Brewer Fanatic Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year - 2024

Honorable Mentions
Josh Knoth, Carolina Mudcats, Carolina League
21 G, 21 GS, 84.1 IP, 4-6, 4.48 ERA, 1.399 WHIP, 78 H, 40 BB, 96 K

Carlos F. Rodriguez, Nashville Sounds/Milwaukee Brewers, International League/MLB
28 G, 25 GS, 142 IP, 9-12, 4.75 ERA, 1.289 WHIP, 119 H, 64 BB, 138 K (total)
25 G, 22 GS, 129.2 IP, 9-9, 4.51 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, 100 H, 61 BB, 119 K (Nashville)

Manuel Rodriguez, Carolina Mudcats, Carolina League
18 G, 18 GS, 94.2 IP, 4-6, 3.23 ERA, 0.972 WHIP, 82 H, 10 BB, 77 K

Tate Kuehner, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers, Midwest League/Southern League
23 G, 19 GS, 104.1 IP, 8-3, 3.19 ERA, 1.275 WHIP, 79 H, 54 BB, 115 K (total)
7 G, 6 GS, 35.2 IP, 3-1, 4.04 ERA, 1.346 WHIP, 27 H, 21 BB, 33 K (Biloxi)
16 G, 13 GS, 68.2 IP, 2.75 ERA, 1.238 WHIP, 52 H, 33 BB, 82 K (Wisconsin)

Top Five Minor League Starting Pitchers Of 2024

5. Jacob Misiorowski, Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds, Southern League/International League
33 G, 21 GS, 4 GF, 97.1 IP, 3-5, 1 SV, 3.79 ERA, 1.202 WHIP, 57 H, 60 BB, 127 K (total)
14 G, 2 GS, 4 GF, 17.2 IP, 0-1, 1 SV, 2.55 ERA, 0.849 WHIP, 5 H, 10 BB, 22 K (Nashville)
19 G, 19 GS, 79.2 IP, 3-4, 3.50 ERA, 1.280 WHIP, 52 H, 50 BB, 105 K (Biloxi)

Misiorowski continued a rapid rise through the Brewers’ farm system, where the biggest question would be whether he could stick in the rotation as a potential ace, or if he would be a dominant reliever. His 2024 season provided good arguments for either outcome. In Biloxi, he continued to make strides in the rotation, but when he went to Nashville, he primarily worked out of the bullpen and shut hitters down.

The team did not call him up for the 2024 stretch run, though, as he had pitched 26 innings more than he did in 2023. He is likely to end up on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft over the 2024-2025 offseason, and it will be interesting to see if the team puts him in the major-league bullpen for 2025 or continues to develop him as a starting pitcher in Nashville.

4. Shane Smith, Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds, Southern League/International League
32 G, 16 GS, 7 GF, 94.1 IP, 6-3, 1 SV, 3.05 ERA, 1.049 WHIP, 70 H, 29 BB, 113 K (total)
5 G, 3 GF, 6.2 IP, 1-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.050 WHIP, 4 H, 3 BB, 7 K (Nashville)
27 G, 16 GS, 4 GF, 87.2 IP, 5-3, 1 SV, 3.08 ERA, 1.049 WHIP, 66 H, 26 BB, 106 K (Biloxi)

Shane Smith didn’t even get drafted in 2021 – the Brewers signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest University that year, and his 2022 season was marred by a lot of time on the injured list. He could be a big-time steal for the team for the 2021 draft class, and this is a draft that includes a prominent contributor on two NL Central Division Championship teams in Sal Frelick, a top hitting prospect in Tyler Black, and other top prospects, including another pitcher on this list.

Smith mostly worked out of the bullpen in 2023, where he dominated to the point he was Brewer Fanatic’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year that season. In 2024, he found himself pressed into duty as a starter, and posted a 2-3 record with a 2.96 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 67.1 IP when opening games for the Shuckers, with the ERA and WHIP actually being improvements over his time in the bullpen.

3. Chad Patrick, Nashville Sounds, International League
26 G, 24 GS, 1 GF, 136.1 IP, 14-1, 2.90 ERA, 1.086 WHIP, 109 H, 39 BB, 145 K

Patrick was arguably the ace of the Sounds rotation in 2024, delivering superb numbers after he was acquired from the Athletics for utility player Abraham Toro (who came to the Brewers with Jesse Winker for Kolten Wong). Patrick did not appear on either MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 or Brewer Fanatic’s Top 20 list.

Like Misiorowski, Patrick is Rule 5-eligible, and the Brewers will likely protect him on the 40-man roster based on his performance. In a bit of trivia, Patrick was acquired by the Athletics in a trade with the Diamondbacks for Jace Peterson, a contributor to two Brewers teams that made the post-season.

2. Logan Henderson, ACL Brewers/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds, Arizona Complex League/Midwest League/Southern League/International League
19 G, 19 GS, 81.1 IP, 7-6, 3.32 ERA, 0.910 WHIP, 59 H, 15 BB, 104 K (total)
6 G, 6 GS, 23.2 IP, 1-3, 4.56 ERA, 1.056 WHIP, 19 H, 6 BB, 26 K (Nashville)
9 G, 9 GS, 46.1 IP, 6-2, 3.30 ERA, 0.855 WHIP, 34 H, 7 BB, 58 K (Biloxi)
2 G, 2 GS, 6.2 IP, 0-1, 1.35 ERA, 0.900 WHIP, 4 H, 2 BB, 10 K (Wisconsin)
2 G, 2 GS, 4.2 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.429 WHIP, 2 H, 0 BB, 10 K (ACL Brewers)

Henderson had a rapid rise through the system, despite a stint on the injured list that required a rehab assignment to the Arizona Complex League. Still, at the same age as fellow Nashville Sounds starting prospects Carlos F. Rodriguez and Jacob Misiorowski, he has completed his recovery from elbow surgery in 2022 to be at the cusp of the majors.

Per MLB Pipeline, his fastball-changeup combination is a one-two punch that could work well out of the bullpen, but Henderson also works in an occasional slider, which could keep him in the starting rotation. Like Patrick and Misiorowski, Henderson will need to be on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Brewer Fanatic Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year for 2024
K.C. Hunt, Carolina Mudcats/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers, Carolina League/Midwest League/Southern League
25 G, 14 GS, 4 GF, 102 IP, 8-3, 1 SV, 2.03 ERA, 0.931 WHIP, 70 H, 25 BB, 139 K (total)
6 G, 6 GS, 32.2 IP, 1-2, 2.20 ERA, 1.010 WHIP, 24 H, 9 BB, 39 K (Biloxi)
11 G, 8 GS, 1 GF, 50.1 IP, 4-1, 2.15 ERA, 0.974 WHIP, 37 H, 12 BB, 68 K (Wisconsin)
8 G, 3 GF, 10 IP, 3-0, 1 SV, 1.42 ERA, 0.684 WHIP, 9 H, 4 BB, 32 K (Carolina)

If there was a steal of the highly impressive 2023 draft class for the Brewers, his name might be K.C. Hunt. Hunt wasn’t even drafted after he returned to Mississippi State for his senior year, declining a pro career with the Pirates, who picked him in the 12th round of the 2022 amateur draft.

Hunt started off in the bullpen but moved to the rotation while with the Timber Rattlers. No matter where he was, though, he dominated, despite a lack of eye-popping “stuff” (a fastball that tops out at 93 miles per hour, per MLB Pipeline), usually because he has three other solid pitches to use.

Hunt rose from the Mudcats to the Shuckers, and still has a year before he needs to go on the 40-man but could be in Nashville to start 2025. But the rapid rise and his sheer dominance makes K.C. Hunt the 2024 Brewer Fanatic Minor League Starting Pitcher of 2024.

KC Hunt had a tremendous season. It's interesting to see pitchers like Hunt and Shane Smith move from the bullpen to the rotation and continuing to find success. For Logan Henderson, being healthy is the key to unlocking his talent. Speaking of immense talent, it will be interesting to see how Jacob Misiorowski will move forward as he approaches the big leagues. What are your thoughts on Hunt and all of these starting pitching prospects? How would you rank their 2024 seasons? Leave some comments below. 

Interested in learning more about the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!