Joseph Zarr

Today I will watch Damien Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo play for he same team from Milwaukee for the first time.

This is great - Yeager's ongoing emphasis and results pummeling the zone for strikes. Walks have been a mild issue early in his Minor League career. He's 25. What do you mean 'early' ? Well, lost COVID year. Let's remember: he earned the very early 2023 Shuckers role as RHP Abner Uribe's set-up man. He has absolute stuff: (From late January of this year)

That's now 5 in a row for Surprise. They move to 8-4 as they continue to come into form stating their case as a contender for the AFL title. You love to see it.

This is really well said. Thanks.

How fun is it to have such an in depth and ongoing conversation about these players we all hope achieve their best baseball as Brewers?! EBJ is also acquitting himself more than well in the AFL earning his way into the top 3 of the batting order and positionally working both SS and 2B (his first such innings in 2023). In 35 AB in an 8 game sample size - hey they don't play many games down yonder anyhow - to date EBJ has a 3 2B, 1 3B, 5 BB, 9 K, 9 R, 9 RBI 314/400/457. I personally think casting Boeve as a possible Black-like breakout is fairly misplaced in this comparison above but I understand the stretch. If we were going that route, we might also just consider EBJ - given he is just as athletic as Black (and much better defensively) - as he continues to adjust and build off his tweaked batting stance while aiming to stay healthy for an entire season. He'll likely never have the contact skills Black does (not many will, if we're being honest). Regardless to say EBJ is merely an athlete with good defense is fairly miscast, again, in my opinion. He simply hasn't been healthy long enough to build off momentum he has definitely created. All this being said, I don't base any of my subjective player opinions solely on stats. So, in Boeve's case I was absolutely thrilled to see him hit the ACL ground running and the High-A promotion made quite a bit of sense given his age but it was a very big unknown. After the game 1 back-to-back Wilken/Boeve HR's it felt dreamy. But, that fell back to Earth fairly quickly for Boeve. I use the greater statistical compilations after I've watched players play for significant stretches. So, in his particular case when I started seeing numerous weakly hit dribblers and topped balls and a complete loss of line drives I knew something was up - it was either an uncharacteristic slump; a problem; or he was injured. Unfortunately, the last memory I have of him was botching an very routine groundball up the middle that ultimately cost his team runs and possibly the game. System wide, back to my own approach, I hope the players' stats back what I'm seeing but I try to use both of these to create a complete picture. I am fortunate in that I have the lifestyle and farm set-up to do this - it certainly seems rare (maybe it isn't). I know there are historical trends and probabilities embedded in the statistics (this is most useful, for me, in the DSL and to an extent the ACL where we literally have no ability to see the games) but it is my personal experience that watching of the players means quite a bit more to me in the depth of understanding of who they are as a players - where they might go; what they might be working on; how circumstances and contexts skew things etc. A case and point to this is if you just peaked at, say, RHP Cameron Wagoner's stats you'd probably think he had a woeful 2023. When, in reality he had a fantastic season of development and growth and really solidified himself as a possible breakout candidate in 2024. OR, also in the pitching ranks, how RHP Tanner Shears' wild is a much different wild than a RHP Jesus Rivero or another notch down the ladder a RHP Quinton Low. None of that is really in the stats other than likely comparable FIP's or glaring BB:K anomalies. But, they are not all created equal. And, to once again go back to the pitching ranks, it's why I felt RHP Edwin Jimenez was due for a breakout. I said it all last season that despite his inconsistency his raw stuff was as close to a young RHP Mike Fiers as I've seen in the system since...well Mike Fiers. So, his stretches of brilliance in 2023 were completely unsurprising to me. Who is next in this breakout department for me? Off the top of my head, RHP TJ Shook. Somehow completely off the radar but, man, when he has his location going his change-up and curve play to both sides of the batters box. He has the build too - his lower body is very very developed. I personally think he just tapped into what it could be like for him to be a MLB pitcher last year for the Shuckers. I could very very much see a rise for Shook like we saw with RHP Tobias Myers by season's end - who is very much in play for the Brewers bullpen in 2024 and who may very will get a 40-man spot to protect him from Rule 5. What he did at Nashville in that final week was extremely impressive. And, this after already leading the system in punch outs for 2023. I am very excited to see what both of these young men do in 2024. Anywho, I digress. I think it's clear where I stand in the EBJ/Boeve discourse 🤣

5 combined walks tonight between EBJ and Clarke in 5 official AB's between the two. Surprise has now won 4 straight and scored double digit runs for the third time in four games beating Mesa 10-2. No Brewers pitched. Mendez was on the pines.

I know it is my friend and, as always, I greatly look forward to it. My Moore comments, here, are strictly related to the 2023 season - for clarity sake. I didn't rank Moore in my Top 20 (and, by now, you know how I feel about my rankings regardless - throw them in the trash! I'm an old man) but as the season progressed and the sample sizes piled on I grew more fond of what he offered Joe Ayrault and his teammates. Almost always available. Very very capable of playing elite defense at 2B and surprised me with his improved defense at SS - though his range is more limited there due to his size and wingspan he actually took that range to its max as he played it more and more and made several laid out web gems I was definitively not anticipating. His fill in play there was so crucial for the T-Rats in the second half as they made a legitimate run at the post-season. Without his savvy there I don't know they stay steady when EBJ was absent yet again. And, it seemed every time I lamented Moore's early season slump and his low 'hit for average' he would crack another gap double to the wall. I think there's a lot more in his bag than we guesstimate because we plateau'd as his play seemed to taper off. Regardless, he's a really solid 'Ace up the Sleeve' should he ever further advance the bat tool. The wonder of the Brewers system is the massive pool of middle infield prospects ready to make their respective runs over the next several years - from the DSL stateside into High-A. Where these prospect chips fall is indeed one of the most alluring qualities of the system at large. I look at a guy like Moore and he seems like another player in the mold of Patrick Dorrian - Nashville's 'Fan Favorite' award winner in 2023. Another uber-talented player who flied entirely under-the-radar - and, this, in large part, likely due to his massive slump to close out his 2023. Where he lacks the SS capabilities that Moore innately has, Dorrian plays a very very good 3B and a very good 2B. And, when he's not inexplicably mired in a strikeout rut, he hits long balls and gappers like clockwork. Anywho, getting wordy. Off-season and all. Love these reports. Love the conversations. Brewers baseball. 365 days a year.

The Wes Clarke clutch breakout season continues. May this campaign simply never end. May he smash clutch line drive doubles and smash moon shot homers in an improbable 2025 Brewers post-season run to an eventual first World Series championship...where he shall lay the wood to the Yankees averaging three long balls per game in a crushing four game sweep. In addition to playing 1B, C, and crushing from the DH spot throughout this mythological series, 'The Incredible Clarke' will also pitch three shutout innings to close out game 4's 19-0 walloping of the Bronx Bombers. This is the way. It is written in stone.

Wait a moment. We have Boeve ranked higher than EBJ? Ummm, I'm sorry, but that's a big 'not in my book'. This is the 'danger' (I say this extremely casually) of relying on ACL data and possible draft recency bias. As Sveum alludes to, he will be entirely dependent on his hit tool. In the brief time I was able to watch him on a game-by-game basis at Wisconsin there were plenty more question marks than there were answers. Extremely limited positional flexibility (ie he is a second baseman). Fairly below average arm, by what I witnessed. And (the addendum here is we don't know what actually caused his season to end early), outside his first series at Wisconsin we saw that Exit Velocity and line drive rate plummet. I can personally say, after watching him play in 2023, I ended my viewing and prospect fandom placing Robert Moore above Boeve - despite Moore's generally ho-hum year at the plate. Moore smacked many a double. A larger sample size, yes absolutely, but he drove the ball harder and further with more regularity. AND, in the drop of the hat Moore has very competent capabilities to takeover shortstop duties. I actually ended my own 2023 Minor League viewing campaign questioning what we had in Boeve overall. He obviously needs to stay healthy but his bat will be literally everything and that's a big question mark as he faces increased levels in competition. I could have very easily made 2023 arguments to leave him outside my Top 20. He's not really in the same ball park as EBJ in terms of upside and blue chip prospect speak (in my very humble opinion).

I swear I wrote this. The merry-go-round returns to @sveumrules!

I would like to again remind us: We have Giannis and Damian Lillard. 🤣 (No Blue Font) I went back and watched his interview with JJ Redick from last year. If you haven't seen this, check it out. He's so so heady in his offensive approach. Has a memory akin to A-Rod. He's just a caliber of guard we haven't seen on the Bucks. I can not wait for this season. On his 71 point game vs Houston last season: "...when I really sat back and thought about it after the game, I should have had 90." Not a lot of NBA players (ever) could say that one.🤣

IF we based the 16-20 on actual production in 2023, we'd certainly have questions marks on some of these inclusions. And, well, it's 16-20 and these rankings are always imperfect. Interesting players all around, no less. Blalock: What do we actually have here given the injury track record and a new injury that shelved him while with the Brewers? He is obviously a very intriguing arm but he certainly didn't hit the ground running with the new organization pitching in the Midwest League. Now we have an unknown injury. Let's hope it was an overabundance of caution and more a 'Development List' type of thing. Let's just hope he's healthy to start 2024 and we get a full season to watch a talented young arm develop and flourish. Guilarte: Here we see another injury that marred what began as a fantastic early season. It was almost a certainty Guilarte was going to get on base in the season's early going - his on base streak was a real thing. But, then he suffered an injury and never really stood out thereafter - even after returning from said injury. Given the lack of power, the fairly pedestrian second half of 2023, and the overall middle infield depth throughout the lowest levels of the Brewers organization it feels a fair question to ask: what really sets Guilarte apart? At least, that's a question I will continue to stew on as 2024 begins. Baez really grew on me the more he played in Carolina. What we've heard is the Brewers currently see him as strictly a 3B. I saw steady improvements in his short time with the Mudcats. I really like the swing - he definitely has opposite field power and ability which is always a plus by my eyes. Excited to see 2024. Bitoni, I would imagine, will begin 2023 in Carolina. Of the youngsters in the ACL, he certainly appeared to be the slowest to adjust. This isn't a proclamation of anything - it's such a brief stint post draft and we don't have the opportunity to watch any of these games. It will be very interesting to see this young man play in 2024. I'll be there for it. O'Rae is one of my favorite players to watch in the lower levels. He is just 100 mph and quick as a mouse in everything he does. He doesn't overextend himself on anything and it all looks effortless. If you want a baseline for a diminutive player, you want O'Rae's baseline. He has incredible range at 2B or CF. He is extremely patient and disciplined at the dish. The big thing that will likely dictate how far he goes in his baseball career is how he develops his lower body; how that development impacts his already advanced parts of his game (contact, defense, speed); and how that nurtures more loft and power. He obviously doesn't need to be a HR hitter but we certainly would like to see more powerfully hit line drives. For now, he's a contact heavy spray hitter. Anyhow, as always, my addendum is: these comments and opinions are merely that - current thoughts and opinions. I'm excited for each of these young men in 2024. Let's just hope they stay healthy and keep adding to their games. The sky is the limit and we just don't know how these careers will evolve.

A nice piece on RHP Shane Smith - synopsis on his season and what he's working on in the AFL (hint...it slides). Give it a read to see what's cooking for one of the Brewers top-tier relief prospects. On the level of bats in the Arizona Fall League...

You'll like this @CheeseheadInQC: Shane Smith Piece - He's Working on His Slider in Arizona and Has 1 K Already I can attest, by late summer the curve was straight filthy.

A well-seasoned chorizo will state its case as an 'every race' threat - every season, every game, and most definitely every race. Sometimes, and this is rare like we witnessed in 2023, the culinary team gets a little overzealous and throws in a bit too much pork fat in the blend. The seasoning gets washed out some and there is just no leg in those spicy little numbers. If I were a betting man, I'd simply opine chorizo was weighted down - by expectations, sure, but more actual fat. They sprinted into a full season overcooked. Tossed in a scramble and drowned in quick carb potatoes - sprinting out of the gates but losing that long distance mettle that wins those championship trophies. Huh. It seems to me they were the omen for the Brewers squandered playoff hopes if we were reading the tea leaves. We were too busy dreaming big while chorizo was bearing the weight of our inevitable burden. My friends tell me: "It's just a sausage race!" OH NO, I say! OH NO! Chorizo is life.

They won 17-5 last night. They smacked Glendale 16-1 today. Yowza! The Saguaros move to a prickly 5-4 record overall. King saw the mound again and pitched a scoreless 1 K frame. Manning second base again, EBJ hit his 3rd dub of his AFL stint in a 2-for-6, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K outing (moved up to 2nd in the batting order - a welcome sight). And, Clarke was back back at first base hitting in the clean-up spot with a 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K outing. After these last two contests, just take a quick look at the heart of the Saguaros batting order: (1-thru-6)

I believe you mean 'three double plays'. Has there ever been a game with 2 triple plays? That'd be something!

Surprise leads 13-1 in the 6th 😮 EBJ is 2-for-3 with 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, and 1 K. Mendez Is 1-for-4 with 1 R, 2 RBI, and 1 K. He also has a fielding error in RF.

Yes. It's just fine.

Clarke appears to be getting the evening off 🥲. EBJ and Mendez will try to wake up their bats. EBJ is back at SS while Mendez will man the RF grass as the Saguaros (3-4) take on the Scottsdale Scorpions (3-3).

I like the usage of "...one possibility." I am going to take this as a sign Matt Arnold sees what I see: Black is skilled enough to be part of a platoon. And he is skilled enough to play more than one position. And his bat and his base running is his primary position. Just a lil bit of innuendo on my part. Little bit.😅

Absolutely agreed on the 1B take. If anyone questions that just go back to Devanney's (a very good infielder) failed fill-in at 1B attempt post-Singleton trade. Whereas Toro was actually quite good, Devanney was a quagmire in his brief opportunity. As to Black, he definitely improved and got more comfortable as the year progressed. And, I think it's important to note we are still looking at an incredibly low amount of opportunities. And Black has been the consummate pro in accepting all the moving around, giving it his all (often in completely foreign positions), and all the while continuing to advance an already elite offensive skillset. He showed he has some range (tho limited and obviously inexperienced) and has an arm that plays from the hot corner. Regardless, I personally just repeatedly go back to the sentiments @Smichaelis9and I share: he'll be competent enough at numerous spots (ie he likely won't outright lose you games), with an elite offensive skill set too premium to ignore, that ultimately he could be a utility guy on steroids who can cover numerous positions and always have the DH fall back. I have watched Black play 2B, CF, 3B, and 1B in nearly every game he was called upon since being a prospect in the Brewers system. I don't see an elite defender by any means but I consistently see good effort and intensity and well more than enough offensive showcasing to validate spot playing him at any of these positions (tho, obviously, he'll likely never touch the CF grass in Milwaukee unless in an absolute emergency). His greatest impact on the game will predominantly come in the batters box and on the base paths and it has a legitimate shot to be elite impact as he adjusts to MLB pitching. He is just so strong, fast, and coordinated with a bat in his hands. He has an uncannily unique ability to make meaningful contact to gaps. In his first committed season to exploring his power stroke we witnessed fabulous results. Then we factor in how ridiculously dangerous he has gotten on the base paths in a year's time...it will all figure itself out. My main over-arching point is I personally think where he ends up playing defensively won't matter all that much. I see him moving around. His bat is what needs to be the consistent mainstay - if that makes sense.