Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/10): With Nashville and Biloxi Rained Out, Dylan O'Rae Continued to Shine for Wisconsin

Transactions:

- RHP Kevin Herget was optioned to the Nashville Sounds from the Milwaukee Brewers
- C Satchell Norman was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Carolina Mudcats
- INF Daniel Guilarte was assigned to the Carolina Mudcats from the ACL Brewers (he started at 3B for manager Nick Stanley)

Final: Wisconsin 14, South Bend (Cubs) 8

Via the Timber Rattlers' site, 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):

Wisconsin Outslugs and Outlasts South Bend for Fourth Straight Win - Rattlers Beat Cubs 14-8

Pre-Game Media Notes

Box Score / Game Log 

This is our first opportunity to see LHP Mark Manfredi and, at first look, he definitely appeared to fit the Brandon Knarr/Nate Peterson stocky, squat, strong-build lefty type the Brewers seem to love. He was sitting 92-94 mph on his heat and dropping his off-speed offerings into the low 80's.  He toes the rubber to the first base side and definitely has an old school approach out of the stretch. Manfredi brought a 3-1 lead into his fourth and final frame where he started off with a two-strikeout bang, but the inning got away from him from there to the tune of a walk, a single, a two-run game-tying double (3-3), and another walk. Thankfully RHP Aaron Rund, on in relief, got the fly out to end the frame. All told, Manfredi had a mixed bag of 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 5 K, and 2 ER on 81 pitches. You love the elevated pitch count so early - he has the ability to eat some important innings for manager Victor Estevez - but he'll surely look to polish his mix in the games ahead.

** I should note, Manfredi's night 'should' have ended before the two-run double. The 3B umpire missed a clear tag at 3B by Mike Boeve on the lead runner for the third out - Manfredi's night would have been over and his final line quite a bit more palatable. When Boeve went to tag said lead runner a second time beyond the base path, he unfortunately dropped the ball. Another case of: the box score doesn't always tell the actual story **

Three Quick Strikes:

1) A night removed from a game saving catch in left field, CF Luis Lara saved Mark Manfredi from another earned run in the bottom of the second when he charged a sharply hit shallow line drive and managed to dive to the grass for the final out. Not only does Lara cover solid ground with fantastic jumps, he makes the vast majority of plays. He is a defensive weapon. Don't undersell the arm either. He may be small in stature, but like Sal Frelick his arm packs a wallop.

2) From the get go, and once again, the Cubs announcers were gushing over Dylan O'Rae. Leading off and earning three free passes while swiping three bags kept the praise going throughout. As the announcers pointed out, O'Rae certainly isn't hitting the leather off the ball. He's simply owning his zone and executing simple and timely swings on his pitches. He's poking the ball to all parts of the infield dirt and shallow outfield grass. O'Rae is an on base machine in the early going of High-A and he's been an on base machine at every level to date. I want to remind you, dear readers, not every player needs to hit for power. When your lead-off is cresting 1.000 OPS, swiping bags, and playing sound plus defense at 2B and CF the home run ball isn't a necessity. 

3) 3B Mike Boeve has looked quite comfortable and natural at 3B so far in the innings I've seen him. I would opine this is clearly a more natural fit than last year's experiment at 2B. He might fill in at 2B from time to time, but he has demonstrated he has a good feel and an arm fit for the hot corner. He's already showing vintage Boeve discipline at the dish in 2024 executing heady AB's - the early sac fly in tonight's game a prime example of this. Unlike O'Rae, however, I do question if and when we'll start seeing consistent gap or long ball power. I personally feel it is a crucial development for his career trajectory.

** Special shout out to RHP Craig Yoho. With RHP Tanner Shears shelved for the season <sad face>, it's quite fun to latch onto another young arm who gives catchers absolute fits with his off-speed movement. And, when I say movement, I mean movement. Shades of an Airbender with his change up, I may be even more impressed with Yoho's sweeping slider/curve. My goodness, I swear I saw one of his offerings late break 6 feet to his glove hand side. This is a ridiculous relief arm **

Final: Carolina 7, Down East (Rangers) 6

Mudcats Hold Off Wood Ducks for First Home Win - Cooper Pratt's Three Runs Batted in Prove to be the Difference

Pre-Game Media Notes - None Provided 

Box Score / Game Log 

Our first live stateside look at RHP Daniel Corniel and it was an intriguing look. What I came away most impressed with in the 19-year-old Venezuelan's debut outing was his command and control in and around the zone. I would opine his bread and butter, early in his full-season work, is his breaking ball. It has really nice shape and is a deceptive delivery. I'm certainly looking forward to future outings to witness his growth over a full season. All told, he gave his team everything they could ask for in 4 IP of 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 ER ball. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) SS Cooper Pratt missed a potential three-run long ball by 6-to-9 feet when he hit a deep fly to the warning track in right field in the sixth. But, not to be denied, he broke out of his mini slump with a crucial two run single in the bottom of the eighth frame: 

You love to see a talented young man rewarded for his hard work. It's very clear Pratt has many tools to work with in his development path and it's also very clear he cares about the game. 

2) As noted in the transactions above, INF Daniel Guilarte was re-assigned to Carolina and slotted in immediately at 3B (which, as a result, was my first look at Juan Baez at 2B in 2024 and I have to say he looked natural). In addition to Guilarte's patented plus defense, he gave his team some fine work at the dish in a 2-for-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI evening batting fifth in the lineup. Check out this well hit oppo rbi single down the right field line to regain the lead in the fifth frame:

3) First baseman Tayden Hall really broke back onto the scene this past winter for Brisbane after struggling with injuries in the early going of his professional career, and he continues to establish himself in the Mudcats lineup and the Brewers system at large. I absolutely love his plate set up and presence. I love his build and physical stature. Hall is absolutely earning every bit of his daily clean-up duties. Keep an eye on this young man. Suddenly, the Brewers have a wealth of depth at the 1B position and Hall is very much in this mix. He finished his evening 2-for-3 with 3 R, 2 BB, 1 2B, 1 K and is red hot over his first five games of 2024 with an uber-sustainable 0.400 BA and 1.217 OPS.

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!