Brewers Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month: June 2024

[Spencer Michaelis]

We continue our MiLB Player of the Month series with June's top six Starting Pitchers. There is a minimum requirement of 15 innings pitched to qualify for the top six. 

Image courtesy of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

We will begin, as always, with a bunch of honorable mentions from an unbelievably successful month by the Brewers' starting prospects.

Honorable Mentions:

RHP - Christopher Peralta - DSL Brewers 2 - 4 G, 2 GS, 13.1 IP, 1-0, 1.35 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 10 H, 6 BB, 15 K

RHP - Dariel Jaquez - DSL Brewers 1 - 4 G, 2 GS, 16 IP, 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 9 H, 9 BB, 16 K, 1 SV

RHP - Manuel Rodriguez - Carolina Mudcats - 4 G, 4 GS, 25 IP, 1-1, 2.52 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 26 H, 2 BB, 14 K

RHP - Yujanyer Herrera - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 5 G, 5 GS, 26.2 IP, 4-0, 2.36 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 21 H, 11 BB, 23 K

RHP - Chad Patrick - Nashville Sounds - 5 G, 3 GS, 27 IP, 3-0, 2.33 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 18 H, 7 BB, 30 K

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TOP SIX STARTING PITCHERS FOR JUNE
#6 RHP - K.C. Hunt - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 4 G, 4 GS, 19 IP, 1-1, 2.37 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 15 H, 5 BB, 23 K
Unranked by all publications

Taking home the number one spot in April’s version of the Reliever of the Month list, the 2023 undrafted free agent signee transitioned to the rotation in June, and he has taken to it quite well so far. 

Hunt’s high-spin fastball sits in the 92-94 range and works well at the top of the zone, though he also does a good job of hitting the low and outside corner with the pitch. He has a four-pitch mix, and the secondaries are strong as well.

His mid-80s bullet slider is a plus pitch that generates a ton of swing and miss. He also throws an upper 70s curveball that is a little more inconsistent but flashes as a plus pitch and has a ton of depth. Hunt will also mix in a changeup on occasion. The changeup isn’t great, but it gives a hitter something else to consider.

In his first month as a starter, Hunt maintained a high whiff rate, not to the level he was showing as a reliever, but the 33.8% mark he posted was still in the 83rd percentile for High-A pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched. His 29.9% strikeout rate was in the 82nd percentile, and he kept the walks to a minimum. The month-long numbers would look much better if not for his third start of the month, in which he allowed two home runs and four earned runs over only three innings. He combined 16 innings and only one earned run in the other three starts.

Hunt’s move to the rotation might slow his ascent through the minors, as he appeared to be on a fast track when he was coming out of the pen. However, the move to the rotation has catapulted him into legitimate prospect status, and he will likely find himself on some of the mid-season Top 30 updates.

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#5 RHP - Wenderlyn King - DSL Brewers 1 - 4 G, 4 GS, 17.2 IP, 1-1, 1.53 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 17 H, 1 BB, 21 K
Unranked by all publications

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in this past July’s class, King was making his professional debut this month, and the 18-year-old got it started with a bang.

Equipped with a fastball that is reportedly in the 89-90 range and an ability to reach back for a bit more, King appears to rely heavily on his off-speed offerings. He throws a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. Based on the limited video available, the curveball and changeups appear to be his swing-and-miss pitches. Both have good depth and late movement.

In June, King had a 21 to 1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, though that is a bit misleading considering he did hit seven batters with pitches. Still, a 21-to-8 strikeout to free pass ratio is strong for anybody in the DSL. He was able to induce seven double plays in the month. He highlighted the month with a ten-strikeout performance in his second career start on June 13th, only allowing one earned run in five innings.

King got off to an incredible start to his professional career, and based on the limited video available, it looks like a starters profile. In-season promotions to the Arizona Complex League are not very common anymore, but he certainly appears to be on his way to starting 2025 stateside.

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#4 RHP - Enniel Cortez - ACL Brewers and Carolina Mudcats - 4 G, 4 GS, 18.0 IP, 1-0, 1.22 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 1.6 WHIP, 18 H, 4 BB, 16 K.

Signed out of Nicaragua in January of 2023, and having only turned 18 on May 1st, the Brewers have aggressively moved Cortez. His first season was spent in the DSL, but he was assigned to the Arizona Complex League to start this season, and in mid-June, he was promoted to Low-A Carolina.

The youngest pitcher in Low-A, Cortez’s fastball is already a really solid offering, sitting in the 91-93 range and touching 94 with a low release slot and some ride on the pitch. He throws an upper 70s sweeper as his best offering for whiffs against righties and an 83-85 MPH changeup. He’s shown an ability to throw the changeup backdoor to righties and use it as a swing-and-miss pitch against lefties. Along with the interesting three-pitch mix, Cortez shows signs of above-average command, potentially a plus. He has an 85-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his pro career, which is as strong as anybody in the system.

He made two starts in the ACL and two in Carolina in June. In Carolina, he went four innings in each start and only allowed one earned run. He struck out nine and was landing pitches for strikes at a high level, which helped make up for a whiff rate of only 25.4%. He walked more in those eight innings than he is accustomed to, but full-season ball umpiring and hitters with more patience are the leading cause for that. He rarely missed badly; most of his pitches were competitive, even if they were out of the zone.

As the youngest pitcher at the level, Cortez is likely going to spend an extended period there. He appears to be a very real prospect, though, and is someone to watch as a potential climber in the rankings.

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#3 RHP - Josh Knoth - Carolina Mudcats - 4 G, 4 GS, 19.2 IP, 2-0, 1.83 ERA, 3.49 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 12 H, 12 BB, 22 K

Selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, Knoth hails from New York and was one of the younger arms in the draft at only 17 on draft day. Knoth’s fastball comes around 94-95 and can reach 98 in short stints. It plays well up in the zone, in part due to the low release point he generates with his athletic delivery. What Knoth is primarily known for, though, is his ability to spin his two different breaking balls.

His curveball grades out as a plus pitch, possibly better, as it spins at over 3,000 RPMs and has many late and sharp drops. His slider also spins at around 3,000 RPMs but has a bit of an inconsistent shape right now. It shows flashes of being an above-average offering at times. He will also mix in a very occasional changeup that shows flashes but needs to improve the consistency.

Knoth has not yet faced a hitter younger than him in Carolina and managed to get through some expected bumps in the road at the start of the year while still putting up solid surface numbers. He put things together in June, though. His whiff rate of 30.8% and strikeout rate of 28.6% were above average for the level, but he did most of his work through soft contact. Knoth did not allow a single extra-base hit in June, which helped him work around the 12 walks he handed out.

Knoth has a long development track in front of him, but the early signs of a potential major league starter are showing. He will likely spend the rest of 2024 in Carolina. 

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#2 RHP - Logan Henderson - Biloxi Shuckers - 4 G, 4 GS, 21.2 IP, 4-0, 1.66 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 0.877 WHIP, 15 H, 4 BB, 29 K

Henderson was the Brewers' fourth-round selection in 2021 out of McLennan Community College in Texas. At that point, he was committed to Texas A&M but chose to sign with the Brewers. His first year and a half after signing was injury-plagued, but he had a largely healthy 2023 in Low-A Carolina. Unfortunately, the injury bug did bite him again this year when he injured his oblique during the Spring Breakout game in March. He returned to play in May, pitching 4.2 innings at the Arizona Complex level and then another 6.2 dominant innings at High-A Wisconsin before being promoted to Double-A to begin June.

Henderson’s changeup has always been his calling card. The low 80’s offering has some airbender qualities, averaging nearly 17 inches of break. It’s a plus pitch and his go-to secondary for generating swing and miss. 

Henderson's fastball went from averaging around 89-91 MPH in 2023 to being in the 92-94 range and getting up to 96. Not only has the velocity improved, but the pitch's shape has also. Formerly averaging around 14-16 inches of Induced Vertical Break (IVB), it is up to 18-19 inches on average this year and has surpassed 20 inches at times. Along with the improvement in his movement profile, his low release height has helped the fastball player even further with a -3.9 degree Vertical Approach Angle, an elite number. 

Both pitches could be considered plus or even better, and he commands them well above average. Henderson also throws a slider, which has made strides but isn’t used much. He may need to increase his usage to continue his path toward starting pitching, and the improvements in the pitch make it feasible for him to do so.

Henderson was dominant in June, his first month at the Double-A level. He racked up whiffs and strikeouts with his fastball and changeup combo. His 32.7% whiff rate placed him in the 89th percentile for Double-A pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched. His 35.4% strikeout rate was in the 97th percentile. Henderson also did a fantastic job of limiting walks, and his 7.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio was in the 90th percentile as well. Two different ten-strikeout games highlighted his month, which matched his single-game high from last year.

Henderson has been so dominant in Double-A, and his stuff has stepped forward so much already, the Brewers will likely consider pushing him to Triple-A quickly as well. It’s probably not super likely, but his fastball/changeup combination could play well in a pen role. So much so that he might be a candidate for an MLB promotion at some point this season. 

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#1 LHP - Tate Kuehner - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 4 G, 4 GS, 22 IP, 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 0.82 WHIP, 10 H, 8 BB, 25 K.
Unranked by all publications

The Brewers' 7th-round selection in 2023 out of Louisville, Kuehner, was used as a swingman by the Cardinals his senior year. He only threw three innings at the Complex League level last year after being drafted but began the 2024 season with High-A Appleton, where he has continued that swingman role but in a more consistent starter role. All four appearances in June were as a starter, and nine of twelve for the season have been starts.

Kuehner was sitting in the upper-80’s as a junior in college but jumped into the 92-95 range as a senior, which is where he is now. He throws from a low slot and started generating more runs on the pitch his senior year. That slot allows the pitch to play well up in the zone due to the Vertical Approach Angle and down because of the run. His best secondary offering is his low-80s sweeper, which has a lot of sweep but also quite a bit of vertical drop and is his best swing-and-miss pitch. He mixes in a changeup as well, which appears to be in a better spot than where it was at Louisville, where he struggled to land any of his secondaries for strikes.

In June, he posted a whiff rate of 35.8%, placing him in the 92nd percentile for High-A pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched. His 29.1% strikeout rate placed him in the 79th percentile.  His ground ball rate of 46% in June was solid, but it doesn’t stand out among the crowd. Despite that, Kuehner only allowed one extra-base hit (a double) in June. He only allowed two in May, and his 1.9% extra-base hit rate is second in all of High-A over that period (minimum of 30 IP). Kuehner has been generating a lot of swings and misses. When the ball is put in play, it is rarely hit with authority. 

In terms of performance, Kuehner has been one of the biggest surprises so far this year, and he seems to be getting better each month. He started the season on a rough note, with an ERA over seven in April. After dealing with some walk issues in May, he cut his walk rate from 14.7% to 9.3% in June. His WHIP went from 2.18 in April to 1.24 in May and down to 0.82 in June. 

Kuehner is 23 years old, so he’s certainly a candidate to see Double-A at some point this year and given his continued development each month, he might be ready to make that jump very soon.

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