Steve Drumwright

Image courtesy of Maddie LoRae / Biloxi Shuckers If you like home runs, watching the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers provided plenty of entertainment in 2026. Not only did Brock Burke hit 30 for the Shuckers before going up to Triple-A Nashville late in the season, but Andrew Fischer came up to Biloxi and crushed 28 in 72 games, giving him a minors-best 48 during the regular season. Fischer, Brewer Fanatic’s No. 5 prospect, did something no other Brewers prospect had done in nearly 50 years in leading the minors in homers. The last one to do so was Bill Foley, who hit 34 in 1978 for Class A Burlington. Then, Fischer added two more homers in the Southern League playoffs, with the Shuckers sweeping the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, then losing in the best-of-three Championship Series. Surprisingly, the Shuckers did not lead the Southern League in homers, finishing fourth, six behind the leader. But they did finish second in runs scored and batting average, while leading in OPS. The pitching side was not as fortunate. The Shuckers finished seventh in the eight-team league in ERA and sixth in batting average allowed. Still, the Shuckers won the South Division first-half title with a 35-30 record with a plus-40 run differential, which was the best in the league. The second half was not so kind, even with Fischer added to the roster. Biloxi finished last at 31-38 and were one of three teams with a negative run differential at minus-37. While those are some of the numbers behind how the Shuckers performed, this was a roster full of prospects. And that begins with Jesus Made, the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball as well as at Brewer Fanatic. Made spent the entire season with the Shuckers and posted a slash line of .271/.344/.430 with 14 homers and 91 RBIs, tying for the Southern League lead. Whether Biloxi was Made’s final stop in the minors before joining the major-league roster is something for the Brewers’ front office to think about this offseason. Burke (Brewer Fanatic's No. 6 prospect) was named the Southern League MVP after posting a .285/.367/.603 slash line with 88 RBIs in addition to the 30 homers. Second baseman-outfielder Josh Adamczewski (No. 3 prospect), center fielder Braylon Payne (No. 4 prospect), right-handed starter Bishop Letson (No. 11 prospect), catcher Marco Dinges (No. 12 prospect) and right-handed starter Jaron DeBerry were among the prospects who were with Shuckers this season. Stat Leaders League: Southern League South Division First half: 35-30, first place, 1 game ahead, plus-23 run differential Second half: 31-38, fourth place, 12½ GB, minus-37, run differential Hitting leaders (20 games minimum) Average: Jacob Hurtubise .317, Damon Keith .300, Josiah Ragsdale .292 Slugging percentage: Ragsdale .698, Andrew Fischer .637, Blake Burke .603 OPS: Ragsdale 1.127, Fischer 1.026, Burke .970 Runs: Jesus Made 87, Dylan O’Rae 80, Burke 68 HRs: Burke 30, Fischer 28, Matthew Wood 18 RBIs: Made 91, Burke 88, Wood 67 Pitching leaders (10 games minimum) ERA: Cameron Wagoner 2.03, Tanner Gillis 3.32, Mark Manfredi 3.63 Strikeouts: Jareon DeBerry 138, Manuel Rodriguez 115, Bishop Letson 99 WHIP: Wagoner 0.79, Gillis 0.96, Jack Seppings 1.14 Opponent average: Wagoner .161, Ryan Birchard .168, Gillis .200 Wins: Rodriguez 13, DeBerry 8, Letson 7 Saves: Wagoner 7, Stiven Cruz 4, Sam Garcia 3, Edwin Jimenez 3 View full article

For the first time in Milwaukee Brewers history, they have a team captain. The Brewers on Saturday announced that Christian Yelich would be their captain and wear a C on the front of his uniform. Since joining the Brewers via a trade from the Miami Marlins before the 2018 season, the 34-year-old has produced on and off the field. Early on, it was a lot on the field, becoming the fourth player (fifth time) in Brewers history to win an MVP, taking the NL honor in his debut season with the Crew. Yelich followed that up with a better 2019, but a fractured kneecap in August sidelined him for the remainder of the season. That would be the first of a handful of injuries, mainly dealing with his back, that Yelich dealt with, with his offensive production not necessarily matching the nine-year, $215 million contract he signed in 2020. But he made up for whatever downswing in his stats with his leadership. Yelich has been a three-time All-Star with the Brewers, a three-time NL Silver Slugger and a two-time NL batting champion during his nine seasons in Milwaukee. He won an NL Gold Glove with the Marlins. The announcement was made to the team during a meeting before Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Yelich also made sure to have the approval of Brewers legend Robin Yount, the Hall of Famer and two-time AL MVP. View full rumor

With only a few days left in the regular season, the Milwaukee Brewers are still juggling their roster with players coming back from injury. But the biggest move is one not involving an injury. That would be first baseman Andrew Vaughn going on the 10-day injured list due to an illness retroactive to Tuesday. That date is important as it allows Vaughn to be eligible for the NL Division Series, which begins a week from Saturday. Right-handed reliever Bryse Wilson was activated from the 15-day IL and outfielder Brandon Lockridge was called up from Triple-A Nashville. Right-hander Lyon Richardson was designated for assignment. Also, right-hander Grant Anderson was recalled from his rehab assignment (right biceps inflammation), but remains on the 15-day IL. The minor-league seasons are over, but the Brewers have a stay-ready camp at Triple-A Nashville where Anderson might go. Vaughn has been one of the Brewers' best hitters this season while splitting time at first base with Jake Bauers. Vaughn has a slash line of .306/.390/.444 in 104 games with six homers and 43 RBIs. Lockridge missed a good chunk of the season with a nasty gash on his left knee and has a .273/.345/.313 slash line in 38 games with no homers and 12 RBIs. Wilson has returned from a low back strain and has 2.55 ERA in 12 games with the Brewers over 24⅔ innings. Richardson didn't pitch after coming up Wednesday. View full rumor

A pretty good overall outing that had a clunker of an ending ended the regular season for left-hander Colton Gordon. Gordon was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday by the Brewers, who selected the contract of right-hander Lyon Richardson from Nashville. With the Triple-A season over and Gordon going five innings in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, it is unlikely he returns unless an injury prompts an activation for Sunday's regular-season finale. The Brewers had an opening on their 40-man roster to accommodate Richardson. Gordon, acquired from the Houston Astros in the Lance McCullers Jr. trade on July 15, made his Brewers debut and was having a very good game before the Phillies scored three runs (two earned) off him, with the help of a bad break, in the bottom of the eighth to snap a 3-3 tie. Gordon had not allowed a hit in his first four innings, then gave up four straight in the eighth. He walked one and struck out one. Richardson is back for his second stint with the Brewers this year. Signed as a minor-league free agent after being designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds in early June, Richardson pitched 1⅔ hitless innings vs. the San Diego Padres in his only Brewers appearance Aug. 10, walking one and striking out one. He was DFA'd by the Brewers (he is out of minor-league options) and remained in the organization. View full rumor

Image courtesy of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers In its first season of existence, the Wilson Warbirds’ record reflected their final rankings in the Carolina League stat leaders. The Warbirds, the Milwaukee Brewers’ affiliate who were previously the Carolina Mudcats, finished second in the North Division’s first half and fourth in the second half. They had one of the league’s best offenses, putting up the second-most runs and the fourth-most homers. But the pitching was another story. Despite some nice individual performances, the Warbirds were 10th in the 12-team league in ERA (5.39) and 11th in opponent batting average (.255). With a lot of the key prospects in the Brewer Fanatic Top 20 at higher levels to begin the season, the Warbirds still had plenty of contributions throughout the season. That started with shortstop Brady Ebel, the Brewers’ first-round compensation pick (32nd overall) in 2025. The 19-year-old put together a .261/.417/.420 slash line with 10 homers, 68 RBIs and a team-high 39 stolen bases in 105 games before getting moved up to the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Trey Ebel, Brady’s younger brother, was the Brewers’ first-round draft choice this year (25th overall) and made his pro debut with the Warbirds, playing in 13 games with a slash line of .190/.424/.286 with a homer and five RBIs. Jose Anderson, a 19-year-old center fielder who was signed as an international free agent in 2024, emerged as a power threat with a team-high 23 homers despite a .173/.272/.389 slash line in 103 games that included 70 RBIs. He had hit 19 homers in 140 games over the previous two seasons. Another outfielder, 18-year-old Brailyn Antunez, had a terrific season, including 34 games with the Warbirds, where he put up a .339/.450/.573 slash line, hitting seven homers, driving in 33 runs and stealing 10 bases. On the pitching side, right-hander Jarrette Bonet, an undrafted free agent signed in 2025, led the team with 100 strikeouts and 109⅓ innings while posting a 4.86 ERA. None of the five pitchers who made double-digit starts for the Warbirds had a strikeout total that was greater than their innings pitched. One reliever who had a nice stint with the Warbirds was left-hander Jose Meneses, who had a 1.88 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 38⅓ innings over 23 games before earning a trip up to the Timber Rattlers. One good story to note would be the appearance of left-handed starter Frank Cairone in a Warbirds uniform. Cairone, the 19-year-old who was the Brewers’ second-round draft pick in 2025, was involved in a serious car accident in mid-January and made a tremendous recovery to appear in an Arizona Complex League game July 2. After four games there, he made it into one game with the Warbirds. Stats don’t matter in this story. It was the comeback for someone who had thought his pro baseball career might be over before it began that was important. Stat Leaders League: Carolina League North Division First half: 36-30, second place, 10 GB, plus-15 run differential Second half: 28-36, fourth place, 11 GB, minus-71 run differential Hitting leaders (20 games minimum) Average: Brailyn Antunez .339, Carsten Sabathia .288, Luis Lameda .270 Slugging percentage: Antunez .573, Rylan Mills .483, Sabathia .466 OPS: Antunez 1.023, Sabathia .847, Mills .839 Runs: Handelfry Encarnacion 75, Brady Ebel 74, Juan Ortuno 71 HRs: Jose Anderson 23, Mills 14, Encarnacion 12 RBIs: Encarnacion 71, Anderson 70, B.Ebel 68 Pitching leaders (10 games minimum) ERA: Jose Meneses 1.88, Anfernny Reyes 2.05, Peyton Niksch 2.70 Strikeouts: Jarrette Bonet 100, Carlos Carra 93, Tyler Renz 87 WHIP: Garrett Hodges 0.89, Reyes 0.91, Menses 0.99 Opponent average: Reyes .080, Hodges .117, Reyes .181 Wins: Bonet 8, Thomas Conrad 5, Meneses 5, Enderson Mercado 5, Joshua Quezada 5 Saves: Meneses 6, Quezada 5, Joey Broughton 2, Niksch 2, Eric Prado 2, Hayden Robinson 2 View full article

Image courtesy of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers It was a conundrum of a 2026 season for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The Timber Rattlers finished second in the first half of the Midwest League’s West Division at 34-48, but had a minus-31 run differential. In the second half, the T-Rats had a better record at 38-31 and a much better run differential at plus-74, but finished fourth in the division. Overall, they had the third-best record in the West and fifth-best in the Midwest League, but that didn’t yield a playoff spot. Wisconsin had the third-highest batting average, second-best OPS, scored the third-most runs, tied for third in stolen bases. Pitching was another story. The Timber Rattlers were 10th in the 12-team league in ERA, struck out the second-fewest and had the ninth-worst opponent batting average. There was plenty of talent at Wisconsin. Shortstop Luis Pena (Brewer Fanatic’s No. 2 prospect), left fielder Josh Adamczewski (No. 3 prospect), outfielder Braylon Payne (No. 4), corner infielder Andrew Fischer (No. 5 prospect), catcher Marco Dinges (No. 11 prospect) all started the season with the Rattlers, while shortstop and 2025 second-round pick Brady Ebel (No. 7 prospect), 2026 second-round outfielder Sawyer Strosnider (No. 15 prospect) joined the roster late in the season, well after the others were promoted to Double-A Biloxi. That core made for some excitement. Most notably, of course, was Fischer, who smashed the first 20 of his 48 regular-season homers, which led all of the minors, in 54 games with the Timber Rattlers. He is the first Brewers prospect to lead the minors in homers since Bill Foley had 34 in 1978 with Class A Burlington. Fischer had a 1.118 OPS with the T-Rats. Left-handed starter Wande Torres also made a nice step this season. The 21-year-old, signed back in 2022 as an international free agent and sidelined all of 2023 with a back injury, finished with 131 strikeouts (after two relief appearances at Biloxi), which ranks third in the Brewers’ system, and logged 122⅓ innings, also third. Right-handed starter Ethan Dorchies, a 10th-round pick in 2024, also made his mark with 101 strikeouts in 113 innings. Pena had a couple of scary incidents. The 19-year-old, who played in the Futures Game, was sidelined a month after becoming dehydrated and passing out in the dugout of a game in late April. He then missed two weeks in June due to a hamstring injury. He had a slash line of .298/.384/.420 with two homers, 23 RBIs and 27 steals in 51 games before being promoted to Biloxi in mid-August. Stat Leaders League: Midwest League West Division First half: 34-28, second place, 5 GB, minus-31 run differential Second half: 38-31, fourth place, 6½ GB, plus-74 run differential Hitting leaders (20 games minimum) Average: Josh Adamczewski .331, Josiah Ragsdale .327, Andrew Fischer .298 Slugging percentage: Fischer .675, Adamczewski .572, Braylon Payne .561 OPS: Fischer 1.118, Adamczewski 1.036, Ragsdale .975 Runs: Eric Bitonti 93, Daniel Dickinson 83, Payne 71 HRs: Bitonti 25, Payne 23, Luis Castillo 20, Fischer 20 RBIs: Castillo 90, Bitonti 88, Dickinson 66 Pitching leaders (10 games minimum) ERA: Michael Fowler 2.41, Jose Meneses 2.89, Garrett Hodges 3.38 Strikeouts: Wande Torres 126, Ethan Dorchies 101, Braylon Owen 79 WHIP: Meneses 1.13, Fowler 1.21, Owens 1.27 Opponent average: Meneses .129, Fowler .184, Hodges .189 Wins: Torres 9, Chandler Welch 7, Travis Smith 6 Saves: Fowler 6, Yerlin Rodriguez 4, Daniel Corniel 3, Bjorn Johnson 3 View full article

What is a reliever's reward for a stellar three-inning performance that saved other bullpen members? For right-hander Garrett Stallings, it is a trip back to the minors, but with great appreciation. Such is the life at the back end of the bullpen. Stallings was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville on Friday by the Milwaukee Brewers, who called up left-hander Colton Gordon from the Sounds. Stallings turned in his second three-inning outing in his most recent call-up in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Stallings did not allow a run while striking out six and allowing just one hit and one walk. He hasn't allowed a run in any of his six appearances with the Brewers this year over 14 innings, giving up just four hits with 17 strikeouts and five walks, perhaps putting himself in the conversation for a spot on the postseason roster. Gordon comes up for the first time since the Brewers acquired him with Lance McCullers Jr. and cash on July 15 for minor-league outfielder Jadyn Fielder. Gordon has appeared in 24 MLB games with the Astros, including 15 starts. Only four of those appearances and one start came this year, allowing 12 runs in 9⅓ innings with three walks and 11 strikeouts. At Triple-A Nashville this year, he has made 10 starts and pitched 54 innings, with a 4.69 ERA, 6.1% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate. Meanwhile, the Brewers on Thursday designated left-hander reliever Rob Zastryzny for assignment. He was on the 15-day injured list due to a left trapezius strain and out on a rehab assignment. View full rumor