walks in 3.2 innings, allowing only a single unearned run. Kaleb Bowman kindly stranded a baserunner for Misiorowski. Jacob is officially boring in a good but frustrating way, isn't he? We pretty much know what the line is going to look like every time out, and with the new MiLB schedule, it's a once-a-week event. Can a pitcher be unhittable and unwatchable at the same time? Apparently, the answer is yes.

Really happy for Kaleb Bowman, his world tour backstory is fascinating (from July 2023), and he's bounced back in a big way since his 2023 introduction to the AA level. The Brewers are doing some pretty cool things stretching out the Biloxi bullpen guys, with RHP Shane Smith just joining the starting rotation and Bowman seemingly headed down a similar path. Long gone are the days of one-inning bullpen arms in the minors, as starter innings are just as reduced as in the bigs, actually, more so.

 

 

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Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Wisconsin 4, Beloit (Marlins) 2
Box Score and Game Log

Chirinos Blasts Rattlers Past Beloit - Three-run walkoff homer saves Wisconsin

I know it's tempting to immediately roll the highlights, but I really suggest you devour the game summary first this morning. It's a bit like reading the spoilers of a fine movie with a blockbuster ending, but it'll put everything in context for you.

 

Yup, you nailed it, Chris!

Chris and Kyle Lobner don't have their postgame podcasts when the following day is a matinee. Too bad, because this one was a doozy.

RHP Alexander Cornielle's sweet scoreless inning streak is still intact, and he needed only 66 pitches to finish up five frames here. Cornielle did walk two and plunk two, but that's good work regardless. If you didn't check out Alex's radio appearance this week, you should, an impressive young man.

Another productive day for shortstop Gregory Barrios, what a breakout campaign thus far that few saw coming, though perhaps Brewers' brass had an inkling. 

From poster wiguy94 on our Minor League Forum:

Luis Lara left the game after stealing a base. Looked like a hand/finger injury. Maybe a dislocation/broken finger based on his reaction.

Sigh, darn those gigantic pizza box bases. We like to keep our nice things healthy!

 

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Postponed, Carolina Press Release:

KINSTON, N.C. - Saturday's game between the Carolina Mudcats and Down East Wood Ducks (Rangers) has been postponed due to inclement weather at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, N.C. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader, featuring two seven-inning games Sunday, May 19, beginning at 1:00 PM Eastern Time.

 

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Final: ACL Diamondbacks 16, ACL Brewers 13
Box Score and Game Log

On a 90-degree sunny day with an 11:00 AM local start time, these two clubs battled for a pitch clock-less three hours and 51 minutes!

29 runs, 32 hits, two errors (both by the A-Crew), 17 walks, three HBP's (all by A-Crew pitchers), three wild pitches, a balk, an outfield assist, action on the basepaths, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Highly regarded first-time state-sider CF Pedro Ibarguen (.884 OPS in the DSL in 2023) had a busy defensive bottom of the first but was pinch-hit for in the second. Ibarguen is off to a slow start at the plate in the new year.

As you can imagine, the box score is stuffed otherwise. 

18-year-old switch-hitting middle infielder and occasional left fielder Luiyin Alastre had a monster game in what has been a monster stateside start to his season. Now all we have to do is learn how to pronounce and remember how to spell the Venezuelan's name.

While Alastre's home run in this game was his first of 2024, 2023 3rd round pick Eric Bitonti is more familiar with the full trot around the bases, clubbing his 4th of the season in this one (through 46 at-bats). The hulking 18-year-old LH-swinging third baseman is projecting as a three-true-outcome favorite, 

The pitching lines are a mishmash, tough to decipher much this early into things. This is a very young group compared to other complex league rosters.

 

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The Arizona kids get to rest on their traditional Sunday off. The Mudcats hope to play the aforementioned twinbill. There will be a DL Hall sighting in Appleton, exciting! RHP's Tyler Woessner and TJ Shook look to continue recent fine efforts at the upper two levels. Have a nice day, everyone!

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

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