Wed. 7/10: T-Rats Have the Daylight Action to Themselves

[Jim Goulart]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Wednesday. 

Organizational Scoreboard

MiLB Audio Links

[Joseph Zarr]

Looks like the T-Rats are going vintage this Friday. Man, this jersey is sexayyyy:

[biedergb]

Hot dog.  It’s salami time. Valerio GS makes it a 5-0 TRats lead.

No surprise that Adams is 0-0 with 2BB and scored a run on Valerio’s slam.

[sveumrules]

Tate Kuehner with five scoreless (1 H | 1 BB | 1 HBP | 2 K) on 56 pitches to start the day.

[sveumrules]

Kuehner added a sixth scoreless frame (and two more walks) to his line before giving way to Brian Fitzpatrick who pitched a scoreless seventh (1 K).

Jheremey Vargas has just gone deep bottom of seven, TRats now leading 6 to 0. And Luis Lara follows up with a double and steals third. 

[sveumrules]

& a Luke Adams double scores Lara, 7 to 0 Wisco with still just one out bottom of seven.

[biedergb]

Just now, sveumrules said:

& a Luke Adams double scores Lara, 7 to 0 Wisco with still just one out bottom of seven.

Since Luke had his rare 3 K start to last night - all looking I believe- he has now reached bases 5 times consecutively

single last night in his last AB, 2 BB today, then HBP, now 2B

And Lara has two hits both hit hard. Missed a homer by about 3-5 feet today.  A strong second half for him would be such a welcomed development since he is one of only a few OF prospects and while very young he is not hitting much this season. 

[Joseph Zarr]

LHP Brian Fitzpatrick is absolutely on one. I am so here for it. What a pleasant development in 2024. If you watched him pitch in 2023, he is physically so much more equipped to go late in the season. He has trimmed down and developed a very sleek physique in one off-season. That can not be an easy feat given he also pitched in the Aussie Winter League. Major props to him for his clear commitment to his craft. Over his last three outings, that's 1 GS, 9 IP in total (I believe he'll come back aboard the ninth frame - apologies, if I jinx the young man!), 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 12 K. That is the very definition of dialed. Absurdly efficient. Here's hoping he continues to trend upward. Given this is his age 24 season, I would be entirely unsurprised if he is sent to Biloxi in the near future to open up some more two-way flexibility down yonder (alá LHP Adam Seminaris and RHP TJ Shook, for examples) while also allowing for a promotion of a RHP Aidan Maldonado type. 

Fun times in the pitching ranks, folks! Very very fun times. 

[sveumrules]

Fitz throws his third straight three up three down frame (two more K) to close out the 7 to 0 Wisco win and pick up his first ever save. 

[biedergb]

So that’s four pitchers needed for 2 games. Low hits, no ER allowed. Very very nice start to the series for TRats pitching, and solid hitting to boot

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Fitz throws his third straight three up three down frame (two more K) to close out the 7 to 0 Wisco win and pick up his first ever save. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Going to be a fun fun fun post-game T-Rats pod today with Chris and Kyle. LOVE a T-Rats matinee blowout. This season just keeps on giving despite the injuries throughout. What a time. What. A. Time!!! Oh, and hey, we have a draft next week. More toys for the man cave Minor League 'playground'. Woot woot!

[biedergb]

TRats and Mudcats have been so much fun to watch, and they have been so good most of the season with mostly young players.

Shuckers are starting play what many of us (or maybe just me?) expected given that roster plus the reinforcements.

ACL and DSL have entertaining box scores for sure.

fun times to follow the Brewers minor leagues right now. And yes the draft around the corner, giving us a few more players to follow. I mean not every draft can be like 2023 where there are about a dozen players to follow. That is not the norm.

[Joseph Zarr]

I am going to be the one to say it: 

INF/OF Jheremy Vargas is quietly having a season. If you simply peruse the baseline stats at a glance you likely wouldn't say a thing. You wouldn't even really notice it. BUT, given I watch (in a typical week, on average) 4-of-6 T-Rats game per series, I see a player who has matured and is beginning to access facets of his game, frankly, I didn't know were there. He's showing a little bit of pop in 2024. He's showing much improved plate discipline and pitch recognition. And, he's playing both corner OF spots and 3B to give manager Victory Estevez 'veteran' (he's only 21 years old) play in multiple locations. If he can keep hitting to even a tune of, say, 0.240 the remainder of the way he has re-entered the chat. This is a key part of his season. He's off to a torrid July start - can he stay above a 0.220 BA?  I did not have this on my Bingo Card for this season. Very pleasantly surprised and very much rooting for his continued resurgence. Major credit to him for continuing to grind and commit. A 31:24 K:BB ratio given the subtle improvements we are seeing across the board is a big deal for his near-term trajectory.

[Joseph Zarr]

8 minutes ago, biedergb said:

And yes the draft around the corner, giving us a few more players to follow. I mean not every draft can be like 2023 where there are about a dozen players to follow. That is not the norm.

 

[biedergb]

5 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

INF/OF Jheremy Vargas is quietly having a season

He becomes the UT player that I was hoping Guilarte would become this year.  Affiliates and MLB teams can use players like that. Not predicting anything but just saying he is an under the radar players who may not have prospect status, but historically the Brewers have found these guys (think Perkins, Monasterio) and gotten solid contributions out of them. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Why do I call INF Jadher Areinamo a defensive savant semi-regularly? Well, because he makes plays like this semi-regularly:

I mean, goodness gracious. 

[Joseph Zarr]

Why did Santana slam his helmet in disgust? Well, 1B Luke Adams also flashed that zesty leather during his first AB making this improbable snag. 

 

[wiguy94]

3 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Why do I call INF Jadher Areinamo a defensive savant semi-regularly? Well, because he makes plays like this semi-regularly:

I mean, goodness gracious. 

30/40 present/future defense according to fangraphs haha

[Joseph Zarr]

1 minute ago, wiguy94 said:

30/40 present/future defense according to fangraphs haha

Tell me you don't watch Jadher play without telling me you don't watch Jadher play. Probably based on his initial call-up and placement at Wisconsin back in, what, 2022? I remember that like it was yesterday. Little did I know. Little did I know! 

[Ro Mueller]

RHP Daniel Corniel (4.84 ERA with 64 Ks in 61.1 IP) turned 20 three days ago and aims to end a personal 2-game rut, as Low-A Carolina looks for a 2-0 series lead at Fredericksburg. LF Yhoswar Garcia snagged his 40th stolen base of the season yesterday. 

[wiguy94]

Tyler Black is playing CF for Nashville tonight!

[Ro Mueller]

21-year old RHP Brett Wichrowski (3.98 ERA with 53 Ks in 54.1 IP) of AA Biloxi has brought his 11-inning scoreless streak to Chattanooga. LF Adam Hall is up to a 9-game hitting streak, 12-game on-base streak. 

[Joseph Zarr]

8 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Tyler Black is playing CF for Nashville tonight!

Wowsers. Last time he manned the CF grass, by recall, is his inaugural season at High-A yah? Let's hope that collarbone stays in tact! 😬

[wiguy94]

3 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Wowsers. Last time he manned the CF grass, by recall, is his inaugural season at High-A yah? Let's hope that collarbone stays in tact! 😬

Actually it was the Arizona Fall League of that season.