Harold Hutchison

The Brewers are 17-8 and leading the NL Central as of April 27, despite a rotation that grows more patchwork by the day. But should they be taking a look at some potentially hard questions? For the most part, the Crew has been doing well. That said, even in success, there may be some hard questions the Crew will need to start thinking about this early in the 2024 season. Let’s take a look at them. 1. How Do You Deal With DL Hall When He Returns? Hall’s transition to a major-league starter has been rocky. Among Brewers starters, his 7.71 ERA, 7.02 FIP, and 2.27 WHIP are the highest by wide margins. In fact, to put these numbers into perspective, in 2019, Corbin Burnes posted better WHIP and FIP numbers than Hall has now in what everyone considered a disastrous year for the eventual Cy Young winner. What should the Brewers do? Hall’s stuff has been described by MLB Pipeline as “premium” and “elite” – but right now, it’s a question of whether his continued presence in the Brewers’ rotation is sustainable. He went on the injured list with a mild knee sprain. That's only postponing the hard question. The Crew may need to move Hall back to the bullpen (and get a high-end relief option) or send him to Nashville to work out the kinks of returning to the rotation. It may be time for Tobias Myers or Chad Patrick to get a shot at eating innings in the rotation, given their dominance at Nashville as of now. Hall as an ace reliever might not be a bad thing - he could pair with Abner Uribe and Devin Williams (when the latter returns from the injured list) to be a "Nasty Boys" pen akin to the trio of Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, and Jeremy Jeffress on that 2018 team, allowing the Crew to have Joel Payamps and Hoby Milner to cover the 6th and 7th innings, while shopping Elvis Peguero for some future lottery tickets. 2. Should The Crew Swap Out Sanchez At DH And Call On Christian Yelich? We’re only 25 games into the season, but so far, Gary Sanchez’s numbers not as bad as Jesse Winker’s, but they're not as good as hoped. His .680 OPS is bad enough, but he’s only drawn two walks as of April 27. Winker at least got on base and made pitchers face the next guy on a reliable basis, despite his other offensive issues. The Brewers do have some other options on both their 26-man and the-40 man roster for DH at-bats in the short term. One option could be to rotate Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, and Joey Wiemer into the DH role while Christian Yelich is on the injured list. As the only other catcher on the Crew’s 40-man, Sanchez can back up William Contreras, but the DH role doesn’t seem to be working out. That said, a .680 OPS is somewhat sustainable for a backup catcher. But should Sanchez backslide, the Brewers have Eric Haase and Francisco Mejia at Nashville, and both are performing well. On the flip side, the return of MVP-level Yelich in 11 games was very good news for the Brewers until his back put him on the injured list. He averaged 7.1 Wins Above Replacement in 2018 and 2019. From 2021-2023, he averaged 2.5 WAR a season. That’s a 4.6-WAR difference. But the real issue is that the Crew needs Yelich hitting at MVP level to get the bulk of those WAR, and he can’t do it when he’s on the IL. Sanchez’s performance opens a path. The Brewers can move Yelich to designated hitter full-time, and then open a space for one of the young outfielders (Garrett Mitchell? Joey Wiemer?) or someone else (Tyler Black? Brewer Hicklen?) to handle left field. 3. Move Adames, Or Roll with Willy? Yelich is not the only Brewer with a bit of an offensive resurgence. Willy Adames has posted a 144 OPS+ so far in 2024. He’s not only contributed on the field, he’s been an excellent clubhouse leader. Right now, the Crew could deal Adames and move either Joey Ortiz or Brice Turang to shortstop and not lose much, if anything on the field. Off-the-field, though, the specter of the 2022 Josh Hader trade hangs over a potential Adames deal. Do the Brewers risk disrupting the clubhouse with an Adames deal that could land prospects who can help the team in future one way or another? The Hader trade did eventually give the Brewers William Contreras, but the short term didn’t go so well. The alternative: They stick with Adames in 2024, make a qualifying offer, and see what sort of compensation emerges in a future MLB draft. Or Adames could take the QO, and the Brewers lose him without any compensation after 2025. Could they sign Adames to an extension? That could end up being $20 million a year – but the Brewers could end up in a payroll crunch. They Brewers don’t have bad options at shortstop, but each of them come with some risks. 4. How Does The Crew Patch Up The Rotation? The fact that every multiple members of the rotation (Wade Miley, Jacob Junis, DL Hall) have spent time on the injured list is a big worry. The Crew is going to have to make a move to get help. Do they rush up Bradley Blaylock and bet on Tobias Myers for the short term? Do they turn to Aaron Ashby, who is still recovering his pre-injury form? Do they stretch out Bryse Wilson or Bryan Hudson? They could trade, but which prospects do they give up? Jeferson Quero and Brock Wilken are on the shelf with injuries that will need surgery. Do they trade Tyler Black, who is looking like a left-handed Paul Molitor? Do they deal one of their emerging prospects, like Gregory Barrios or Tayden Hall? Or do they package one of their MLB-ready young outfielders, and thin themselves more than they probably should at that position? They could also go the free-agent route, but that brings up the question of who ends up being designated for assignment. Furthermore, which free-agent pitcher do you call on? Trevor Bauer has talent, but comes with more baggage than a season of the late Jerry Springer's talk show (to put it mildly). Could Zack Greinke be enticed to return to Milwaukee to help eat innings? Who else could come back? Lots of questions for a rotation that is a step down from the 2021-2022 dominance. What do you think are the hard questions the Brewers are facing early in the season? Let us know in the comments below. View full article

The grand slam Yophery Rodríguez hit a while back is being seen as another feather in the cap for the Milwaukee Brewers' scouting department. But are fans looking at the right marker for drafting success? Yophery Rodriguez received a $1.5 million bonus in the 2023 international free-agent signing class. Ideally, he'd follow the Jackson Chourio route, on a fast track to Milwaukee. The same goes for Brice Turang, the 2018 first-round pick who has been doing a solid job at second base the last two seasons. Succeeding with these sorts of high-investment young players should be the basic expectation, though. For a big-money international free agent signee ($1 million signing bonus or higher) or a high-round draft pick (through the Competitive Balance-B picks), the definition of success should be that they either become a big-time contributor to the Brewers for a half-decade or they help acquire a key contributor to the team (see Matt LaPorta in 2008 or Jhonny Severino in 2023). We all know that not all such signings or picks will be successful; that's not in the nature of baseball scouting. No player who costs seven figures to acquire is providing positive value on that investment, though, until they help the big-league team win games for multiple seasons. Because of the unavoidably high failure rate, you have to get a large positive return on the ones who do pan out. So, who can be clearer, easier markers of success for a scouting department? Brent Suter has been one of those finds discussed often here, but other diamonds in the rough have emerged big time for the Crew.. For instance, let's take a look at Milwaukee's history with the 11th round of the June draft. Darryl Hamilton, Jeff Cirillo, Corey Hart, and Brandon Woodruff all had solid (if not excellent) careers in Milwaukee. Woodruff is one case to highlight: He became one of the best Brewers starters of all time, while the more highly-touted 2014 draft picks Kodi Medeiros and Monte Harrison's major contributions to the success of the MLB team were being used to acquire key contributors to the 2018 NL Central team. Woodruff's bonus for signing isn't listed, but Medeiros and Hamilton both got seven-figure bonuses. The Corey Hart who isn't Pink's husband is another classic example from that 11th round. His time with the team coincided with the 2008 Wild Card run and the 2011 NL Central title, and he was valuable contributor alongside Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder, the best players to man second base and first base in Brewers history. Only two other players drafted by the Brewers in 2000 made MLB: Krynzel (whose time was limited) and Jon Coutlangus, who the Crew didn't sign (and who had 64 appearances in one season as a LOOGY). Cirillo, picked in the 1991 draft behind "one that got away" Nomar Garciaparra and such luminaries as Ken Henderson, Ty Hill, and Derek Wachter, was arguably the team's second-best third baseman of all time. In that draft class, he clearly was the top player (albeit multiple Gold Glove-winning catcher Mike Matheny would like to make his case). That's going back a fair bit in time, though. One more recent example of a steal was Cooper Hummel, an 18th-round pick in the 2016 draft. He’s not the team’s biggest success story from that draft (fourth-round pick Corbin Burnes has that honor by a mile), but he was arguably the second-most important contributor by being part of the package that was sent to Arizona for Eduardo Escobar, who fueled the Crew’s run to the 2021 NL Central Division title. Hummel's bonus? $98,500. Again, of those with higher bonuses, only Burnes has definitively outperformed him. Who’s probably likely to be the next big steal? Let’s look at Yophery Rodriguez’s teammate on the Mudcats, Juan Baez. Despite questions about his defensive home, he’s flashed a dynamic bat. In a small sample at Carolina, he’s walked six times to five strikeouts, upping his OBP game (he had 27 walks in all of his professional career prior to 2024). He became a Brewers farmhand for a $10,000 signing bonus. Yet he could find himself as an infield cornerstone – even if the exact position is in dispute. Another potential steal is Noah Campbell, who may not be a big star, but who could become a valuable bench asset with his versatility (he’s played all over the field), OBP skills, and solid bat (not to mention taking the mound here and there). Initially a 19th-round pick who didn’t sign in 2017, he was an undrafted free agent in 2020 who’s performed well at the plate and on the field to date. It goes without saying that hopefully, the scouts who caught on to Hummel and Baez also have been called in, and have outlined what they saw in those players when offering the contracts they signed in order to help the team refine its scouting operations. This could be more important than a big free-agent signing or extension. Why? First of all, knowing how to pick out those gems can maybe help the Brewers draft them a little earlier or offer that bigger bonus to lock them in. It also could enable them to draft them higher, then use draft-slot savings to pull off a surprise like the way Cooper Pratt and Bishop Letson were wooed from their NCAA options. Second, given Milwaukee’s harsh hot-stove economic reality, the more hits they can generate in the farm system, the better it is for the team. The more the farm can fill the roster, the less they need to fill in via free agency – and it becomes easier to find the cash for generational players like Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio, and potentially avoiding the need to trade a Corbin Burnes. Finally, the more players in the farm system, the more assets the team will have when it comes to making that deadline deal for players who could be the difference between a near-miss, a brief playoff foray, or a deep run that could culminate in the Crew’s first World Series Championship. So, when Brewers fans want to talk about the scouting department’s success in the upcoming draft, it may not hurt to look at a different metric than just how well the top picks do and instead see how well they hit in late draft rounds, undrafted free agents, and the unheralded international signings. View full article

At this point, call up Blaylock. He's pitching well. Might be able to hold the line for a little bit.

I'd go 8 years, $130 million with a couple of $20 million team option years. $15 million bonuses for 2025 and 2026, keep an AAV of $12.5 million outside the bonuses. With baseball inflation, it still makes him a good option at DH for the latter 2-3 years in the deal.

The Milwaukee Brewers got some bad news from the farm right away this spring, with injuries to three key prospects. But do they have reasons to feel good about some of the prospects in their minor-league system, despite top guys being sidelined? Image courtesy of © Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK The minor-league system plays a vital role for any major-league team – one far more important for the Brewers than other teams, due to the harsh hot-stove economic realities they are facing. Its purpose is to develop players so that they can contribute to the major-league club. This isn’t just by them reaching or returning to MLB, but also for them to become an asset another team might want enough to give the Brewers something valuable in exchange. So, what can Brewers fans feel good about in the minor-league system, despite worrisome injuries to Jeferson Quero, Brock Wilken, and Cooper Pratt? Joey Wiemer Is Taking Walks Joey Wiemer’s complicated swing was exploited by pitchers during his rookie year in MLB, so much so that he was sent back to Nashville to finish implementing the changes he made this winter. In a very small sample (50 at-bats), though, we are seeing some good signs. He is tied with Tyler Black with eight walks through the games of April 13, and his strikeouts are down to 28% of his at-bats. This is a good sign that he may be resolving the swing into more of an asset to do with outstanding defense and some speed, and now, he's getting a chance to show off that newfound plate discipline in the big leagues. Carlos F. Rodriguez Is Punching Hitters Out Carlos Rodriguez (the pitcher) has struggled in his first three Triple-A starts, with an 8.03 ERA and posting a 1.87 WHIP. The good news, though, is that he is punching out hitters at his best rate in three professional seasons. Rodríguez is one of the contenders to be the Brewers’ Ace of the Future, but since he is just 22, there is no need to rush (although it would be nice to have him help fill out the rotation). Keep in mind, he is about five years younger than the average Triple-A player. Francisco Mejía May Be An Option In some ways, Mejía is a very potent might-have-been for Brewers fans; he was once the centerpiece of a trade sunk by Jonathan Lucroy’s refusal to play in Cleveland. That failed deal worked out well for the Brewers, as Lewis Brinson eventually became the centerpiece for the Christian Yelich trade. Now, Mejía is in Nashville, seeking a return to the majors, and both his bat and defense are making a case. At 25, he could be a good backup option for the Crew if more injuries strike. Ernesto Martinez Is Smoking The Baseball Ernesto Martínez has been an under-the-radar prospect at first base for a while, and he is off to a huge start with the Shuckers. He doesn’t have any home runs, but he’s hitting .346 and has drawn four walks in 26 at-bats through the games of April 13. Four of his nine hits have gone for extra bases. The jacks will come eventually, but so far, things are looking good for Martinez to possibly take a 40-man spot. The battle for Under-the-Radar First Baseman of the Future may have been resolved. Wes Clarke Is Holding Up As A Catcher Clarke has spent a lot more time behind the plate than at first base for the Shuckers, but it’s not hurting his bat in a sample of 22 at-bats. He’s walked six times to five strikeouts and has three doubles. Ignore the lack of homers and the .182 batting average. Behind the plate, he’s also holding up, boosting his caught-stealing percentage to 15% and posting a .980 fielding percentage. Bradley Blalock Is Dominating The Brewers acquired Blalock for Luis Urías in 2023. At this point, the Crew may be winning the trade, as the Red Sox shipped Urías to Seattle for reliever Isaiah Campbell, who’s been getting clobbered, while Urías’s bat is scuffling a little in Seattle. Blalock has yet to allow a run for the Shuckers, and if that keeps up, he may be headed north to Nashville soon. Nate Peterson Looks Nice Peterson had a rough 2023, with an injured-list stint and ugly results in Appleton. That said, he still ended up in the Double-A Biloxi rotation, and the initial results look very good for the one-time college hurler, whose WHIP and strikeouts per nine innings are looking close to what he posted pre-injury in Carolina. Yophery Rodriguez And Juan Baez Are Adjusting Nicely To Full-Season Ball Rodríguez and Báez are two prospects who have the potential to rocket up the minor-league ladder for the Brewers, the way Jackson Chourio did. So far, both are showing the reasons why such a climb is possible. Báez’s bat-to-ball skills have not gone away, as he has only four strikeouts in 35 at-bats, and he’s smacked a few extra-base hits. Rodríguez’s OBP skills have held up, he is providing great defense in center field, and he’s also punished the ball in Zebulon. Brett Wichrowski Is Wiping Out Hitters The Brewers can also be very excited about Brett Wichrowski, who headlines a group of pitchers in the lower rungs of the full-season minors who have gotten off to hot starts. Wichrowski’s stuff is electric, but he is also NOT walking hitters, either. What do you think are some of the bright spots in the Brewers system early on? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

I had a bad feeling about Uribe subtracting from the arsenal at the start. He probably should have kept the pitch hanging around - if for no other reason than to make hitters think about it. The way back is to go back to a mix that worked devastatingly well in 2023.

Wiemer's drawn eight walks to date in Nashville. The call up probably was earlier than Milwaukee wanted with Yelich being out. I'd probably have had Turang in the outfield (he's handled CF before) and would have put Monasterio at second if Chourio needed the off day.

The Ortiz CS didn't help, either.

Wonder if Corbin is wishing he'd worked out an extension with the Crew by now...

I just want him to get on base, and have the speed to steal second (or turn a single into a double/double into a triple).

This. I never got why Counsell had Thames lead off as much as he did. Ideally, a good line-up goes: CF: Frelick RF: Chourio LF: Yelich C: Conteras 1B: Hoskins 3B: Dunn SS: Adames DH: Sanchez 2B: Turang

If anything, Harper was someone more modern stats would love. VERY good OBP skills. He was no slouch in the power department, even in his non-30-30 year,

No Chourio or Yelich?

Here's a link to a version that still has the article up: https://web.archive.org/web/20181224220011/https://dearsportsfan.com/2018/10/16/why-do-base-runners-in-baseball-wear-an-oven-mitt/

While the major-league club is already playing games that matter, the 26 players on the Opening Day roster are not the only ones who will be playing games that count. Here are some bold predictions for the farm system. 1. Ernesto Martinez Emerges As First Baseman of The Future Martinez has been under the radar for a while. Even with a 2021 breakout, he has struggled to stay healthy and on the field – at least until 2023. Martinez is huge, but also highly-rated defensively. He’s always shown excellent OBP skills and flashed power. In 2021, he handled limited duty in center field for Single-A Carolina, and showed he could be a serious threat on the basepaths. In 2024, he could truly break out. He did well in eight spring-training at-bats. 2. Wes Clarke Catches At Least 30 Games Again At the start of spring, it didn’t seem likely this would be the case for someone who was arguably the top backup for Jeferson Quero. Austin Nola was expected to get a lot of Triple-A time as mentor to Quero… until he was released after the Crew signed Gary Sanchez to be primary DH (and #2 catcher). Then, Eric Haase was designated for assignment due to being out of options. Clarke still saw action behind the plate in spring training, so his showdown with Martinez as First Baseman of the Future may not completely happen, as he gets plenty of at-bats as a catcher or DH. 3. Five Position Players Rocket Up the Minor-League Ladder In 2022, it was Jackson Chourio who shot up from Single-A Carolina to Double-A Biloxi in one season. In 2023, Jacob Misiorowski rode a rocket up the ladder. But in 2024, the Crew could see a hat trick of position players make some big marks. Demetrio Nadal, Pedro Ibarguen. Juan Baez, Cooper Pratt, and Yophery Rodriguez all have the makings to be big stars and could make things interesting for the Crew, putting a potentially shocking move on the table. 4. Luke Adams Cracks the Top 30 Adams has been another under-the-radar corner infield prospect, but his offensive profile looks a lot like that of Martinez, albeit from the right side of the plate. He’s also seen corner outfield time, but here’s where it gets interesting – in five spring-training at-bats, he didn’t strike out, and he drew a walk – against some high-quality opponents, per Baseball Reference. That sort of mix could be the last piece of the puzzle that makes a shocking move be not-so-shocking. 5. Brock Wilken Ends Up on the Block The Brewers may find themselves in the midst of a pennant race – and in need of some reinforcements. With the rapid rise of Nadal, Ibarguen, Pratt and Baez and the presence of Tyler Black and Luke Adams, the Brewers find their 2023 1st-round pick is a prime asset to get the pieces for a pennant run. Yes, it would be a stunning end to the battle for the future at third base, but Wilken could fetch an excellent return for the Crew in a move reminiscent of the Matt LaPorta trade. 6. Satchell Norman Is the Catcher the Crew Can’t Coach There are very few questions about Satchell Norman’s bat. It was arguably the second-best for the 2023 Arizona Complex League champs. The problem is that his defense behind the plate is an adventure, to put it mildly. Norman’s best shot is as a designated hitter – or maybe being hidden in left field. Most likely, though, once the catcher experiment ends, the Crew will decide to keep him at DH until he can be traded. 7. Quinton Low Becomes a Dollar General Version of Ohtani Quinton Low’s tug-of-war finally gets resolved when the Crew puts him in the bullpen and lets him DH and play first and the corner outfield. His bat is a legitimate three-true-outcome threat. As a pitcher, he did very well in the bullpen. So, the Crew turns him into a hybrid of Eric Thames and Bryse Wilson. It’s not a bad outcome, even if it isn’t likely to land him an MVP award or two. 8. Nate Peterson Proves to Be as Good as Gasser Nate Peterson has been under-the-radar as a pitching prospect, but he held his own despite an injured-list stint. His peripherals in NCAA baseball were close to those of Robert Gasser, and that could be a huge lift for the Brewers. 9. Single-A Carolina Has the Best Rotation Among Brewers Affiliates by August The Brewers have some very high-end talent who pitched very well in the Dominican Summer League in 2023. It’s hard to imagine they will be kept on the sidelines. Melvin Hernandez, Eric Prado, Enniel Cortez, and Anthony Flores may not see much time in the ACL. 10. Darrien Miller Breaks Out Big Jeferson Quero has gotten the hype, but Darrien Miller has quietly been a solid catcher for the Crew in the minors. Offensively, his skill set is heavy on OBP and a lot of doubles. As a catcher he has been solid behind the plate. Miller makes things interesting for the Crew behind the plate, but his left-handed bat could be an excellent complement to Quero, Clarke, and/or Contreras. What do you predict will happen in the Brewers’ farm system? Who will break out? What will be the biggest surprise? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

No, I think it's very deep, and these are the guys who really will emerge. I think there are a lot of permutations... Black really has the kind of bat that is dynamic - Jeff Cirillo with a plus speed tool. Frelick, I think moves to the infield as the outfield in 2026 is Chourio (left), Michell (center), Yophery Rodriguez (right), with Wiemer as the 4th OF. Yelich is full-time DH. I can also see some deals bringing in some real controllable starting pitchers by Opening Day 2026, with Contreras, Dunn, Bauers, and Peralta among those dealt.

The Opening Day 2026 infield: 3B: Tyler Black SS: Joey Ortiz 2B: Sal Frelick 1B: Ernesto Martinez Bench: Brice Turang, Andruw Monasterio

In general, I'm reluctant to reduce a pitcher's arsenal. Alter the mix, sure, but the more pitches a pitcher can throw, the harder it is for a hitter to sit on one.

The 2024 Carolina Mudcats look to have some exciting prospects on their roster – at least for the start of the season. Who is going to headline this team? Let’s take a look. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / USA TODAY NETWORK Great talent passes through the Low-A level more often than it did before some recent changes to the structure of the minor leagues. It doesn't always stay very long, though; many players quickly prove themselves worthy of a sterner test. Starting Pitching The biggest names on the 2024 Mudcats pitching staff will be 2023 draft picks Josh Knoth and Bishop Letson. The former, selected with the Crew’s Competitive Balance Round A pick, started on Opening Day and held his own (even if he only went three innings). Letson, an 11th-round pick whom the Crew inked to a deal with a $482,600 bonus, will likely also see some action in the rotation. Joining them in the rotation will be Daniel Corniel and Yorman Galindez, who primarily started with the 2023 Arizona Complex League champion Brewers. Osbrial Mogollon and Manuel Rodriguez also saw rotation action in the ACL. Aidan Maldonado returns after spending 2023 in the Mudcats rotation (for the most part). Some of these players could work out of the bullpen in a “piggyback” role. There are some players seemingly in limbo – Ryne Moore (Who was with the ACL Brewers in 2023) and Alexander Vallecillo (who made 11 starts) aren’t on minor-league rosters and didn’t get released. Bullpen Five players the Brewers either signed or drafted in 2023 may end up in the bullpen. Morris Austin, a 10th-round pick, 16th-round pick Josh Timmerman, and undrafted free agent Blake Whiting saw brief action with the ACL Crew in 2023. Whiting also appeared in a couple of games with the Mudcats. Two other pitchers, 5th-round pick Ryan Birchard and undrafted free agent Harrison Durow, will make their pro debuts in Zebulon. It should be noted that in Carolina, the Brewers will piggyback pitchers, so a pitcher starting in the pen may eventually make some starts, and vice-versa. Jesus Rivero looks to be the closer for the Mudcats. Bayden Root and Jeferson Figueroa also look to be late-inning options for Carolina, while K.C. Hunt and Jeison Pena look to round out the relief corps. Fray Morelo is starting the year on the injured list after missing all of 2023. Catcher The Mudcats may be somewhat unsettled here. Blayberg Diaz was called up to Triple-A Nashville after Jeferson Quero’s injury. That left Satchell Norman and David Garcia as the primary options (with Tayden Hall also listed as a catcher on the Mudcats website) until Diaz returned to the roster April 5 following the Brewers’ signing of Francisco Mejia to the Sounds roster. There are few questions about Norman’s bat. It was a major contributor to the ACL Brewers' championship run. The questions are how Norman can settle in behind the plate, however (11 passed balls and five errors in 28 professional games as a catcher). Brewers coaches have their work cut out for them with Norman’s defense. Garcia is a minor-league veteran who can probably mentor Norman – or help bring along a very raw pitching staff. Hall’s experience behind the plate is very limited. Infield Juan Baez and Cooper Pratt are taking their battle for Shortstop of the Future to Zebulon; Baez handled the hot corner on Opening Day. Both have bats that could explode and lead to rapid climbs up the minor-league ladder in 2024. Baez’s has shown a more dynamic profile in the pros, while Pratt holds an edge on defense (with a solid bat to date). Daniel Guilarte was on the roster, but was reassigned to the ACL Crew after Díaz returned from his Triple-A stint. Miguel Briceno, who has shown he can hit for average, started at second for the Mudcats on Opening Day, despite being officially an outfielder. Tayden Hall will primarily handle first base for the Mudcats, after a solid 2023 split between Maryvale and Zebulon and some bigger numbers at Brisbane over the winter. Outfield Yophery Rodriguez will get his chance to match Jackson Chourio’s rapid 2022 rise through the minor-league system, starting with the Mudcats after a superb DSL season. He’s flashed power, OBP skills, and some speed in the DSL, and the Crew’s aggressive assignment could make things very interesting. Hedbert Perez, Reidy Mercado, Luis Castillo, and Kay-Lan Nicasia will all be returning to Zebulon. Nicasia is very intriguing, not just for his potential three-true-outcome bat, but also because he has a cannon for an arm (10 assists in 84 outfield games). Castillo looks to have a promising power bat of his own, while Perez is looking to break out in 2024 at age 21. Overview The 2024 Mudcats have a lot of exciting talent, from highly-touted pitchers (Knoth, Letson) to position players with superstar potential (Pratt, Báez, Yophery Rodríguez), not to mention some potentially solid players who could break out, like Hall, Briceno, Castillo, and Nicasia. The pitching staff, in particular, could be incredibly exciting for Brewers fans to watch. View full article

Last year, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers saw some players bounce back big time while others soared to serious heights and persevered through difficult years. What is in store for them in 2024? Let’s take a look. Image courtesy of © Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK Starting Pitching The 2024 Timber Rattlers rotation includes 2023 13th-round pick Brett Wichrowski, who debuted on Friday. While the absence of Logan Henderson and Joseph Hernandez is a surprise, given Henderson’s superb 2023 performance in Zebulon and Hernandez’s solid 2023, the Rattlers have a lot of depth behind Wichrowski, whose stuff looks to be on par with Henderson’s. Carolina Mudcats starters Patricio Aquino, Will Rudy, and Brian Fitzpatrick have advanced to Appleton, joining Alexander Cornielle and Stiven Cruz, who persevered through rough 2023 campaigns. Aquino and Rudy quietly posted solid numbers for the Mudcats in 2023, while Fitzpatrick took a big step up in Brisbane over the winter. Cornielle put things together near the last half of 2023, while Cruz is looking to rebound after posting a 6.90 ERA. Will Childers, Edwin Jiminez, and Tate Kuehner also made some starts in 2023, while Cameron Wagoner will miss the 2024 season after rebounding from a rough start in 2023. Bullpen The Brewers have decided to challenge some of their 2023 draft picks by having them serve as firemen. Kuehner saw some brief action in the ACL in 2023, while Craig Yoho and Mark Manfredi will make their pro full-season debuts in Appleton. Kuehner looks to be an intriguing option for replacing Hoby Milner down the road. Yoho and Manfredi look very intriguing, with expanded arsenals that may land them in the rotation. While Tanner Shears will be on the injured list all season, Yerlin Rodriguez, who posted 11 saves in 2023, can lock down the ninth inning. Undrafted free agent Aaron Rund made his pro debut Friday, while Chase Costello was solid as a multi-inning option for the Mudcats in 2023. Jacob Polancic is an intriguing signing after three years in independent ball, while Miguel Guerrero and Tyler Wehrle are coming off solid seasons. Catcher Matthew Wood returns to Appleton as the primary catcher after a 2023 campaign that saw him dominate at Carolina and display superb OBP skills in Wisconsin. Whether the left-handed pop that Wood displayed in Carolina returns will be something to watch, and it could determine whether he moves up the ladder or remains behind Wes Clarke and Damien Miller in the pecking order. He will be backed up by Ramon Rodriguez and Alejandro Rodriguez. Ramon has been a long-time pro and has been as high as Triple-A. Alejandro saw action with the ACL champs in Maryvale during the 2023 season. Infielders The Rattlers’ roster is a little misleading. Dylan O’Rae, listed as an outfielder, started at second base on Opening Day. The speedster with superb OBP skills will be worth watching as the Brewers try to figure out what they have. Jesus Chirinos returns to Appleton after a rough 2023 with the Rattlers (he was solid with the Mudcats that season) to be part of the first base mix. Mike Boeve, Luke Adams, and Ben Metzinger will compete for playing time at the hot corner, with all three likely to see action at other positions (Boeve played some second base, Adams and Metzinger saw time at first base). Metzinger did see some action behind the plate in college, while Adams has some corner outfield experience in professional baseball. Jose Acosta, Jadher Areinamo, and Jheremy Vargas have all primarily played second base in professional baseball, but each has a different skill set. Acosta brings some pop to the plate, while Vargas has an intriguing OBP/speed skillset. Areinamo has a high-contact bat. Gregory Barrios will handle shortstop. Outfield The Rattlers have four outfielders listed on the roster. Luis Lara returns to man center field and could move up to Biloxi sometime soon if he plays like he did in 2023. Lara has speed, defense, and the ability to hit for contact to the plate. Eduarqi Fernandez has flashed some power, while Terrence Dotson is looking to find some traction after being drafted in 2019. Dylan O’Rae, while listed as an outfielder, has primarily played infield to date in his pro career. Overview The strength of this Timber Rattlers team looks to be their pitching staff, which has a lot of depth, particularly in the rotation, while the bullpen could have some real gems. This is not to say there aren’t some potential offensive stars in Boeve, Adams, and Lara, but this is a team that will count on its pitching to win games. View full article

While the Triple-A Nashville Sounds have been underway for a week, the rest of the Milwaukee Brewers' full-season minor-league affiliates get going this weekend. Let's take a few minutes to preview the Biloxi Shuckers. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / USA TODAY NETWORK In some ways, the Shuckers will find it hard to top 2023, when Jackson Chourio, Jeferson Quero, and Tyler Black headlined an exciting team. Can the 2024 version be as exciting? Let’s look and see. Starting Pitching Jacob Misiorowski fronts the Shuckers rotation. He’s widely seen as the most exciting Brewers pitching prospect in years. He’s joined by Bradley Blalock (acquired from the Red Sox in the Luis Urías trade), Chad Patrick, Adam Seminaris (who is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued 2023), Tyler Woessner, and Nate Peterson. While Misiorowski gets the hype, and Blalock is a solid rotation prospect, Woessner, Patrick, Peterson, and Seminaris all could emerge as under-the-radar candidates to take a step up as starters. Coleman Crow and Brandon Knarr are opening the year on the 60-day injured list. Bullpen James Meeker and TJ Shook return after being the arguable MVPs of the staff. Both have proven to be superb relievers and solid starters. Nick Merkel looks ready to join them as multi-inning firemen. Justin King and Shane Smith look to be a solid 1-2 punch as future late-inning assets for the Brewers. The second tier of the Shuckers bullpen has potential as well. Russell Smith and Justin Yeager are looking to rebound from difficult 2023 campaigns, while Sam Gardner and Sam Carlson also could enter the bullpen picture. Catchers Wes Clarke’s surprising return comes with what may be a new primary position: he is listed as a catcher on Biloxi’s roster. Clarke, who outperformed Jackson Chourio in multiple offensive categories in 2023, has been pretty solid behind the plate as a backup. The only question is his ability to keep baserunners honest, but otherwise, he could be a solid number two catcher who can also handle first base and DH duties. Clarke is not the only guy behind the plate He will split time with Darrien Miller, an under-the-radar prospect whose OBP skills and left-handed bat make him an attractive option as a future second catcher for the Crew, especially with Quero’s health questions. Andy Yerzy will be the third catcher for the Shuckers, possibly seeing some time when Clarke or Miller handle DH duties, but most likely being a pure backup. Infielders There is a lot of sheer talent in the Shuckers infield. First-round picks Brock Wilken (third base) and Eric Brown Jr. (shortstop) are on the left side; both have flashed some serious offensive talent. Brown has missed time with injury, while Wilken’s rapid rise in 2023 stalled out at Biloxi, but both could very well be in Milwaukee on Opening Day 2026. At first base, Ernesto Martinez has been developing as a prime prospect without the hype in a long, Tyrone Taylor-esque journey. His defense has been superb, and offensively, he profiles as an Eric Thames-type hitter who can steal a lot of bases. Wes Clarke is officially listed as a first baseman, but may see limited action there given likely duties behind the plate and in the designated hitter rotation. Freddy Zamora and Ethan Murray will likely compete for playing time at second base, while Zavier Warren could get playing time at both third base and first base behind Wilken and Martinez, while chipping in at designated hitter. They might not get a lot of hype, but all remain solid prospects. Outfielders Perhaps the biggest surprise is the presence of one-time shortstop prospect Eduardo Garcia in the outfield. Officially listed as an infielder on the Shuckers’ site, the release and spring training game lineups have him in center field. He will be joined by Carlos D. Rodriguez, 2023 standout Lamar Sparks, and the highly versatile Noah Campbell. Rodriguez is a contact hitter, while Sparks provides OBP skills and power for the Shuckers. Martinez and Warren could also see some time in the outfield, with the former handling center field competently in a brief stint in his breakout 2021 campaign, while the latter’s seen some action in left field in spring training games. Overview Aside from Wilken, Brown, and Misiorowski, the Shuckers roster may not have the pure star power of Chourio, Black, Quero, Uribe, and Rodríguez, but there are a lot of very talented players on this roster, some of whom may be as valuable to an MLB roster as the potential stars. The real value in this team may lie in its under-the-radar players. What do you think of the Shuckers? Let us know in the comments below! View full article