Joseph Zarr

- RHP Wandy Cabrera was assigned to the DSL Brewers 1

The well-oiled machine that is the Minor League reports chugs onward down the second half stretch. May we all be so lucky to see some post-season reports. Fingers crossed!

When it comes to Avina, I want to know what happened in April when he K'd 28 times in 71 PA's. That was absurd. Since then, he's still K'ng at a high rate but it's 'tolerable' because of what he brings to the Mudcats team on a nightly basis. Power, intensity, solid defense, solid arm, leadership. All in all, though, he's salvaged his season with a very good July and his August is off on the right foot. Here's hoping he can close strong!

Looks like the Mudcats lost a tough one at Fayetteville tonight. Leading 2-1 in the 9th frame LHP Brian Fitzpatrick, pitching into his 4th inning and trying to close things out, walked the first two batters. RHP Jeferson Figueroa came aboard to try and squelch the potential rally. He got the pop-up to grab the first out. C Blayberg Diaz is credited with a CS throw out at 2B during the Woodpecker's double steal. Two down. And, well, Figueroa appears to have given up 3 consecutive singles and the Mudcats lost 3-2. That's what you call a 'tough loss'. On to the next.

Really helps the bottom line when you get plays like this from the perennially underrated INF Ethan Murray at the hot corner. This was a 105 mph dart.

You have to love the recent work of RHP's Ryan Middendorf and Cam Robinson. They've really dialed in in recent outings and if this holds through the end of the 2nd half this could be a huge boon for Biloxi's post-season chances: Middendorf: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K, 0 R - no HBP, no WP, no Balks. Love it. Robinson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 SV - no HBP, no WP, no Balks. Love it. Huge shut the door work here for the 2-1 series lead! Also, Wes Clarke. Stay sizzzzzzlin' young man! My goodness. 4 HR in 3 games, folks. He hits his 17th tonight. Red hot INF Isaac Collins hits a two-run shot in the same inning? Man, this Shuckers team is must watch right now (except when you are meeting your mom in a remote river town 😂).

'This guy' (in East Coast accent) went 2-for-3 tonight with 1R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B. That is a sweet sweet and easy lefty stroke. I am pretty excited about what the Brewers may have gotten here. Eric Bitoni is moved to SS (DH last night) and rewards with a 2-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 2 K performance. Noice to see that long ball action! Cooper Pratt is shifted to the DH and lead-off slot and rewards with a 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB evening. And, INF Juan Baez is moved to 3B where he goes 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 SB batting clean-up. Baez was also charged with his 16th error (fielding) of his young season. The defense continues to show warts. LHP Osbriel Mogollon does the heavy lifting going 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 9 K. 20-year-old RHP Gerson Calzadilla tosses another scoreless inning in late relief and picks up his 4th Save - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 2 K. His season ERA is now down to 0.83 with a 0.89 WHIP in 32 2/3 IP. Quite the impressive work from this young man. The ACL Crew move to 23-20.

How awesome is it for RHP Sam Gardner to get the recognition? This just in: it takes a few outings for new faces to get their proverbial feet wet. Does he have the raw stuff of Rodriguez or Rivero? No. But, he is doing everything you'd hope we would do pitching High-A at his age. I completely agree a push to Double-A is likely. They need the bullpen arms. Gardner has shown he's more than ready for the next challenge. It will be well-deserved. As Thompson and Middendorf have shown is: getting to Double-A and beyond is only half the battle. But, it is the proving grounds these young men need to develop their toolkits further.

Fair assessment. What I do know about Clarke is I love having him in the Brewers organization given his availability and ability to get on base and his gap power. Given this is his age 23 season, I anticipate his real work will ultimately come when he matures his approach a bit more after he is bumped to Triple-A. I could very easily see him in Triple-A for several years and suddenly he gets a chance as a power bat off the bench or as an emergency fill in at 1B/C. If he ever gets that shot I absolutely hope he runs with it.

He certainly could. He hasn't just been good since his promotion, he has been electric. Shears has also been very very good but he hasn't been as consistently accurate with all his pitches like Smithy. The addendum here would be: it's still only 12 2/3 IP at High-A. I will say, however, that curveball (whew) with the rise on his fearless mid 90's heat likely plays in a lotta places right now. It's that good. An added bonus would be: Smith had shifted to a starting role at Wake Forest but was derailed by the TJ surgery and is on record stating he would like to be a starter as he personally feels his stuff plays best in the 4th-thru-6th innings. He's likely to get that chance in Biloxi given how their pitching carousel has traveled in 2023.

I, for One, have quite enjoyed the evolution of RHP TJ Shook's season. Of all the guys listed here, I have found him to be the most intriguing of the long inning or 'he might give us 5IP starting tonight'. His K numbers have held in any role. It's a bit unfair to say what is what for Meeker at present given the small sample size of GS's (in general, not you saying any of this 😁) but I personally much rather have him shoring up the high-leverage relief innings. As a whole, however, given how absolutely erratic the Shuckers bullpen has been I certainly hope Woessner is promoted so guys can move into their best versions of themselves - ie know their roles for a Playoff push.

The Brewers Minor League ball clubs managed a 3-2 evening - victories by the Mudcats, Timber Rattlers, and ACL Crew. The Sounds pulled within 6-5 in the middle innings but ultimately fell short as the Bulls tacked on three more runs. The Shuckers were done in early and often in their 12-9 loss (more below). All in all, however, it was just the medicine I needed to move past that ninth inning Brewers debacle at Washington. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers Game Balls: RHP Cameron Wagoner really struggled his last time on the hill. He's been inconsistent as all get out in 2023 but he has pitched two of his best outings of his season in the past month. Tonight's gem at South Bend was his best: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 0 HR, 7 K. Stellar work much deserving of recognition. Keep it up, Mr. Wagoner! C Payton Henry drove in the entirety of the five runs by the sixth frame pulling the Sounds within 6-5 on his second HR - a three-run jack just over the wall in left center. It was very odd seeing C Alex Jackson manning the Bulls' backstop but Henry's sublime offensive performance made it quite a bit easier: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI. Included in the stunning performance was a ripping oppo taco to RF: Not to be outdone, by any measure, Biloxi's C Wes Clarke smacked two long balls himself and his third homer in just two games. His season total elevated to 16 HR, Clarke ripped a grand salami and a mammoth 455 foot two-run blast in the ninth that had me dreaming of another Shuckers comeback. Just check out this absolute moon shot: INF Cooper Pratt debuted in the desert for the ACL Crew and he certainly did not disappoint. The tantalizing draft pick who defied the industry sentiments and signed with the Crew, showed out as a teenager in a very big way: 3-for-3, 1 2B, 2R, 1 RBI. He was pulled late in a substitution and defensive shift. I would imagine this was simply a pre-planned ordeal. Here's some footage of Pratt's first two knocks: INF Juan Baez once again showed out at the dish. He has been hotter than an Arizona heatwave this entire season. Not only did he smash another long ball (his 4th of the summer) but he also smacked a key two-run double in the 7th and final inning and stole his 13th base of the summer. The two-run 2B padded the ACL Crew's lead to 6-3. And, that remained the final score. Transactions: RHP Bradley Blalock was assigned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from the Carolina Mudcats C Jesus Garcia was assigned to the Nashville Sounds (and activated) from the ACL Brewers SS's Eric Bitoni and Cooper Pratt were assigned to the ACL Brewers Milwaukee Brewers INF/OF Owen Miller has been optioned to the Nashville Sounds RHP Carlos Canales has been assigned to the DSL Brewers #1 C Kegnnales Seijas has been assigned to the DSL Brewers # 1 Final: Durham (Rays) 9, Nashville 6 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Henry Homers Twice as Sounds Fall to Bulls In an odd twist of fate, the Rays scheduled starter RHP Evan McKendry is now a Sound. Deadline madness, I say! RHP Caleb Boushley still took his scheduled work atop the hill hoping to give Nashville a 2-0 series lead. Boushley wasn't magnificent tonight but he certainly wasn't as bad as his final line indicated - 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 ER, 2 HR. The homers were solo shots - the first of which came off the bat of his old backstop C Alex Jackson (hey, that's not fair!). He was largely done in by a double steal in the fourth where the Bulls then adeptly took advantage. The rest went South the way of the suddenly somewhat shaky Sounds bullpen - I honestly never thought I'd write that in 2023. But, alas, here we are. The Sounds loss dropped them to 15-13 in the second half. They will look to rebound in game three tomorrow night. Three Quick Strikes: 1) He's pitched less than 1/3 the innings he did in 2022, but LHP Ethan Small has now given up half the number of home runs (4-to-8). His opportunities have been limited since his return from the 7-Day IL in mid-July, but, Small has now given up 5 H, 1 HB, 3 HR, 4 ER in his last 4 IP over two outings. 2) This was not a good baseball game from 2B Josh Van Meter. He's been solid for a good bit for the Sounds. Tonight was not a part of this solid lineage. An 0-for-5, 2 K performance is one thing - all players are prone to such nights. However, when you toss in the high throw to 1B (not charged an error, fascinatingly) that immediately came back to bite his team in the form of a two-out two-run HR blast over the LF wall, that 0-for-5 night is suddenly mentioned in my report. What a thunderous gavel of baseball reporting injustice! Perhaps. Regardless, with Urias and Alvarez long gone from the Sounds clubhouse they're going to need better nights from Mr. Van Meter. 3) And now, our much needed INF Cam Devanney moment of Zen. It's been a bit, folks, but the Devanney zealots are always waiting - meditating, dare I see - for his next moment: Nice calm and easy swing here. He's refined this batting approach this season. We see that in his slowly improving BB:K ratio. This season started on the wrong foot - injured and all. But, Devanney continues to battle. I remain a devotee. ? Final: Pensacola (Marlins) 12, Biloxi 9 Box Score / Game Log Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Shuckers Drop Slugfest to Blue Wahoos, 12-9 After taking game 1 in 10 innings, the Shuckers were back at it in beautiful Pensacola trying to take game 2 while extending their winning streak to eight games. So, how did they fare? Well, they scored nine runs on 11 hits! The pitching? Well, they conceded 21 hits and 12 runs in return. Check please! It wasn't all Blue (Wahoos), however, LHP Russ Smith pitched his second consecutive scoreless inning since his return - always a pleasant outcome. Let's see what else can be gleaned from my viewings. Three Quick Strikes: 1) The Shuckers offense was largely driven by the fantastic output of their middle of the order men. 2B Isaac Collins, 3B C Wes Clarke, and 3B Zavier Warren went a combined 7-of-12, 7 R, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 2B, 2 HR. Goodness gracious could the desert-dry Brewers lineup use some of that action. The usual culprits atop the order (Black and Chourio) also got aboard four times, but, the ongoing Shuckers offensive explosion is coming at teams from all parts of the lineup. It has been a sight to behold. 2) OK, I shared Clarke's mammoth 455 foot blast in the ninth inning. Well, his grand slam blast over the left field wall was no cheap shot either: I sincerely hope Brewers Fanatics don't take Clarke for granted. He's the consummate steady as it goes player - never too high and never too low. He's nearly always available at two crucial positions - catcher and first base. He's steady. And, he's fast approaching a 20 plus HR campaign in Double-A. He currently has 57 RBI to boot. At still just 23 years old, there's a lot to work with here. If he can start to flip the script in his K:BB ratio (he's still striking out 32% of his PA) we're really going to start taking notice. 3) I've made brief mention of this in the past, but it's fair to say RHP Robbie Baker is in dire straits. After tonight's 3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 2 HR outing, Baker has now given up 13 HR over his last 13 outings dating back to May 31st. That's 13 HR given up over a 24 inning span. I don't know what the organization does from here, but I sincerely hope Baker can somehow turn the tides. He was very good in May. Hopefully he revisits that tape and somehow re-discovers what makes him effective. It's never easy when you're in a rut. Baker is clearly in one. Let's root for him to turn it around. Final: Wisconsin 4, South Bend (Cubs) 2 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the T-Rats' site, game details, please visit and review: Wagoner Show His Quality to Beat the Cubs The T-Rats tried to turn the tides of their woeful game one performance and sent the roller coaster that has been 2023 RHP Cameron Wagoner to the hill. Was it a peak or a valley in the second game of this six game series for Wagoner? Definitely a peak even after the small adventurous valley of the second frame. It was a very important statement outing for the young hurler - he faced some adversity and he battled through it early and went on to pitch a career high six frames. You love to see it. Let's hope this outing is a portent of things to come as Wagoner helps solidify the T-Rats playoff push. Wisconsin moved to 17-15 in the second half. They remain tied with the Peoria Chiefs who improbably walked off Quad Cities with a six run ninth inning. Yuck! ? Three Quick Strikes: 1) RHP Shane Smith has been stellar since his promotion to Wisconsin. But, this shouldn't take away from the extremely impressive ongoing work from RHP Tanner Shears who picked up his 5th Save of his 2023 High-A season. Shears came aboard in the ninth frame after RHP Sam Gardener ran into trouble (2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 3K) giving up a lead-off single followed by a walk. Shears certainly didn't make it stress-free - 2 WP's and a BB - but, it remains easy to love his stuff. His throwing action is so violent on the mound and his curveball so nasty I'm surprised he doesn't have more than 12 WP's on the season. But, it's a little bit of a case of you take the good with the bad given how impactful the good currently is: 59 K: 28 BB in 38 IP. That's a over 1.50 K's per inning pitched! That filthy curve pairs incredibly well with his 95-96 mph gas and that's how he ended this one: a stellar 96 mph heater ripped to the top of the zone. 2) The T-Rats, like the Mudcats below, made things quite a bit harder on themselves then they needed to be with their 1-for-10 effort with RISP. The combined 0-for-12 output from DH Matt Wood, CF Joe Gray Jr. (3 K), and RF Hendry Mendez (back below the Mendoza Line) certainly didn't do any favors from those pivotal 2-through-4 spots in the batting order. Thankfully, the team received key contributions from the bottom of their order - none more important than INF Eduardo Garcia's RBI 3B and INF Jose Acosta's sac fly for the 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning. 3) Let's get back to the bullpen and close by discussing RHP Sam Gardner's ongoing fantastic work as a key set-up man late in games. The bullpen has been the strength of this Timber Rattlers team all season long and Gardner's ascent after a couple shaky inaugural outings has been key to stabilizing high-leverage set-up innings. Like RHP James Meeker in 2022, Garner is an older High-A arm (26 yo) having signed out of the Pioneer League in late May of this year. With that age, you hope to see calmness and control on the mound. We are seeing that consistently since the calendar flipped to July - 16 1/3 IP, 9 H, 8 BB, 20 K, 2 ER. He's been absolutely huge for this second half turnaround. Final: Carolina 5, Fayetteville (Astros) 2 Box Score / Game Log Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Castillo Drives in Two Runs as Carolina Evens the Series with a 5-2 Game 2 Win Having split the opening doubleheader, the Mudcats were back at it versus the pesky Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Taking the mound for the first place Mudcats was RHP Quinton Low. And, thankfully, we got the good version of Low. When he's mostly in and around the zone his stuff is extremely challenging for Low-A hitters - hitting upper 90's velocity with a very tight sweeping slider leads his intriguing mix. It was a much needed rebound outing from the young fireballer - 4 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 ER. 77 total pitches isn't ideal but the end results and the advantageous K:BB ratio really pop. And, we would be remiss if we didn't point out Low got some very very good help in RF from Kaylan Nicasia: The Mudcats moved to 20-12 in the second half with a 3.0 G lead over the Lynchburg Hillcats. Three Quick Strikes: 1) As the article above alludes, the Mudcats were far from perfect in this one. They left the sacks dripping in each of the fifth and seventh frames. They were a meager 4-for-18 with RISP even though they outhit the Woodpeckers 11-to-5 and were walked five times but also struck out 17 times. Yikes. In other words, they did enough to win but they'll likely come away wanting to tweak some things in their collective approaches. 2) Even though we've been frequently discussing the intriguing toolkits we see when RHP's Quinton Low and RHP Jesus Rivero take the hill, RHP Yerlin Rodriguez is undeniably hitting his stride as the most imposing reliever out of the Mudcats bullpen. He is now 7-of-7 in SVO's and has only conceded one single run when attempting to shut things down in a Save situation. He grabbed the extended Save tonight with 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, and 1 K. That lack of free runners really sticks out here. In the 10 IP during SVO, Rodriguez has now only allowed 3 BB to 10 K. The future is very bright for this young man. 3) 3B Luke Adams was hit by a pitch in the top of the seventh frame and it was not a pretty moment. It was a scorching inside heater that beelined directly to his elbow and forearm area of his lead left arm. He was writhing in pain from the get go and ultimately fell back to the dirt for a good minute or so. After removing his elbow pad and both batting gloves he ultimately managed to rise to his feet and take first base. BUT, he was pulled in the bottom half of the inning for defensive replacement, INF Jadher Areinamo. We'll have to stay tuned to discover whether this was a precautionary move or if he will need some time to heal. ACL Brewers 6, ACL Royals 3 Box Score / Game Log As alluded to above, we had a INF Cooper Pratt debut. We also had an INF Eric Bitoni debut (DH in his debut - 0-for-3, 1 K). 3B Brock Wilken was not in the lineup, however - we'll have to stay tuned if this is related to a well-deserved promotion elsewhere. 2B Mike Boeve was definitely still in the lineup (1-for-4) which, well, is interesting and not something I'd expect to last all that long. On base juggernaut, INF Dylan O'Rae was doing his thing getting on base - 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 CS (only his second CS in his summer campaign). INF Juan Baez was again scorching hot in the desert as alluded to in the 'Game Balls' above so not needed to repeat here. Beyond these key points, any other tidbits you'll want to glean are within that new and fresh look Box Score interface. I am still getting familiarized with it and so should you. This was a nice win against a formidable ACL Royals squad. Let's hope the young Crew can build on this and chase first place. With the victory, the ACL Crew move back to 22-20 and only 1.0 GB their division leading ACL Reds. RHP Jacob Misiorowski is back on the hill for the Biloxi Shuckers in Pensacola - a tough ask for the young man. Lets hope he rediscovers his control and limits the free passes. RHP Alexander Cornielle will look to help the T-Rats jump to a 2-1 series lead in South Bend. The DSL Cerveceros Uno y Dos will be back in the fold for the morning tilts but we'll be all evening for the remaining five contests. As always thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball. I'll see you in the ongoing Game Threads and will be back writing early next week. Go Brewers! Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scoresCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and DepthCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

Here's a one-two punch for y'all. Pratt's first hits in the ACL as a Brewer:

It would appear y'all were mistaken: Baez shifted to SS - Pratt and then Bitoni (DH) were pulled - and remained in the game where he proceeded to rip a two-run double. The man has what you call 'gas in the tank'. My baseball gods has been on an offensive tear ALL ACL season. Woot woot! 6-3 ACL Crew. Absolutely key insurance runs. You never know how the pitching scene is going to play out in the wily ACL.

I honestly do not know where they go from here with RHP Robbie Baker. He's completely fallen apart since the calendar flipped to June. It makes me blue. 3 IP, 9 H, 0 BB, 4 ER, 3 K, 2 HR If you thought RHP Matt Bush gave up long balls, Baker has made it an art form over the past two months. Since May 31st, Baker has now given up 13 HR in just 24 IP. I mean...that's a HR given up in every outing (on average). He's made 13 appearances. It's gotten out of hand.

A Zavi Warren K. A Ethan Murray K (on a very questionable check swing called strike - I didn't buy it). And a Carlos D. Rodriguez ground out to SS. The Shuckers gave up 21 hits in this one. Clearly, the offense was not the issue in this loss. Yowza. Those WHIPS might pop up a wee bit. Also, hey Marlins...would you please finally promote Griffin Conine. I mean. Seriously.

Seriously. And, thank you for saying this. I think the organization is pondering what to do promotionally at multiple levels? INF/LF Isaac Collins just got aboard for the 4th time tonight. He leads off the 9th inning Shuckers comeback effort (trailing 12-7) with a linedrive single to RF. Wes Clarke at the dish now after hitting his 2nd HR in two nights earlier in the contest. AND, WELL HOW ABOUT THAT a 2-RUN BOMB. My gooooodness these Shuckers folks. No doubt ABOUT THAT: 455 feet to dead on left center. That may have gone in the drink! Jeepers. 12-9 ball game now. No outs.

Meanwhile, C Payton Henry just smashed his 2nd long ball of his fine evening - a three run jack just over the Left CF wall baby. 5-6 Sounds! Let's get the comeback! Henry has all 5 Sounds RBI's. Epic stuff. AND Shears shows the cajones grandes ripping another high 96 mph heater right past the Cubs batter. Those wild pitches? Those happen because Shears has a filthy filthy curveball. I believe sometimes with his wicked arm action he simply loses that pitch. I can't blame him. T-Rats win 4-2!

Shears digs deep and works the scouting report with C Darrien Miller. He works the high and inside of the zone and strikes out the Cubs hitter on three straight pitches. He rips a 96 mph heater in the upper zone to the next batter. 0-1 count. AND, another wild pitch from Shears to the backstop - his second of the inning. 4-2 T-Rats and the runners advance again eliminating the force out.

RHP Sam Gardner was very good for two innings. Leading 4-1 in the 9th he was pulled after seeing the first two batters reach in the 9th. RHP Tanner Shears is on in relief. He gets the pop fly to CF on his first pitch. But, in an 0-2 count he throws a very wild pitch into the dirt and to the backstop. Runners now advance and the double play ball is off the table. 1-2. Big moments here. Still 4-1. The 0-2 count goes full. Foul ball atop the T-Rats dugout. Still full. Another foul. Walk on a heater way inside. Bases are juiced. One down. The blood pressure is elevated.

2B Josh Van Meter blows a beautiful DP feed from SS Cam Devanney in the hole at SS. Throws the ball high allowing C Alex Jackson to reach with two down. LHP Darrell Thompson goes down 2-0 on the next batter and proceeds to give up an absolute moon shot over the wall in LF. It certainly felt much longer than the listed 412 feet. Sounds now trail 6-2. Have I said before that in baseball it is almost always the little things? You can't airmail that throw. You make that out there and it's a 4-2 lead and a clean inning for Thompson. Mistakes matter. As the Brewers showed us today.

Leading 5-2 in the 7th, the Mudcats had the bases juiced with nobody out and they did their best Milwaukee Brewers impression: Luis Castillo strikeout, Gregory Barrios pop up to the catcher, Kaylan Nicasia weak fly to shallow CF. Not great! Let's hope the lead holds and we simply shrug it off.

Ruh roh. INF Luke Adams just took a smoking heater inside off his lead elbow/forearm. He was in immense pain on contact and feel immediately Manager Victor Estevez came out with the trainer. And, it appears he has risen and taken first base. Whew. That was a scary moment for us Luke Adams Stans!

Web gem diving snag by SS Daniel Guilarte. Heck of a stab to help Wehrle exit the sixth with no damage. Mudcats lead 5-2.