Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/3): Henderson Battled Control yet Led Sounds to Much-Needed Victory Behind Eight Strikeouts

[Joseph Zarr]

The bats woke up - well, in a kind of sort of kind of way. They also tried desperately (it appeared) to get back to their early season coveted double digit strikeouts as an offense, but, alas, they held their whiffs to single digits (9) when they ultimately ran out of innings. Phew! Caleb Durbin and Raynel Delgado doubled, and Jorge Alfaro went yard. More importantly, the men improved to 2-4 on their young season and ended their four-game skid. Let's get into the report!

Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic

Transactions:

• LHP Santiago Martinez and RHP Luis Velasquez (2025 International FA Class) have been assigned to the DSL Brewers #2

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Final: Nashville 5, Gwinnett (Braves) 1

Via the Sounds' website, please be sure to click and read each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine (believe me, it's worth it):

Henderson Fans Eight as Sounds Get Back in Win Column - Jorge Alfaro Homers as Part of Multi-Hit Night

Box Score / Game Log

After throwing the peripheral third and fourth offering slider and cutter 15% apiece in his previous outing (24 of 80 total pitches between the two in game one), RHP Logan Henderson dialed them down a bit in his second outing to the tune of 19% of his 85 pitches. Henderson led with his four-seamer at a clip of 58% of his 85 total pitches (49 total heaters). Let's take a look at some pitch report data:

Further mapping showcases he has held a consistent release point amongst the four offerings, but his zone map does indeed tell the story of his 5 free passes: of his 34 balls many were of the variety well off the map. Actually, 47 total pitches were outside the strike zone. This can work when your arsenal is close enough to the zone to induce swings and misses or, in the least, swings in general. However, tonight's outing's pitch maps at large speak to an up and down affair:

It's quite clear, in the early going of the 2025 season, Henderson is still finding his way. We'll obviously take the end result as the Sounds were in bad need of a victory but it's important to point out Henderson's development arc is under more scrutiny given his 40-man status and his overall standing within the organization. In total, Henderson flirted with 8 base runners over 5 IP - 3 H and 5 BB. He added a pitch clock violation to the charity of his choice but also broke Stripers hearts with eight punch outs. He moved to 1-1 on his young season. The Sounds improved to 2-4 overall. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) INF/OF Adam Hall certainly didn't do himself any favors tonight in terms of staying power on the Sounds roster. I hate to lead with this type of sentiment, but not only did he look extremely uncomfortable at the dish (including a final AB three-pitch K looking), but he also looked extremely uncomfortable in left field. Even when Hall made the catch it didn't come across confident and clean. Of the two fielding errors, the last error led to the Stripers only run when he absolutely biffed a routine shallow pop fly to shallow left center field. He rightfully called off several other charging defenders - it was his ball, after all - but he simply was incapable of bringing the ball into the webbing. He'll have to shore up his overall play if he hopes to keep playing in the International League.

2) The Sounds bullpen keeps churning and has now only allowed a single run over their past 17 1/3 IP. That's just shut down solid stuff across the board. Tonight's bullpen heroes where RHP Sam McWilliams (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K), LHP Tyler Jay (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB), and RHP Vinny Nittoli (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K). Of the three hurlers, I'd have to say McWilliams continues to surprise in the most pleasant of ways. With his reputation as a hurler who can bring it but has historically lacked control given his long levers, in the early part of 2025 he has been extremely accurate and effective in his first two outings. Let's hope we keep seeing this type of production. As we all know, he could work himself into the greater depth of the MLB bullpen as the season progresses. At 34 years of age, RHP Vinny Nittoli absolutely still brings a highly competitive fire to the mound every time he steps on the bump. He's had very little problem pitching in the eighth and ninth frames in the early going.

3) It's obviously quite early, but through six games played I'd have to give nods to INF's Caleb Durbin and Raynel Delgado as the most poised and consistent players on the Sounds roster. Both young men have proven invaluable in terms of the professionalism and game savvy they bring on a night in and night out basis. Both have looked extremely comfortable within themselves - they know who they are, and they know what they bring, and they know how to play. Whereas INF Andruw Monasterio is in the midst of an ongoing uncomfortable early struggle (tossing his bat in frustration tonight after his last swinging K on a slider down and in), these two are as cool and steady as it gets on the current Sounds roster. I will be entirely unsurprised if both manage to work their way to Milwaukee at some point in the 2025 season. The two went a combined 3-for-8 with 2 R, 2 2B, and 2 K on the evening. Special shoutout to CF and newly minted lead-off Garrett Spain who put forth a 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 SB outing atop the batting order.

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All four full-season affiliates will take to the diamond tomorrow for the first time in 2025. I don't know about you, but I cannot wait to see some of these young studs playing on the regular. Sounds Game Four at Gwinnett will begin at 7:05 EST - Carlos F. Rodriguez is scheduled to start (though that is obviously under question given he was in Milwaukee tonight) and the Sounds bats get the unenviable task of facing a rehabbing RHP Spencer Strider. Ruh-Roh! The Mudcats and UDFA signee RHP Jack Hostetler will square off in Five County Stadium against their last post-season opponent of 2024 in the Fredericksburg Nats. The T-Rats will also experience some Home Cooking against their old nemesis in the Cedar Rapids Kernels - RHP Manuel Rodriguez gets the opening nod! And, lastly, Biloxi will open once again on the road at Pensacola where LHP Tate Kuehner will get the nod. Until Sunday, I'm signing off and handing the report duties back to Daniel.

Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball!

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