Fri. 4/3: Now It's Real (Let's Play Five! T-Rat Twinbill)

[Jim Goulart]

This thread will be utilized for any minor league news Friday.

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[MudcatsfaninBrunsCO]

My favorite night I've been waiting 4+ months for.... Wilson Warbirds Opening Night! I'm so glad I'm apart of a Brewer MILB community that took me right in. Thank you guys so much.

[Tedaldtada]

 

[Tedaldtada]

[wiguy94]

I was supposed to be going to the Timber Rattlers game today but the weather doesn't make it seem like baseball will be played today. 65% chance of rain at 5pm and 75% of thunderstorm at 6pm and then more rain after that.

[Ro Mueller]

Weather-permitting, 20-year old RHP Bryce Meccage (4.35 ERA with 69 Ks in 70.1 Low-A IP last year) and High-A Wisconsin kick off their 2026 campaign with a home doubleheader against Beloit.

19-year old SS Luis Pena (.757 OPS in 418 Low-A / High-A PAs last season ) and 2025 first round pick 3B Andrew Fischer (.848 OPS in 87 High- A PAs in 2025) headline the Opening Day lineup.

[Jastro]

Timber Rattlers game has been postponed

 

[Tedaldtada]

[Ro Mueller]

The first official lineup for the Low-A Wilson Warbirds features 18-year old SS Brady Ebel (#19 prospect at BrewerFanatic; .592 OPS in 66 Low-A PAs last year), with 19-year old RHP Miqueas Mercedes (6.34 ERA in 59.2 ACL/Low-A IP in 2025) getting the Opening Day start at Fayetteville.

[Ro Mueller]

AA Biloxi’s 2026 Opening Day has them on the road facing Rocket City, with 18-year old SS Jesus Made (.792 OPS in 525 PAs at 3 levels in 2025) and 22-year old 1B Blake Burke (.832 OPS in 567 High-A/AA PAs last year) highlighting the position players.

22-year old RHP Brett Wichrowski gets the start after posting a 3.44 ERA with 72 Ks in 99.1 IP for Biloxi last season.

[Ro Mueller]

25-year old RHP Coleman Crow (4.2 IP, 2 R, 6 Ks in last outing) and the AAA Sounds aim for a 3-1 home series lead over Charlotte. LF Eddys Leonard has 4 extra-base hits in 4 games played. 

[wiguy94]

Fayetteville has a 3rd inning cheese curd promotion if they score runs in the 3rd inning every person gets cheese curds courtesy of Culvers. Seeing a Culvers promotion in North Carolina is pretty mind blowing.

[Tedaldtada]

 

[wiguy94]

The Fayetteville pitcher Pentecost has looked pretty impressive. Pro debut coming out of the NAIA last year. 6th round pick signed around $300K. Looks like a nice pitch mix and velo seems decent. Seems pretty advanced for an A ball pitcher. 

[Tedaldtada]

Horrible stuff

[wiguy94]

Mercedes lost the command here in the 4th. Struck out the first hitter of the inning then has walked the next 3 on a total of 13 pitches so only one strike.

[wiguy94]

Just now, Tedaldtada said:

Horrible stuff

Those locations are not accurate at all FYI

[wiguy94]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Mercedes lost the command here in the 4th. Struck out the first hitter of the inning then has walked the next 3 on a total of 13 pitches so only one strike.

He gets out of the bases loaded jam with a textbook 6-4-3 double play.

[Tedaldtada]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

Those locations are not accurate at all FYI

If you say so. Lines up fairly well with what I'm seeing.

[wiguy94]

2 minutes ago, Tedaldtada said:

If you say so. Lines up fairly well with what I'm seeing.

The only levels you get accurate pitch level data are the levels that have statcast so MLB, AAA, ACL/ST. Outside of those levels the pitch location data is completely unreliable. The ball just thrown to Ebel shows up in the strike zone but that pitch was letter high for example.

[Ro Mueller]

 

[wiguy94]

Mercedes has to be throwing like 80% FB today and the Fayetteville hitters just aren't going anything against it

[Tedaldtada]

Just now, wiguy94 said:

The only levels you get accurate pitch level data are the levels that have statcast so MLB, AAA, ACL/ST. Outside of those levels the pitch location data is completely unreliable. The ball just thrown to Ebel shows up in the strike zone but that pitch was letter high for example.

I understand that. We are at the mercy of whatever intern/human is charting the pitches. I don't believe the charting was all that far off on this particular at bat as I was also watching the game live. I know you are too. I would have called the first pitch a strike. It's fine you don't think so. Gamecast margin of error +/- an inch or two? No. But the charting, plus what I was watching, can still be directional enough for me to say I thought the ump was horrible on those handful of pitches. No?

[wiguy94]

2 minutes ago, Tedaldtada said:

I understand that. We are at the mercy of whatever intern/human is charting the pitches. I don't believe the charting was all that far off on this particular at bat as I was also watching the game live. I know you are too. I would have called the first pitch a strike. It's fine you don't think so. Gamecast margin of error +/- an inch or two? No. But the charting, plus what I was watching, can still be directional enough for me to say I thought the ump was horrible on those handful of pitches. No?

I mostly think it's impossible to tell when the camera angle is so off center. Very difficult to judge if something is actually catching the zone or not horizontally. Maybe he got squeezed a couple times. Tough to know though judging by his body language, I don't think he was getting squeezed that hard. If the gameday locations were remotely accurate, I think he would have been pretty demonstrably upset by the third walk and I didn't see that.

[wiguy94]

Jose Anderson just had a 400ft double to straightaway CF.