Brewers Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month: July 2024

The Brewers minor league pitching was very impressive on the starting side of things, but the relievers stole the show this month, and the number one choice is likely no surprise.

Let's begin with a couple of honorable mentions:

HONORABLE MENTIONS
RHP - Kevin Herget - Nashville Sounds - 6 G, 7.0 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.66 FIP, 0.86 WHIP, 3 H, 3 BB, 11 K
RHP - Saul Sanchez - DSL Brewers 1 - 5 G, 7.0 IP, 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 0.29 WHIP, 0 H , 2 BB, 7 K, 1 SV

TOP SIX RELIEF PITCHERS FOR JULY

#6 LHP - Russell Smith - Biloxi Shuckers - 8 G, 11 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 0.73 WHIP, 5 H, 4 BB, 8 K,
Unranked by all publications

Smith was the Brewers third selection in the 2021 draft, and had unfortunately gotten off to a pretty tough start in pro ball. Drafted as a starter, Smith made the transition to the bullpen in 2023, and that seems to have been the correct call. He finished this past season with a 1.40 ERA over his final 19.1 innings, and carried that strong production into April of 2024. 

Smith’s velocity sat in the 91-93 range as a starter. Given his 6’7, 255 pound frame that was always a bit of a surprise. Since his move to the bullpen, that velocity has climbed more into the 95 MPH range with consistency. His huge frame allows for him to get down the mound, and generate a good amount of extension, though his stride isn’t quite as big as you might expect from someone his height. Smith’s changeup has been his best secondary since he was drafted, and that continues to be the case. However, his slider has transformed since his move to the bullpen. The shape is more of a slurve than a true slider, and it is now an above average pitch as well.

Smith’s strikeout numbers weren’t great in July, though his 31.9% whiff rate was well above average for Double-A pitchers with at least seven innings, in the 76th percentile. Smith made up for his lack of strikeouts with a lot of soft contact, not allowing a single extra base hit on the month and only allowing four hits total.

Smith will be Rule 5 eligible this winter, and will likely need a very strong finish to the season if he were to end up needing to be protected. July was a good step in the right direction for him.

#5 RHP - Bayden Root - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 8 G, 11 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 0.73 WHIP, 5 H, 4 BB, 8 K,
Unranked by all publications

Root signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State, following the 2023 draft. He began his career at Ohio State before transferring to the other OSU for his final season, where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. While he performed decently in college, the combination of age and being a relief only prospect kept Root from being drafted. 

What interested the Brewers was likely his pure stuff and his competitiveness. He’s a very fiery competitor who isn’t afraid to show some emotion after recording a big out. Root throws a two-seam fastball in the 94-95 range and with up to 19 inches of run on it. His best secondary is his mid-80s slider that gets up to 19 inches of glove side movement on it and can show very sharp break at times. 

He does also throw a four seam fastball that he can throw a bit harder than his two seam, though the metrics on the four seam aren’t great. He rounds out the repertoire with a mid-80s changeup that can also get up to 18 inches of run, he doesn’t use it much however, and it’s a pitch he hasn’t shown a propensity for being able to command. 

In July, Root did what he does. He’s not a huge strikeout pitcher, nor does he generate a ton of whiffs. Both were slightly below average for the level. He did limit his walks at a very high level, only walking 2.6% of the hitters he faced, which was 94th percentile for High-A pitchers with seven innings pitched. He generated grounders at a 45% rate, and that was in the 80th percentile. He is always on the attack, and rarely allows hard contact.

Root continues to put up really solid numbers at every level he’s been at. It’s not a closer profile, but this type of profile can be useful in the middle innings.

#4 RHP Justin Yeager - Biloxi Shuckers - 8 G, 11 IP, 1-0, 0.90 ERA, 2.36 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 6 H, 4 BB, 11 K, 5 SV
Unranked by all publications

The third piece that the Brewers received in the notable Esteury Ruiz for William Contreras and Joel Payamps trade, Yeager was drafted in the 33rd round by the Braves in 2019. He spent a large portion of 2023 injured in the Brewers system, so we didn’t get to see much of what he had. He did get assigned to the Arizona Fall League, where he struggled to the tune of a 6.23 ERA. He’s mostly been healthy this year, and he has shown signs of being a potential bullpen piece down the road.

Yeager’s mid-90’s fastball plays extremely well when he gets it up in the zone, due to an Induced Vertical Break averaging close to 20 inches. His slider sits in the 86-89 range and comes with a lot of late bite to it. Both pitches have the ability to be above average or better, but they can play down at times due to his lack of command.

In July, Yeager led the organization in saves, with five. According to TruMedia, his whiff rate of 30.1% placed him in the 82nd percentile for Double-A pitchers with at least seven innings in July. His 28.2% strikeout rate was in the 86th percentile, and despite having some home run issues at times, Yeager did not allow a single extra base hit in the month.

Yeager has been Rule 5 eligible each of the last two years. He will be again this winter. He probably won’t be protected, but he does have the type of stuff that teams will be interested in. It will be interesting to see if he gets an opportunity to pitch in Triple-A this season.

#3 RHP - Dikember Sanchez - Carolina Mudcats - 8 G, 15 IP, 1-1, 0.60 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 0.73 WHIP, 9 H, 2 BB, 12 K, 1 SV
Unranked by all publications

Signed in the Brewers 2021 international class out of Venezuela, it has been a slow ascension for Sanchez. He spent two years in the Dominican Summer League before coming over to the Arizona Complex League in 2023. 2024 has been a breakout season of sorts for him, which was foreshadowed in 2023. He posted a 6.49 ERA, but his peripherals took a big step forward, raising his strikeout rate from 17.8 to 26.6% and lowering his walk rate from 16.1 to 12.9%. 

Sanchez throws four pitches, the majority of which move to his glove-side. He starts with what appears to be a cutter in the 91-93 range but has been up to 94 at times. He throws two different breaking balls. His go-to pitch when he needs a whiff is a mid-80’s short slider with some depth. He will also throw a slower curveball at times, often trying to land that for strikes. He has mixed in a changeup a few times according to the broadcast, but they may have just been breaking balls that backed up on him.

Sanchez was called up to Carolina shortly before July started and his July went incredibly well. While his 21.1% strikeout rate was a bit below average, his whiff rate of 32.1% was in the 81st percentile for Low-A pitchers with at least seven innings pitched, and his 3.5% walk rate placed him in the 94th percentile for the month. Not only did he generate a lot of swing and miss, he also kept the ball on the ground at an elite rate. Batted balls were hit on the ground 67.4% of the time against Sanchez, which put him in the 97th percentile in July.

Only 20 years old, Sanchez is definitely a name to keep an eye on moving forward. His stuff is good, his command has made huge strides, and he’s pitching well in full season ball. Rule 5 eligible in 2025, Sanchez is an arm they may be aggressive with next year, but for now he will likely remain in Carolina for this season.

#2 RHP - Will Childers - Biloxi Shuckers - 7 G, 8.2 IP, 1-0, 1.04 ERA, 1.17 FIP, 0.81 WHIP, 6 H, 1 BB, 11 K
Unranked by all publications

Will Childers' father Matt was a Brewers draft pick in 1997 and debuted for the Brewers in 2002. Will was an undrafted signing after the 2022 draft after attending the University of Georgia, where he unfortunately spent the majority of his time injured after a strong freshman season. He spent his first year in the rehab process before appearing in his first professional games in June of 2023.

Childers is mostly a two pitch pitcher at this point, though he may be using two different fastballs. His primary fastball is a four seamer with a lot of carry on it. He sits in the 94-96 MPH range with it, but he has topped out at 98. He uses the fastball at the top of the zone and above and gets a lot of swing and misses on it. At times you will see more run on the pitch and while it’s possible he’s mixing in a two-seamer, it’s also possible he’s just losing the release on his normal fastball. 

His other pitch is probably his best, and that’s a very sharp breaking ball in the mid-80’s. The breaker has a lot of depth, and some sweep as well. It’s a really good out pitch, but also one he has shown a proclivity for landing for strikes.

Childers has the only ERA over one on this list, but his peripherals stack up with anybody in the system for the month. In fact, his 1.17 FIP was second in the organization of the 56 pitchers eligible for this list. He generated grounders at a 55% clip, which was in the 92nd percentile for Double-A pitchers with at least seven innings pitched. He also had a whiff rate of 31.9% which was 87th percentile, while posting a 94th percentile in strikeout and walk rates. Those came in at 34.4% and 3.1% respectively.

Childers is a player to keep an eye on into next season. His fastball/breaking ball combination is one of the better ones in the system, and he could end up being an interesting bullpen piece down the road.

#1 RHP - Craig Yoho - Biloxi Shuckers - 9 G, 10.0 IP, 1-1, 0.00 ERA, 0.76 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 7 H , 3 BB, 19 K, 2 SV.

The fourth Biloxi Shucker to make the list, the Double-A squad got an incredible month from their bullpen. The Brewers 8th round selection in the 2023 draft out of Indiana, Yoho is the only one of these arms that appears to already be slotted into a relief role in the future. At one time a position player in college, he transitioned to a two-way role for a couple of seasons, but after battling quite a few injuries, he finished his college career as a pitcher-only. 2023 was his first season focusing solely on pitching. So, despite his advanced age, he entered pro ball with some untapped potential. After an incredible start with the Timber Rattlers, he has already made his way to Double-A and has continued his dominance there.

Yoho may not throw as hard as most elite relievers, only sitting in the 91-93 range with his fastball, but his pitch mix is as impressive as any pitcher in the system. He throws his fastball with nearly 20 inches of arm side run, a changeup that appears to be very similar to the Devin Williams “Airbender”, as well as a sweeping curveball and a high-80s cutter. You can read more about the pitch mix in this article from April 22nd. 

In July, Yoho may have had his most dominant month yet. His whiff rate of 46.9% was his highest in any month and put him in the 99th percentile for Double-A pitchers with at least seven innings. His 76.2% ground ball rate was also the highest of any month, and also was in the 99th percentile for Double-A pitchers. He did not allow an earned run, and had a strikeout to walk ratio of 6.33. 

Yoho seems like he could be in line for a legitimate MLB opportunity this season. Perhaps a sign that the organization is starting to look at him more closely was the fact that he pitched in back to back games for the first time this season on July 27th and 28th. If he’s not , a debut in early 2025 would seem to be likely.

Let us know your thoughts below! Did we miss anybody?

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