Joseph Zarr

LHP Mark Manfredi's nightmarish start to his early AFL season continues. The Javelinas entered the bottom of the sixth frame leading 2-0. Manfredi entered with the Javelinas trailing 3-2. The bases were juiced with two down. This line is not made up: Walk, WP, walk, balk, walk, walk. 23 pitches total thrown. 7 strikes landing. 4 BB, 1 WP, 1 Balk and yet only 1 ER charged as he adds 4 ER to his previous stablemate in RHP Jimmy Joyce. Manfredi leaves the game not having recorded an out, his ERA blossoming to 23.14 and the Javelinas trailing 7-2. Mark, grab a beer. Hit the showers. Regroup.

- RHP Esmir Suarez has been activated from the 60-Day IL by the DSL Brewers #1 - C Estefano Lozano was activated from the 60-Day IL by the DSL Brewers #2

I continue to find it highlarious I haven't voted on a single one of these post-season Minor League awards. Had zero clue there was a Brewers Minor League All Star vote. 😅 I don't know. You might want to ask the writer who, you know, watched over 80% of their games. Maybe? And, yes @wiguy94, you and I both know Mejía wasn't the best catcher in the system in 2024. He had a nice year, however, all things considered. I mean they have INF/OF Isaac Collins positioned in RF in the graphic. For crying out loud he didn't play a single inning on the RF grass. I'm in pain.

Day 2 of The Saleh Era. Now wearing Packers gear. You love to see it:

We are more than a week removed from the first Royals player announcements on the Bandits. I am beginning to wonder if Dave Nilsson's amended role with the Bandits as of this past off-season hasn't also changed the Brewers involvement down yonder? We'll have to stay tuned but as of now no Brewers news in the Australia Baseball League as of yet.

I'm a fairly outspoken Adams supporter (was discussing him fairly regularly even back in his inaugural ACL days). YET, there is plenty to have pause about with Adams. He is definitively a player I am more 'cautious' about heading to Double-A. As you mention: the walk heavy/HBP heavy means of getting on base means very little in terms of actual production. It's a currently a low level Minor League anomaly. If people are concerned about Areinamo's swing, you can't feel comfortable with Adams' free form hack. He can hit the heck out of the ball when he hits it pure but that appears to be more a result of his insane athleticism and clear strength. He's young but he is very much a man beast. It isn't refined and it certainly isn't pure. Pop-ups also happen because of his inconsistent swing path. He also leaves the bat on his shoulders far too much. And, then, defensively he is extremely inconsistent. At the hot corner he has an absurd habit of making one-legged hero throws while falling away from his throwing path. It is head-scratching to say the least. He remains an insanely rough block of clay. Great prospect. Far from a certain anything until he commits to and successfully shapes his rough edges.

when he injured his right shoulder diving back to the bag on a pickoff attempt. Awesome to see Baez get much-deserved shine. I continue to be mildly amazed at how Dykstra has doubled down on misrepresenting this play. Baez was playing defense when he was injured at 3B. He wasn't diving or sliding back to the base. He was covering the bag when the opponent was attempting to take the base. He was injured in their head first slide. I know it's 2024...but this is storytelling and indicative he almost certainly never saw the event being described. Anywho. 🤷‍♂️

I can honestly say I don't recall a single game last season the Bucks were as organized as they were vs Philly on both ends. Vet Minimum signings appear massive. Words can not describe the upgrade of Gary Trent Jr. over Beasley.

Circling back to Saleh for a moment: Everything I have read is he is there through Thursday. There doesn't appear to be much else there beyond that? He is adding input on the offensive side of the ball and beyond that there doesn't appear to be anything more. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Javelinas hung on 11-10. Always an adventure with their pitching staff. They move to 4-9 on their season. Speaking of pitching, RHP Nick Merkel saw action early hurling 2 1/3 IP of 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 ER, 1 HR ball. 38 pitches thrown with 24 strikes. Merkel has now given up three long balls in his past two outings. It goes without saying this is a trend he is going to want to reverse very soon.

Baez just took his 2nd free pass of his day while tallying his fourth RBI in the process. What a phenomenal game and what a phenomenal early season performance for the young man! 10-5 Javelinas

Wilken is out of the line-up but El Juan Baez and Luis Lara are showcasing just fine for the Crew. Baez hit a 2-run jack to get the Javelinas on the board in the 4th - his second long ball in the AFL - and he then git the go-ahead single poke in a five-run 8th. A 3-RBI afternoon so far. Lara, playing RF again, is 1-for-3 with 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K and 2 SB. The Javelinas cling to a 9-5 lead in the bottom of the 8th as their roller coaster pitching staff tries to escape a two out bases loaded jam.

Not so shocking news: Glendale beat Peoria last night, yet again, 8-1. I do believe, off the top of my noggin that's four straight losses to Glendale? The Javelinas fall to 3-9. 3B Brock Wilken was the sole field player in the lineup. He batted clean-up going 1-for-4 with 1 RBI and 3 K. RHP Coleman Crow got roughed up some in just his third outing going 2 1/3 IP allowing 6 H, 4 ER while striking out three. He did manage to throw 33 of 43 total pitches for strikes.

Robert Saleh is indeed at Packers practice today with what certainly appears to be some type of practice script or coaches itinerary. Probably nothing but let's gossip and speculate - that's more fun:

I agree on the 'we're old!' sentiment. We are. But, who knows? It all comes down to health. But that's the same every season for every team. If the Big Three are healthy? They can still beat any team in any series - including the Celtics. That's a massive 'If' tho. I think we are going to see a much more dialed Dame. Much more. Last season was rough by his standards given all that was going on.

If 'purgatory' is Prime Giannis, I am ready and willing to enter the Darkness.

He can play every position left of 1B. IMHO, he is best used platooning 2B and 3B and filling in at SS. However, he certainly can play SS. At 2B, he is in the class of Turang defensively. Just upper-echelon.

On the flip side of all of this is the ongoing upward trajectory of the ongoing Made Hype. Man, it legit feels like 'pinch me' zone:

Man, I wish we had Adames at High-A. That'd be amazing. 🤭 Anywho, to your point: The 'concerns' or general apprehensions about the pre-swing movement absolutely have merit for Double-A and beyond. Can he continue to improve his numbers as he has done with each successive jump? Hard to tell. But, it's important to note, to date, he has improved every important component of his offensive output with each successive promotion. I personally would place him above Yophery today. That's just me. Even with the swing hitch, Jadher is simply a much better and more mature hitter than Yophery who often doesn't know what to swing at or what he is doing in his approach bat-to-bat. Projection-wise? Obviously, Yophery is fun to dream on given his fantastic defense and overall effort. If I'm picking a team to win a game can I legitimately validate why I would choose Yophery, say, over Lara? No. I can not. If I'm picking a team to win today can I validate throwing Wilken's incredibly poor current bat over Areinamo? No I can not. If I'm picking a team today, can I validate choosing Tyler Black over a 1B selection of Ernesto Martinez Jr. and Areinamo at 2B and Adams at 3B? No I can not. I personally think Areinamo is still extremely competitive as a player within that group you list - again, going back to my personal opinion that rankings, in general are frivolous. He's just an incredible baseball player. And, man, I enjoy the heck out of watching him on a day-in and day-out basis. But, back to your general remark above: I very much can support your general stance of not choosing to rank him above the listed players. Fair remarks in general.

I mean, that's all fine and dandy no matter how it shakes off the proverbial tree. I'm on the record, on more than one occasion, that these rankings (across the vast interwebs) are relatively meaningless. They are fun in terms of involvement, player recognition and discourse and I am certainly not a fist waving codger yelling at the clouds here. BUT, Areinamo not firmly in the Top 20 just tells me the persons voting aren't actually watching him play. Jadher is quite easily - and I mean quite easily - one of the best pure baseball players wearing a Brewers uniform. He is just a natural born ball player. He is as consistent as a Triple-A vet and already is a gold glove worthy defender. The quickest release in the system out of the infield glove - turns at 2B to make a grown man weep. And, I see improvement at the dish every season with suddenly developing power. Anywho, if I am starting a winning Brewers-based squad to open 2025 - at any level for this hypothetical exercise - I am absolutely picking Hunt and Areinamo in my first five picks. I know these are about projections etc. I watch games for the big picture and I lean toward clutch performers and winners.

He's not wrong. His 2024 season, as a general whole (outside of a single month), has been a general disaster at the dish. It truly is hard to put into words how much of a struggle Wilken and EBJ had in Biloxi in 2024. EBJ's swing changed three times from what I saw - finishing his season still struggling mightily but reducing his pre-swing set up and motion to a very traditional stance (thank the baseball gods). With Wilken, I continue to go back to the hit to the face. Recent interview comments very clearly indicated it is still very much a mental block for him in the batter's box. Regardless, a consistent Wilken theme I experienced watching the vast majority of the Shuckers tilts: over aggressive and poor swing choices, not seeing the ball well and not doing enough damage on the hittable pitches.

The stateside roster trimming continues 😔: - RHP Gerson Calzadilla was released by the ACL Brewers

OR, another take: How uninformed the voters are 🤭 There is zero Brewers Minor League baseball world in which Areinamo isn't a Top 20 prospect.

Not to be a stickler, BUT, Lara hasn't played an inning of Double-A ball. You likely mean the Midwest League?