Brewers Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month - May 2023

We continue our Minor League Player of the Month series with our Top 6 Starting Pitchers for the month of May. To begin with a small disclaimer, the Mudcats once again complicated the choices by having a lot of “tandem” starts, which led to a number of pitchers with starter innings, but only one or two starts. Because of this we have made the cutoff 15 IP, and at least one game started, in order to be eligible for the list.

Honorable Mention

LHP - Adam Seminaris - Biloxi Shuckers - 3 G, 3 GS, 16.0 IP, 1-1, 3.38 ERA, 2.55 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 12 H , 6 BB, 17 K.
One of the three pitchers acquired in the Hunter Renfroe trade, Seminaris had a really forgettable April before turning the page to May. He struck out more than a batter per inning and kept his walks to a minimum. Unfortunately he was injured during his third start of the month and wasn’t able to continue building off his recent success. Hopefully once he returns he will be able to pick up where he left off.

TOP 6 PITCHERS OF APRIL
#6 RHP - Justin Jarvis - Biloxi Shuckers - 5 G, 5 GS, 26.2 IP, 3-1, 3.37 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 1.42 WHIP, 28 H , 10 BB, 31 K.

Brewer Fanatics newly-ranked number 12 prospect, Jarvis didn’t quite match his dominant April, in which he took home the number 1 spot in these rankings. He did, however, still have a very solid showing, and seemed to prove that April was not a fluke. 

Jarvis’ stuff did not regress in May, still sitting in the mid-90’s with his fastball and showing the same three secondaries that made him successful in April. His command did take a bit of a step back however, and this was where the results likely faltered a bit in comparison to last month. Still striking out over ten batters per nine innings, his walk numbers weren’t all that bad. The command issues showed more in terms of his in-zone command, as Jarvis was leaving pitches over the heart of the plate a bit more often, which led to some harder contact against him. Jarvis’ month was highlighted by his May 18th outing, in which he went six innings, only allowed two earned runs and struck out nine batters. 

May was another step in the right direction for Jarvis, who is in a very important year of his development.

#5 RHP - Carlos F. Rodriguez - Biloxi Shuckers - 5 G, 5 GS, 27.2 IP, 2-1, 3.25 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 0.98 WHIP, 17 H , 10 BB, 37 K.

Rodriguez is another pitcher that has made this list for a second time in as many opportunities. The Brewer Fanatic number six prospect, much like Jarvis, had a really solid May even if the surface numbers took a bit of a step back from what he put up in April. Rodriguez was hit a bit harder in May, but was still able to strike out over 12 batters per nine innings. His fastball continued to ride well up in the zone and his changeup was a plus pitch this month against lefties. The slider was his go-to secondary against righties, and he generated plenty of swing and miss with that as well. Rodriguez’s month-long numbers were dragged down by one outing in mid-May where he walked four and gave up six runs (four of which were earned) in three innings. Without that outing, his May would have been just as elite as his April.

While he did have one of his worst outings in quite some time in May, Rodriguez’s best start of his career may have been his most recent, as he went a complete seven innings for the first time. In that outing he struck out 11 and walked zero. He allowed a two-run home run to the second batter of the game and then settled in and was dominant for the remainder of his start.  

Rodriguez has pitched well enough where the Brewers are likely considering a promotion to Triple-A, where he would be one of the youngest players at the level. This is a name that the larger publications likely need to take more note of, as the results just keep rolling in, and his stuff backs up the results.

#4 RHP - Jacob Misiorowski - Carolina Mudcats - 6 G, 6 GS, 22.0 IP, 1-1, 3.27 ERA, 2.08 FIP, 0.82 WHIP, 7 H , 11 BB, 38 K.

In terms of pure ceiling, the Brewers' second-round selection in last year's draft has one of the highest in all of baseball. Misiorowski is a freak athlete on the mound, with long levers and a fastball that regularly touches triple digits. He also throws a wicked slider in the upper 80’s and a curveball that is more in the mid-80s. His changeup has been used more sparingly, and he struggles to throw it for strikes, but it has shown flashes as well. There is potential for three elite pitches, and a solid fourth pitch. The concern has been, and will continue to be, with his command. Misiorowski’s lankiness, and long levers make it hard to sync up his mechanics repeatedly, and his stuff is so nasty it can also become tough to command pitches that move as much as his do.

Despite the command concerns, May wasn’t a bad month in terms of walks for Misiorowski, only walking four batters per nine innings. While not a great number by any means, somebody with his strikeout stuff will be just fine if he holds that number through his career. The concern many will note is that he got a lot of chases from Low-A hitters on pitches that may not have been all that competitive, and upper level hitters would have been able to lay off with ease. It will be something to monitor as he begins his ascension up the minor league ladder. Only allowing six hits in the month, Misiorowski was punching tickets left and right as he struck out over 16 batters per nine innings. While his ERA for the month may not blow you away, his peripherals were that of an absolutely elite pitcher. 

Misiorowski’s best outing of the month was, without a doubt, his May 25th start. That evening he went five innings for the first time in his pro career, struck out nine batters and did not allow a hit. The lone baserunner he allowed came by way of a hit by pitch. It was a dominant performance that showed just how high the ceiling is for.

Misiorowski is dominating the Carolina league, but the Brewers are still likely to keep him there for a bit longer, as he continues to iron out some of the mechanical inconsistencies and build himself up in terms of his pitch count. A promotion to Wisconsin looks very likely within the next month or so though and if you are in the Appleton area, that’s a guy you’re going to want to go take a look at in person.

#3 LHP - Nate Peterson - Carolina Mudcats - 4 G, 1 GS, 18.0 IP, 3-0, 1.50 ERA, 2.21 FIP, 0.72 WHIP, 9 H, 4 BB, 23 K.

Unranked by all publications

The Brewers eighth round pick in last year's draft out of the University of Illinois-Chicago was used in a piggy back role, but was clearly being stretched as a starter, never going fewer than four innings in any of his outings. The report on Peterson coming out of college was that he had a really good looking changeup at times, but it wasn’t consistent and two different breaking balls showed some flashes, but needed to add movement. His fastball had decent carry, but would get flat at times and sitting only around 90-92, touching 94, would get hit around when it did flatten out. 

So far in Carolina, the fastball has seemed to hold the carry a lot better, and it has been getting on hitters, causing some uncomfortable swings. Velocity readings have been hard to come by during his Carolina outings, but given the uncomfortable swings it’s fair to wonder if he has bumped his fastball up closer to 93-94 more regularly. His changeup has shown more consistency than in college and has been a really good out pitch for him against right handed hitters, though his breaking ball could still use more improvement. He has fared equally well against both righties and lefties so far though, which is always a good sign that the changeup is playing well. Peterson has shown tremendous command, and that shows in his miniscule walk rate for the month, as well as the amount of soft contact he has been generating. 

For a guy who didn’t have scouts very excited in college, Peterson has shown some unexpected flashes so far. The Brewers track record of finding diamonds in the rough makes it hard not to be a bit excited by what Peterson has shown. At his more advanced age of 23, a promotion to Wisconsin is likely in the cards relatively soon. That will be a bit of a better test for him, but these results are exciting nonetheless.

#2 RHP - Edwin Jimenez - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - 6 G, 2 GS, 24.1 IP, 2-1, 1.85 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 0.74 WHIP, 14 H, 4 BB, 28 K.

Unranked by all publications

Jimenez is the third player to make this list in both April and May. Much like in April, Jimenez technically only started a couple of games, but he is still being stretched out as a starter. The 2018 international signee Jimenez had always had a curveball with good traits; a good shape and sharp break and a changeup that showed flashes. However, the fastball had lagged behind in the past. In April his velocity was up into the low 90’s with more consistency and the fastball was commanded better than in the past, and that carried right on into May. If April was going to be Jimenez’s breakout month, as we speculated, then he was going to need to prove that he could build off of it. So far, so good, as he was actually even better in May.

Jimenez made the jump to High-A right as the month began, and hit the ground running. Thanks in part to what has appeared to be a more consistent changeup. His changeup is in the 84-85 MPH range, and has sharp and late break. It has splitter movement, though he doesn’t seem to have a true splitter grip. He only allowed one earned run in his first four outings with the Timber Rattlers, spanning 13 1/3 innings. He struck out 19 in that stretch, and only walked three. His final two outings were five and six innings, respectively. He gave up two earned runs in each of those appearances, all of which came due to the home run ball (two solo, and one two-run home run). His strikeouts were down a bit in those last two outings, punching out nine in 11 innings, but he still did a great job locating his pitches and keeping hitters uncomfortable.

As noted in the April edition of this list, Jimenez will be Rule 5 eligible this offseason, which means his organizational timer is ticking and the team will likely continue to be aggressive with his promotions. At the rate he is going, a move to Biloxi later in the season does not appear to be out of the question.

#1 RHP - Will Rudy - Carolina Mudcats - 5 G, 5 GS, 24.1 IP, 3-0, 0.74 ERA, FIP, 0.95 WHIP, 17 H, 6 BB, 25 K.

Unranked by all publications

The Brewers fifth round selection in last year's MLB Draft out of Cal Poly Pomona does not currently appear on any of the major prospect lists. Though if his May is any sign of things to come, that will not hold true for much longer. Rudy is a converted shortstop who is still relatively new to pitching and is likely only scratching the surface of what he is capable of, which makes his first month in pro ball even more exciting.

A very good athlete with a clean and smooth delivery and an arm action that appears to be very repeatable; Rudy has shown above average, if not plus, command already in Carolina. His fastball sits 90-92 mph with armside run and he seems to be able to throw it up in the zone, as well as down in the zone. With his frame and his relative inexperience on the mound, he should continue to add velocity and will likely get himself into the mid-90’s in the future. He throws a slider that is above average and flashes plus as times, and he also throws a changeup that is a decent third offering and helps keep hitters off balance. Rudy has the repertoire to stick as a starter and he showed it off in May to the tune of a 0.74 ERA.

To highlight the type of month Rudy had, his worst start was a 4 1/3 IP outing where he gave up one earned run. That outing was also his first start of the season and of his professional career. His next time out was a five-inning outing where he allowed one earned run. He then finished his stellar month with three straight outings of five innings and he did not allow a run in any of those final three starts.  

Not only did Rudy strike out more than a batter an inning and limit walks to 2.22 per nine, he also only allowed two extra base hits in May, both of which were doubles. Hitters were struggling to generate contact in general, but hard contact was almost non-existent against Rudy.

Rudy’s professional career could not have gotten off to much of a better start than it did in May. If similar results keep rolling in, the Brewers might need to look into pushing Rudy aggressively to High-A Wisconsin in short order.

Please share your opinions! Who should have made it that didn’t? Who made it, but should not have?

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