The Offseason State Of The Brewers Farm – Relief Pitching, Part One

3 hours ago, clancyphile said:

Even in bad years, the Brewers have always been able to put together solid (and sometimes spectacular) bullpens. The farm system has helped out tremendously in that department in the past. Can it continue to do so?

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Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

A number of relief pitchers in the farm system are flashing significant potential. Some are not “traditional” minor-league prospects, but given the harsh hot-stove economic realities that have seen the Brewers lose arguably the franchise’s best manager of all time and have to non-tender a pitcher who is one of their best starters of all-time, the Crew needs to do a lot of improvisation to compete and thrive.

Let’s look at some of the relief pitchers who stood out at the upper levels in 2023.

Ethan Small (Triple-A Nashville)
2-4, 3.18 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 40 hits, 24 walks, 61 strikeouts over 51 innings pitched in 38 games (two starts) at Nashville
0-0, 11.25 ERA, 2.75 WHIP, 9 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts over 4 innings pitched in two games in Milwaukee
Small, the Brewers’ first-round pick in the 2019 draft, has emerged as a solid bullpen option. Small sample aside, he punches out hitters with regularity. It is his last option year, but at this point, his ability to go multiple innings could be valuable for the Crew in 2024, given the major-league club’s rotation situation.

Clayton Andrews (Nashville)
6-0, 2.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 39 hits, 31 walks, 74 strikeouts over 57 innings pitched in 48 games (one start) at Nashville
0-1, 27.00 ERA, 3.60 WHIP, 10 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings pitched in four games in Milwaukee
Andrews is a late-round steal for the Crew, a 17th-round pick in the 2018 draft that provided players that the Crew later dealt for 2021 contributors like Willy Adames (acquired for Drew Rasmussen) and Daniel Norris (Reese Olson). Andrews, though, could be another reliable left-handed option from the pen with multi-inning capability. He also posted a .772 OPS over 16 starts in center field between Wisconsin (then full-season A) and Carolina (then Advanced-A) in 2019.

Cam Robinson (Nashville/Double-A Biloxi)
3-2, 5.33 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 58 hits, 39 walks, 58 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings pitched in 49 games
Robinson had a rough 2023, being outrighted from the 40-man roster after getting hit hard. He did rebound to post 15 saves, the most in the Brewers’ minor-league system. Robinson can generate strikeouts, and prior to 2023, he was lights-out. He is currently a minor-league free agent, but someone the Brewers should consider re-signing.

Darrell Thompson (Biloxi/Nashville)
5-4, 4.12 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 49 hits, 29 walks,, 77 strikeouts over 59 innings pitched in 48 games
Thompson is 29 years old, but he posted very good strikeout numbers across two upper-level minor-league stops–primarily in Nashville. While the numbers at Nashville looked rough, Thompson was playing his first full season of affiliated professional baseball in 2023 and an offseason in the pitching lab could make him very reliable.

James Meeker (Biloxi/Nashville)
8-4, 3.39 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 97 hits, 15 walks, 81 strikeouts over 93 innings pitched in 36 games (eight starts)
Meeker followed a dominant performance in Brisbane with a season wherein he arguably did it all. He was a shutdown relief pitcher, bridging the gap for closers. Then, he stepped into the rotation for the Shuckers after multiple starters went on the injured list. In all aspects, he was solid, and finished the season with two appearances for the Nashville Sounds. The Crew may wish they had put him on the 40-man, as he is Rule 5 eligible.

TJ Shook (Biloxi)
7-5, 4.62 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 83 hits, 36 walks, 107 strikeouts over 97 1/3 innings pitched in 25 games (12 starts)
Shook split time between the bullpen and rotation for the Shuckers, and the numbers were pretty solid. Notably, he struck out more than one hitter per inning, and improved on his hit, walk, and home run rates from 2022. Shook could be very valuable simply for the versatility he displayed; Bryse Wilson and Brent Suter have been recent comps to the role he could fill on the Brewers pitching staff.

Max Lazar (High-A Wisconsin/Biloxi)
1-5, 3.26 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 67 hits, 19 walks, 73 strikeouts over 69 innings pitched in 33 games (one start)
Prior to the 2020 pandemic, Lazar was looking like a late-round steal as a starting pitching prospect, like Brandon Woodruff. Injuries in 2021 and 2022 sidetracked him, but 2023 was a solid comeback year for Lazar in Appleton and Biloxi following a superb performance in Brisbane. He is a minor-league free agent, but the Crew should bring him back as another potential Wilsonesque, overqualified mop-up man.

Nick Bennett (Biloxi/Nashville)
4-3, 4.43 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 65 hits, 25 walks, 64 strikeouts over 65 innings pitched in 33 games (three starts)
Bennett posted decent numbers for Biloxi before getting a late-season call-up to Nashville. He averages just a hair under one strikeout per inning, and his metrics were on par with 2022’s. Bennett faces a lot of competition, but he has past starting experience, so he could still be valuable depth.

Russell Smith (Wisconsin/Biloxi)
2-5, 4.80 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 58 hits, 29 walks, 74 strikeouts over 54 1/3 innings pitched in 29 games (two starts)
Smith is tantalizing. He posts outstanding strikeout numbers, but he has been hit hard and issued too many walks. With an arm like his, though, the Brewers can only hope that he can put it all together and emerge as a late-inning asset.

Blake Holub (High-A West Michigan [DET]/Double-A Erie [DET])
6-4, 3.03 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 53 hits, 17 walks, 76 strikeouts over 65 1/3 innings pitched in 48 games
Holub was acquired in the deal that sent Mark Canha to the Tigers, and the Crew got a guy who could be a late-inning asset, averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Holub also kept walks down for the most part, but gave up the occasional go-fer ball. Interestingly enough, Holub was a two-way player in college, a right-handed first baseman with some pop.

Which of these pitchers do you think will make big contributions for the Brewers in 2024? Did we miss any pitchers in the upper minors? Let us know in the comments.

 

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Justin Yeager-Harold Chirino-Tobias Myers (guessing he’s moved to RP)-Ryan Middendorf-Darrell Thompson are all worthy of monitoring next season.

Love Holub-Myers-Yeager-Chirino as potential shuttle arms next season, with Shook as a dark horse.

he got hit hard in milwaukee

You won't get away with just gas in the majors, he also needs to keep hitters off balance is where it's at.  Also, Brewers acquire 1B/OF Jake Bauers from Yankees another .200 hitter with some power, when will they ever learn. 

6 hours ago, Brian said:

You won't get away with just gas in the majors, he also needs to keep hitters off balance is where it's at.  Also, Brewers acquire 1B/OF Jake Bauers from Yankees another .200 hitter with some power, when will they ever learn. 

Andrews best pitch isn’t his fastball fyi

2 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

It surely is not nor has it ever been. The change-up has always been seen as his money pitch. I would personally opine, his slider has the potential to be just as lethal. However, it has so much spin and horizontal cut, he struggles to locate or weaponize it consistently - so it is still just a sprinkle or keep them honest pitch. IF he could harness and fine tune that pitch...well, a man like me can dream.

Andrews issue is his FB has been like batting practice in the MLB. If he can't throw a FB at the MLB level without it getting smashed, he won't make it as an MLB reliever.