Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/25): Misiorowski Dazzles in 11-Pitch 3 K First Inning; Gasser Sparkles Through 4 IP

Game Balls:

So many young men to choose from but we have to narrow this list down! What a night of Brewers Minor League baseball. Believe me, it was as entertaining as it gets. 

We're going with RHP Edwin Jimenez who pitched four scoreless innings with eight punch outs - a sublime display holding down the fort for Carolina. We're going with OF Lamar Sparks in Biloxi with the lead-off triple in the 9th frame while scoring the winning run off a wild pitch. We're heading north to Wisconsin where INF Eric Brown Jr. had his best game as a Timber Rattler doing all sorts of things throughout the diamond. We're heading to Nashville where we're going to give LHP Robert Gasser his due for the best four consecutive inning stretch I've seen him pitch as a member of the Sounds and we're giving a nod to a fantastic first rehab appearance for OF Tyrone Taylor at Nashville as well.

Transactions:

• LHP Bennett Sousa was placed on Nashville's 7-Day IL (retroactive to April 24th)
• RHP Thyago Vieira was officially assigned to the Nasvhille Sounds
• OF Tyler Naquin was activated from Nashville's 7-Day IL
• OF Tyrone Taylor was sent on a rehab assignment to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers

Highlights from the Week that Was:

RHP Quinton Low again showed the world this past week why several of us here on Brewer Fanatic are so intrigued by his early Low-A showings on the mound. This is really filthy relief arm stuff here Mr. Low. We are most definitely thirsty for more:

On the offensive side of the Mudcats lineup, we continue to see a very strong run of offensive output by up-and-coming 2022 draft pick C/DH Matthew Wood. Let's hope he keeps this up versus the Cannon Ballers (Hint: he does)!

Lastly, RHP James Meeker again validated my continued belief in his relief arsenal. His breaking ball, especially, has been remarkable in early 2023. This is a major wrinkle since his fastball-dominant time with High-A Wisconsin. Here are some highlights of his fantastic work in Rocket City in a game that had quickly run away from the Shuckers. I sincerely hope they start giving him more high-leveraged innings. The best is yet to come for this late bloomer:

Final: Nashville 8, Omaha (Royals) 3
Box Score / Game Log

Game Notes 

Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review:

Sounds Bats Back Gasser in Win over Omaha

I did indeed witness the best four-inning stretch I've seen from LHP Robert Gasser since his promotion to the Sounds. He was fantastic. Things got away from him in his fifth and final frame but we already know he's working on building up stamina and resilience and accuracy with his mix. He had struggled, before today, in the 3rd and 4th frames. This is a building block - 8 K through 4 IP is nothing I'd scoff at. Had INF Abraham Toro not failed to corral the first batter line drive in the fifth frame, it may have all ended up differently. Regardless, we walk away extremely pleased with 5 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, and 8 K. He grabs his first win of 2023.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) INF/OF Keston Hiura and INF Eddy Alvarez continue to mash in the Sounds line-up. As mentioned above, there was a proverbial list of candidates for those coveted game balls (you should see my inbox 🥸) and Hiura and Alvarez certainly qualified. Hiura hit his second triple as well as a two-run two-out opposite field home run in the 7th inning - his 8th long ball on this young season. Alvarez, again, brought stability to the lead-off slot and was 2-for-4 himself with three runs and a free pass to pair with his sixth stolen base. Alvarez also made an incredibly savvy tag and score on a ridiculously shallow bloop pop fly roughly six-to-nine feet into the grass behind shortstop. It's the stuff only extremely athletic and fast men can do but it's really the stuff only a heady player would try to accomplish. He beat the throw (which needed to be perfect) as it tailed third base side. He is an absolute joy to watch in a Sounds uniform. Here's Hiura's oppo-blast:

2) Let's just collectively take a look at OF Tyrone Taylor's first rehab AB with the Sounds. This got the game going right away. I have to say stretching this to three sure gives us all a vote of confidence he's feeling healthy:

Game Notes 

Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review:

Late-Inning Comeback Fuels Shuckers to a Win in Series Opener

RHP Tobias Myers didn't appear particularly sharp to my eyes on my second screen - it seemed, in the early going, his pitches were a bit too flat and finding much too much of the plate. Luckily, the Braves hitters were getting under the ball - a bevy of balls made it deep toward the warning track but not a single fly left the yard. It is a testament to Myers, however, he was able to work through it and around it for the most part. After conceding back-to-back well-hit homers to start the fifth inning, he could have folded when the next two batters got aboard with singles. He ended the threat with two fly outs and a punch out. It was, perhaps, the key sequence in the game. All told, Myers gave us 5 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 5 K, 2 HR.

There are ample clips and highlights of this game on the Shuckers twitter page: HERE 

Please, indulge!

Lastly, be sure to check in HERE as new Shuckers announcer, Javik Blake, continues his ongoing interview series with the Shuckers staff and players. Tonight, he interviewed INF Freddy Zamora - now healthy and having a fantastic start to his season.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) A buffet of highlights above, but the following is worth showing - a casual Jackson Chourio catch above the wall in deep left center field. He truly makes it look effortless in the centerfield grass. As I've watched him play more and more, his defensive work continues to shine. If you were reading in 2022, I had my questions. Now that he's added some more muscle to his frame and now that he's maturing into his body, he is actually getting even better ranging across that vast Biloxi grass. We can worry about the off-speed and away strikeout issues as he ages and continues to mature but the ease by which he does this? I'm going to start appreciating this more very night. 

2) This was the first real adversity I've seen RHP Abner Uribe face in his early 2023 season. And, he absolutely rose to the occasion and shone brightest. With runners on the corners and one down, Uribe buckled down and grabbed two absolutely crucial strikeouts consecutively. His emotions definitely were showing when a couple calls didn't go the way he'd like (hats off to home plate umpire, Bobby Tasone, for allowing Uribe to work through it) but that's part of what makes him such an intriguing arm in high-leverage situations. What was most important here is he didn't lose his control or the strike zone. That's closer or set-up material. He continues to check all the boxes.

3) After Chourio took ball four by laying off a heater up and just out of the zone (fantastic discipline in a very key moment), it was up to INF Tyler Black to come through in the clutch facing triple digits on the hill. He absolutely rose to the occasion with an opposite field poke through the left infield gap driving in the tying run. There is simply so much offensive talent in the young Canadian's bat. We have a special one on our hands here. 

Game Notes 

Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review:

Rattlers Fall 4-3 to Beloit on Late Miscues

Hoping to avenge a recent disappointing road series at Beloit, the T-Rats were home again attempting to regain that elusive winning momentum. Unfortunately, at present, the T-Rats are playing losing baseball - the record (7-9) does not lie. In the most pivotal of moments in their ongoing struggles, they have succumbed to defensive miscues and their collective inabilities to execute with runners aboard. They had two runners aboard in each of the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings and not a single run crossed. On three trips to the dish with said runners aboard, we witnessed T-Rats batters striking out looking. Those are, simply put, tough takes. Tonight, the pitching staff definitely deserved better.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Despite what proved to be a costly error in the seventh frame, this was far and away INF Eric Brown Jr.'s best game with the Timber Rattlers. He was hitting the ball cleanly, he was disruptive on the base paths, and he was playing mostly solid defense. When his game is going like this, you see all that athleticism and all those god-given tools that made him a first round draft choice. Let's hope he can hit the ground running with growing confidence: 2-for-2, 2 BB, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 SB. How's that for a night of production?

2) After a 3-for-4 night at the dish, and a fantastic leaping snare at 3B, with a 1:1 K:BB line to boot, it is worth reminding everyone: Eduardo Garcia now has over half the walk totals he had at Low-A Carolina...in 1/10th the AB's. What I have witnessed in the past week plus is nothing short of remarkable. What is going on here? Is this sustainable? The knock on Garcia's game has always been his lack of plate discipline. BUT, if he can build out from this new found place of confidence and patience at the plate an entirely different conversation starts taking place. Let's keep an eye on this development.

3) On a game that ended largely at the hands of two costly errors, let's just go back to a web gem to remind us all there are still diamonds being discovered on the diamond. What a combined play here from Eric Brown Jr. and the always unfathomably agile Ernesto Martinez Jr.:

Final: Carolina 7, Kannapolis (White Sox) 4
Box Score / Game Log

Mudcats Mash 13 Hits in 7-4 Series Opening Victory

Post-game Radio Interview: Manager Victor Estevez

Looking to build bigger and better things fresh off the series-winning momentum created at Down East this past week, the young Mudcats were back home at Five County Stadium where the tantalizing young RHP Jacob Misiorowski took the hill to face the extremely formidable Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. It doesn't get much better than an 11 pitch three strikeout first frame. It really doesn't. Just dominant stuff:

Misiorowski struggled a bit with his command in the second inning as he tacked on 30 pitches. He missed a couple strikeouts by a mere matter of inches on 0-2 counts, however. All in all, he finished his night with a 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 SO. 41 pitch, 29 strike outing. At this stage, I would say: if he can add a change-up to his heater, slider/breaking ball arsenal, he could be absolutely lethal on the hill. By every measure, and according to announcer Greg Brown Jr., he's an incredibly positive; hardworking; and likable young man. The Brewers are lucky to have him in their organization.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) When it's rolling, it's rolling - as seen above with the 13-hit output. However, when it's rolling for seven straight games you're really cooking with gas. C Matthew Wood extended his hitting streak to seven games with a beautiful, easy, swing ripping a double to the wall in right field. He's been incredible at the plate - next to it and, honestly, behind it as well. We're really starting to see the full tool kit of what made him a fourth round draft pick just a year ago. This is one of the more intriguing developments in our young 2023 affiliated season.

2) Young and tantalizing Luke Adams' athleticism is starting to rear its head on a nightly basis. We saw hints of it last year in the ACL box scores - all those stolen bases and occasionally being sent to man the outfield grass. Well, tonight, he was covering first base and saved what may have been two early errors from the hands of RHP Edwin Jimenez with leaping acrobatic snares improbably ensuring two outs. He is a rare athletic specimen. If baseball had an RAS score akin to the NFL, I have zero doubts Adams would be in the 90th percentile ranges. 

3) Speaking of RHP Edwin Jimenez, if you've read my reports for any time now you'd understand he's one of those young pitchers I love but have been hoping he could pull it all together. I've oft-compared him to our youngest version of once long-tenured MLB pitcher, RHP Mike Fiers. Well, early in 2023 he's stating his case that he's ready for an eventual promotion to Wisconsin. This is far and away the best version of Jimenez we've seen. He's expertly mixing his pitches - with purpose and location. His work in the middle inning was absolutely crucial to this victory: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 8 K. Whew. More of that, please, young man! On the season, that's now 23 K to just 5 BB in 18 IP. Are we witnessing a breakout? 

That's a wrap for me on this fine 3-1 evening of Brewers affiliated baseball - what a fun evening of viewing it was. Tomorrow, tune in bright and early as we have our standard three morning/matinee knocks in Carolina, Wisconsin, and Biloxi. I'll personally be most curious to see if RHP Cameron Wagoner can bounce back from a fairly rough outing his last time out. In the evening, we'll see if RHP Caleb Boushley can continue proving his early season woes are a thing of the past. As always, thank you for reading and 'Go Brewers!'.

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