Brewers Minor League Link Report (8/10): KC Hunt Dazzles in AA Debut, and There's a Nicaragua-Brewers Lovefest

Let's kick off our tour of a very busy day!

Transactions:

• 1B Blake Burke assigned to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from ACL Brewers.
• Carolina Mudcats activated RHP Jason Woodward from the 60-day injured list.

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes 
Final: Nashville 3, Indianapolis (Pirates) 0
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine:

Elite Giants Flip the Script, Shut Out Indianapolis on Saturday - Four Nashville pitchers combine to silence Indians, 3-0

With Carlos D, Rodriguez sitting this one out, we don't have our in-game Rodriguez reunion at the AAA level quite yet, but Carlos F. reminds us that he's still a starting pitcher prospect to keep an eye on, though it certainly seems as though his next real MLB opportunity will be in 2025, barring injury mayhem on the big-league level.

Tyler Black played third base Saturday as his position-du-jour tour continues, which is seemingly fine, but man, where is his head regarding this? Guessing an honest unfiltered answer might express frustration, but actually, why surmise that way. Let's just say Black is embracing things daily.

Isaac Collins had that great month of June (.939 OPS including a .543 SLG), but after a middling July (.637 OPS), he's primed to get back to form. The Nashville "X" feed has both the offensive and defensive Collins highlights.

A more dominant Bryan Hudson rehab outing would have been ideal, but the 6'8" lefty navigated his way through his scoreless two outs, stranding a runner for Rodriguez and preserving the shutout.

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Montgomery (Rays) 1, Biloxi 0
Box Score and Game Log

Hunt Dazzles in Double-A Debut, Shuckers Fall to Biscuits - Brewers’ No. 29 prospect strikes out 8 over 5.1 innings in debut

There has been absolutely nothing fluky about KC Hunt's 2024 - click on that linked Player Page and expand the 2024 "Three Teams" down arrow. Kicking off his season as an older 23-year-old in Carolina's bullpen (he turned 24 in July), he toiled six weeks there before his bump to Appleton. Credit not just Hunt, but the Brewers in recognizing that a starting role would suit Hunt and the organization best. 

You just read in Javik Blake's game summary that RHP Shane Smith is set to start Sunday's game. Consider that - two non-drafted pitchers (Hunt and Smith) with injury-marred and/or performance-questionable college careers are poised to be big-league contributors by the second half of 2025. We're talking just dominant profiles here, folks. This organization is on such a roll. 

There is a trio of Hunt videos at the Shuckers "X" feed. There's one opponent highlight, and that's the one Hunt pitch that the Biscuits managed to turn around.

Biloxi lost? Doesn't feel like it, the mound future is so bright.

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Quad Cities (Royals) 13, Wisconsin 2
Box Score and Game Log

Rattlers Find an Unlucky Thirteen in Quad Cities - River Bandits beat Wisconsin 13-2

OK, so unlike the Shuckers game, I guess this one really does feel like a loss.

Manager Victor Estevez subbed out Cooper Pratt, Jadher Areinamo and Luis Lara late. 

Will the Royals' recent 1st round pick, 6th overall out of the University of Florida, Jac Caglianone, remember that his first professional home run, a grand slam, was off position player Jose Acosta?

Luke Adams had the night off.

Welcome to High-A, Blake Burke, 0-for-3 (one walk). He committed a fielding error at first base but is credited for being a steady presence there in his University of Tennessee career.

In four appearances (one in relief) between June 30th and July 23rd, RHP Alexander Cornielle pitched 16 scorelss innings.

In three starts since, he has allowed 24 runs in 13.2 innings. You can't say being left in for a 12-run pummeling July 30th won't subsequently mess with your head, mechanics, etc. Has a season ever gone so sideways so abruptly? Well, of course, seasons have, I'm asking rhetorically...

Speaking of off the rails, fireballing RH reliever Yerlin Rodriguez has walked 13 (plus an HBP) in his last four outings, covering four innings.

Final, Game One: Fredericksburg (Nationals) 4, Carolina 1
Box Score and Game Log

Final, Game Two: Carolina 3, Fredericksburg 1, eight innings (scheduled for seven)
Box Score and Game Log

Mudcats Split Doubleheader with Fredericksburg 

Nats and Cats, baby!

Considering visiting teams rarely if ever travel in the Carolina League (hoping Carolina makes it happen in the playoffs, right, Voice of the Mudcats Chris Edwards?), it's very cool that someone for the affiliate is grabbing video highlights from the Fredericksburg feed on the Muddies "X" timeline.

Game One:

Talk about one rough inning. Starter Josh Timmerman began the 4th: HBP, run-scoring double, walk, walk. Timmerman was lifted after getting the first out on a liner to left field. RHP Jesus Flores inherited the base-loaded situation: run-forcing walk, single, run-forcing walk (all three inherited runners scored). That was the game.

Shoutout to 6'5" 20-year-old 1B Reece Walling (video in that timeline link above) on his double, single and walk.

Game Two:

How closely does the country of Nicaragua follow their prospects (and they are nearly all with the Brewers).

This media account was on top of this remarkable 2nd-ever Carolina appearance (first start) for 19-year-old RHP Bryan Rivera - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, by sharing this earlier Maryvale photo.

Oh, and the account updated their followers on Carlos F. Rodriguez in Nashville moments later.

This game looked to be a 1-0 win for Flores, but reliever Dikember Sanchez, who has been excellent, was victimized by this leadoff home run in the bottom of the final scheduled frame.

In case you missed the link just above, here's the go-ahead worm-burner, a liner in the box score:

Other than sidelined second baseman Josh Adamczewski (back), only catcher Satchell Norman sat out both games.

Final, Game One: DSL Orioles Orange 9, DSL Brewers #1 Squad 5
Box Score and Game Log

Final, Game Two: DSL Orioles Orange 2, DSL Brewers #1 Squad 0
Box Score and Game Log

Team Uno had a chance to leapfrog the Baltimore entry and take over first place in their division if the sweep of the doubleheader had flipped. Instead, the Cerveceros Prime find themselves 3.5 games back, though just two games in the loss column.

Tantalizingly close in the opener (remember, seven-inning games), the Uno's saw a 5-3 lead disintegrate and more in a six-run Orioles 6th inning. RHP Johan Zapata, who had just joined his new teammates as part of yesterday's reported-on larger player move to fortify the club for Saturday's action, was burned in his third inning of relief. To his credit, Zapata stranded the bases loaded upon entering in the 2nd inning for starting RHP Dariel Jaquez.

We typed this in yesterday's report:

Six successful SB attempts in seven tries, shortstop Luis Pena now 39-of-43 on the basepaths. Pena was oddly removed from defense mid-inning in the top of the 8th, something to monitor.

Guess who didn't play in either game today. The 17-year-old with the .398/.462/.590 line (1.052 OPS). That, needless to say given the results, was less than ideal.

In the nightcap, two Brewer pitchers danced around four walks through six scoreless innings before a one-out HBP by RHP Saul Sanchez (0.93 WHIP this season) led to some bad-luck ground ball base hits to break the scoreless ice. Shortstop Jesus Made dropped a feed from first base on a forceout atempt which led to the insurance run for the Birds.

Final: DSL Brewers #2 Squad 7, DSL Royals Ventura 3
Box Score and Game Log

Kudos to this Crew. Having been told (in so many non-spoken words) that they were indeed the 2024 little brother on the island, having two of the better position players and two of their more impressive pitchers switch locker room allegiance earlier in the day, Team Dos impressed here.

Four pitchers combined to not allow a single earned run through nine innings, walking only three.

17-year-old CF Frandy Lafond has had a sneaky-good 103 plate appearances, he hit a two-run shot in the 6th for his 3rd HR of his rookie season, singled, drove in three overall, and stole his 11th base, while lifting his OBP to .402. He was caught stealing twice, now 11-for-14 in that regard.

The Cerveceros Dos actually were caught stealing home in consecutive innings late, both part of unsuccessful double-steal plays.

It's just the full-season teams in action Sunday, and as the schedule will show you, the games are spread throughout the early afternoon, late afternoon, and evening. Hope it's a wonderful mid-August summer day for all, everything is flying by too quickly!

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!