Joseph Zarr

DH Quinton Low is back. AB's have been extremely sparse for Low but it is worth pointing out he hit 0.294 with a 0.958 OPS in just 17 registered AB's (21 PA's) in June.

So what I wrote down (and it's hilarious as I was mistaken - we only got one speed reported on a change-up!😅): First wild pitch was a beauty - off speed classic down and in to a lefty. I put it on Cabrera or just his massive movement (he was credited with 3 WP, mind you). More a testament to his stuff than being 'wild'. Cabrera mistakenly tried to backhand catch a sinking inner off-speed headed to the dirt. He needs to move and block it. Would have loved to see the first pitch of his fourth batter on an accurate Gamecast - dropped a dime of a curve/slurve right on the outer stripe called a ball. Gorgeous pitch. 1-0 felt unfair. 2nd WP was indeed wild. High and outside went off-speed low and in. Runners advanced. 3rd WP - all 3 came in his first frame - and this one was also an off-speed pitch that ran away. Appears to have a sinker as well as possibly two types of heat? Would love to hear it from Rivero himself or the pitching coaches. Also has a slider. A curve/slurve. And, maybe even a change-up. Lots of tools. He can go straight four-seam riser OR he can go sink OR he can go tailing two-seam by my eyes. Robbed of another K second batter of 7th - beautiful outer half heater. It was a K. Eye test matters. He's been wild, yes, but in these lower levels the stats often lie. Change-up drops to 81 mph - so, yes, definitely a change-up I am seeing in addition... Slider appears to be a notch higher - I'd bargain 85-86. He opened up the 8th with a slider K. Back-to-back K's via the slider. Clearly a strikeout pitch. Final out on another pop-up. Lotta pop-ups induced. Hardest hit ball was an oppo liner run-scoring line drive single. So given that change-up and what appeared to be a low to mid 80's slider I'm going 93-95 mph on the heat when he dials back. But, not verified.

YES! Greg Young is fantastic in that way. When I get back to the farm I'll share from my notes - we have such great announcers I'm always logging player comments in a designated folder. I'll be back by 4 PM PST to get watching so will share here then.

Absolutely agreed there. I mean, I write these obssessive Daily reports 2 and sometimes 3 times per week and I'm still discovering new players surfing through the DSL/ACL game logs and box scores. There's no way a small staff can keep up with 30 teams in that manner. I won't hear it! NO SIR!

I see the Brewers are now playing Organizational lack of 1B Depth Jenga at the MLB level as well? I've seen Dorrian, Toro, Hiura, and Devanney all play 1B for the Sounds in the past several weeks. Toss height out the window. It is now a 'Break Glass in Case of Emergency' depth chart. Hot take: Toro is the best of this bunch. 😂

I must say: seeing the litany of 'Unranked by All Publications' coming into this June monthly award cycle simply reinforces my general sentiment that the MLB Pipeline lists et al (Those coveted Top 20 and Top 100 lists) just don't actually mean all that much. They're essentially a very broad and faint brushstroke in a massively more detailed organizational picture. They don't account for Independent League FA's, Minor League Free Agents etc. They are very myopic and hype driven but they inherently lack in-season adaptability and the ability to implement the minutiae of what these Minor League players are actually doing. Anywho... The thing you have to love about RHP Shane Smith is he is cut from the Old School cloth of: "Here it is. Try and hit this!" He is absolutely unafraid to try and blow it by hitters. He mostly succeeds here. Like last night when he lost the shutout, however, he is prone to the long ball from time-to-time. But, those solo shots in a 3-0 game don't mean all that much. Fun pitcher to watch.

LHP Clayton Andrews was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers RHP J.B. Bukauskas was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers RHP Tyson Miller was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds RHP J.C. Mejía had his contract selected by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds LHP Thomas Pannone, who was DFA'd this past weekend, was released

RHP Lucas Erceg's MLB success story hit an unforgiving hiccup in his recent outing versus the Yankees. In the past, at both Biloxi and Nashville these types of outings led to extended bouts of futility (and bad luck). For his sake, I hope he gets right back to wheeling and dealing like he has. I continue to question where those 'Traded for Cash' earnings went. It was reported at the time this was a favor to the player but, man, sometimes our favorite organization fails to see the forest for the trees. (Article HERE - 6/10) Full article of quotes below (6/29): Erceg's Run of Dominance Hits a Snag Against Yankees

Ugh. Just ugh.

As you know by now: I love his game. He has added wrinkles in 2023 to boot contrary to most fans typecasting those upper-20's 'prospect'. His off-speed game is dialed right now - noticeable advancements with his curveball in particular. His heater is now a pitch you can't sit on as he's enhanced his mix and adjusted his approach in the very challenging Southern League. A pitcher like RHP Tobias Myers, who certainly has tools and talent, could learn many things by simply watching Meeker toss the white rat - how to mix his pitches. I agree, he's likely a Sound sooner than later given what he's showing. It probably coincides with a RHP Logan Henderson promotion to Wisconsin (also coming soon me thinks) and then a contemporaneous promotion from the T-Rats staff. They probably want to see if Woessner rebounds from his 4 IP, 10 ER effort his past time out? OR, perhaps reward RHP Brannon Jordan for a fantastic first half? Hard to tell. Given both Jordan and Woessner scuffled in their past outings, they may just keep working Meeker as a Starter for the time being. And, given LHP Russ Smith's ongoing woes they could promote Meeker and send Smith back down to a place he never really proved himself at to begin with. Lotta words right there!😂

Hard to qualify with only 3 ACL Starts before a rapid promotion to Carolina (where he continues to work through walk issues in the early going - 7 K : 6 BB in 6 IP) but this is an arm we should be aware of. RHP Jesus Rivero already shows an advanced array of two types of heat and off-speed stuff that plays across both sides of the plate. The thing that really stuck out for me in last night's victory in Zebulon, despite Rivero's 5 BB in 4 IP, is his off-speed is already nearly an identical delivery as his two heaters. This is a very exciting young arm:

Speaking of OF Yophery Rodriguez (albeit, extremely briefly):

Chris Mehring on the post-game T-Rats pod had UNOFFICIAL upadates: OF Eduarqui Fermandez is chomping at the proverbial bit. He is ready to go but has to wait out his full 7-Day IL stint. LHP Justin King (last pitched June 6th) has begun throwing bullpen sessions as he looks to ramp up. No official word on EBJ. It seemed to me like they are awaiting word on test results (completely MY speculation). Tho we obviously are hoping for the best here, it really just doesn't currently sound good. And, when I go back to review that play it still appears to me that he somehow injured his left arm in the awkward landing. Just a freak injury. What a tough break season for the young man! Fingers crossed. Also, as Jim noted in yesterday's ML GT, according to highly esteemed manager Victor Estevez Barrios is indeed being treated as a bruise on that left leg beanball. So, just a day or two off for now. Whew!

UNOFFICIAL injury updates per Chris Mehring from tonight's postgame podcast: OF Edquarqui Fernandez: Chris bumped into him today and it appears he is extremely close. He has a couple days because he's on the 7-Day IL but there shouldn't be any delays there. LHP Justin King has thrown a bullpen session and is raring to go INF Eric Brown Jr. is still entirely a 'wait and see' ordeal. In my interpretation: they are waiting for test results. We hope for the best here but there is definitely reason for concern.😕

It certainly felt fitting to have a six-pack (of games) on another 4th of July holiday. We had a head-to-head DSL morning tilt as well as an ACL affair. Midday, the Shuckers were in Pensacola to begin their road series. And, we had the Mudcats; Timber Rattlers; and Sounds to close out the evening hours before the fireworks were lit above the outfield grass. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers Game Balls: INF Zavier Warren gets the nod for his three XBH's - nothing cheap about these - in helping the Shuckers take game one in Pensacola. 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. gets the nod here for extending his hitting streak to 10 games (on base streak to 12 games) - his second consecutive multiple hit game at that. RHP James Meeker gets the nod for continuing to display his versatility in his third consecutive start - 5 IP of two-hit scoreless baseball is impressive on any night of the week. RHP Tanner Shears gets the nod for just continuing to be a bad mamma jamma out of any bullpen in the Brewers organization. 2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K, 0 R. Key late inning work. C Jose Sibrian gets the nod for his 4-rbi night and generally turning the corner throughout early July (more below) * Honorable Mentions: 1B Jesus Parra went 2-for-5 with 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 1 K. INF Robert Moore smacked a triple extending his on base streak to 22 games. And, oh hey, let's use this as a shameless plug for Moore's recent T-Rats Talk with Kyle Lobner. (Telling answers in here. And, man, that hair is slick Mr. Moore. My receding mid-40's hairline weeps!) Transactions: RHP Ryne Moore was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers (and, he pitched a scoreless inning in his debut) RHP Miguel Guerrero was assigned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from the Carolina Mudcats LHP Brian Fitzpatrick was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers OF Luis Castillo was assigned to the Carolina Mudcats from the ACL Brewers Final: Columbus (Guardians) 19, Nashville 2 Box Score / Game Log(*There were no Game Notes posted for this series opener*)Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Throttled by Clippers on Independence Day No, that score is not a typo. RHP Janson Junk has been mostly solid as a Sounds starter. He definitely has his limitations as a MLB-caliber pitcher - he lacks swing and miss stuff at the highest levels and, when it comes to MLB outings, almost has to be perfect to compete. With his Sounds club red hot to start the second half, Junk brought his worst stuff of his entire season and was hit hard and quite often. The addendum here would be this was the fourth time Junk has been asked to pitch on four days rest in the 2023 season. I would kindly opine, maybe this isn't such a hot idea: 4/7 - solid - 0 runs, 2 hits in 5 IP 4/12 - pretty rough MLB debut - 5 runs, 7 hits in 4 2/3 IP 5/28 - not a good time - 5 runs, 6 hits in 6 IP 7/5 - disaster - 9 runs, 6 hits, 3 walks, 1 HR in a mere 1/3 IP (Special kudos to @damuelle for pointing this out in our game thread HERE) We'll kindly thank C Payton Henry for giving us the face we all endured throughout this laugher. 1) About the best thing that happened in this game in the early going was a lightning delay in the fourth inning after an INF Patrick Dorrian walk. Considering how things were going up until that point, I'd have called it right there if I had the power. I should also mention, for posterity's sake, INF Luis Urias doubled to lead off the inning. It was a very fitting ending, however, when the game resumed to see INF Cam Devanney strike out on three straight pitches. It was indeed that kind of night. There were no Sounds fireworks before the actual fireworks. 2) Game recognizes game. Sometimes, as a relief pitcher, you just encounter bad luck to start an inning. I'd say rising LHP Darrell Thompson experienced such misfortune to start the fifth frame. Three consecutive singles, including a run-scoring deflection off his glove into center field, got his evening going in the wrong direction. But, he buckled down from there with three consecutive punch outs. It was a bit of a flippant dismissal from that bad luck earned run. I continue to love the upside of Thompson and hope he can finish out his second half in fine form. 3) OF Tyrone Taylor did put some runs across the plate for the Sounds with his two-run HR jack in the fifth inning. All was not lost - just, well, mostly. How bad was it? C Payton Henry pitched two innings. INF Patrick Dorrian took the hill for two innings of his own. This was about as ugly as it gets for a Sounds team that had been absolutely cruising fresh off a 5-1 series victory in Memphis. I don't imagine seeing many more games like this in the second half. At least, I sure hope I don't. The Sounds fell to 5-2 to start their second half push - 1/2 game behind St. Paul and tied with these same Columbus Clippers. Fireworks anyone? Final: Biloxi 8, Pensacola (Marlins) 5 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Shuckers Celebrate America's Birthday with 8-5 Win over Pensacola Three Quick Strikes: 1) INF Tyler Black struck out with the bases dripping to end the third frame. It was a failed check swing on a heater likely just high and just outside the zone. He was clearly disappointed but it was also clear throughout the entire AB he was working something out in his left plant leg during the entire AB. Upon further investigation, it appears that an injury (or, hopefully, a tweak) likely happened when Black was sprinting toward second base during a classic hit-and-run scenario off the bat of OF Jackson Chourio earlier in that same third inning. Yes, he went to the dish twice in the third frame. Black awkwardly landed on the corner of the second base bag and then stumbled into the base path beyond before collecting himself and sprinting to 3B. We'll have to monitor this moving forward. If you care to check it out yourself, venture to the 1:33:53 mark of the game feed HERE at MiLB.TV and you'll see what I am describing here. 2) RHP Kaleb Bowman was the first relief man out of the Shuckers bullpen when Meeker's fine day of work had ended. It's easy to be a fan of Bowman - his story is remarkable and, by all appearances, he appears to be a young man who goes about his business in the right way. And, given all of this, it's still worth pointing out: Bowman has now conceded runs in 6-of-12 relief outings out of the Shuckers bullpen. He absolutely deserved the promotion from Wisconsin but there is quite a bit of work to do to find his footing in the challenging Southern League. Bowman finished tonight's outing with a final line of 2 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 ER. 3) It's been a rough season so far for INF Zavier Warren as he tries to build some semblance of momentum and, hopefully, find more playing time. Well, a night like tonight will hopefully jump start his second half. Three XBH's total in a 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K night - each hit ripped with meaning. A line drive double deep off the right field wall. A 1-2 off-speed delivery sent over the wall in RF for a home run. These were classic comfortable Zavier Warren swings - reminiscent of his scorching close to his 2022 season. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come. Final: Wisconsin 3, Beloit (Marlins) 1 Box Score / Game Log Game NotesVia the T-Rats' site, game details, please visit and review: Rattlers Bop Beloit 3-1 This is the best RHP Alexander Cornielle has looked all season long - and, I'd be lying if I didn't say it made me quite happy. After a breakout 2022 season, Cornielle predominantly scuffled throughout the first half of this season. Tonight, he pitched with purpose in and around the zone mixing his patented high rising heat in advantageous counts. He sprinkled his off-speed low in the zone. It was a sight for extremely sore eyes. Unfortunately, he was pulled after 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K as manager Joe Ayrault and his staff try to build back his pitch count and arm strength. Cornielle left after walking his last batter. I would opine he was likely robbed of a strikeout pitch in a 2-2 count - a gorgeous pitch in the inside and lower part of the zone. But, so it goes in Minor League baseball where the tie almost always goes to the defense and the strike zone is dubious at best. And, now, you will be served your "We are blessed as Brewers Minor League baseball fans" post-game home stand T-Rats treats: Full Game Highlights: Post-Game Podcast: 1) C/DH Darrien Miller really scuffled at Quad Cities as he finished with a 1-for-16 mark overall. However, as we all know, that's an extremely small sample size and those types of series outputs happen to the best of them. It goes without saying, his solo shot squeaked inside the right field foul pole was a wonderful turn of fate. It was Miller's fifth long ball of his 2023 season and it gave the T-Rats an insurance run extending their middle innings lead to 2-0. 2) LHP Karlos Morales has definitely scuffled throughout parts of his last two months. He still is losing his control all too much within his outings. However, I'd like to point out: he is still managing to help the bottom line of his greater pitching staff. Coming into tonight's game he had stranded all 13 of his inherited runners in 2023. He stranded two more in the fourth frame helping a much improved Alexander Cornielle's bottom line. That's 15 inherited. That's 15 stranded. His second inning of work was perhaps his best inning I've seen since the early part of the first half - his sinking off-speed deliveries were fooling every left-handed batter he faced. It's unscathed outings like this you hope can help a young arm get back on track. 3) The Timber Rattlers have had issues by and large with the bases loaded in 2023. However, OF Je'Von Ward is the team leader in this department with a 3-for-8, 1 2B, 2 1B's, 1 Sac, 7 RBI line to date. He came to the dish with the bases juiced in the bottom of the sixth inning and the T-Rats leading 3-0. With a chance to extend the lead before the seventh inning stretch, Ward hit a grounder to 2B in a 1-1 count. The threat ended. It was up to the bullpen from there and, aside from a ninth inning solo shot off RHP Shane Smith, they were up to the challenge. Special mention, as noted in the 'Game Balls' to RHP Tanner Shears. Final: Carolina 13, Fayetteville (Astros) 4 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Sibrian and Parra Lead the Way in 13-4 July 4th Victory Jumping out to an early 13-0 lead would help most young arms. RHP Patrcio Aquino, fresh off his Brewer Fanatic Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month runner-up status, was dealing early and often. Ultimately, he worked around two harmless solo shots well after the gargantuan Mudcats lead was established. Aquino continues to shine as he finished his evening with 5 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR. He has very clearly become part of a dynamic duo between RHP Logan Henderson and himself. Three Quick Strikes: 1) 20-year-old RHP Jesus Rivero has flashed all the signs of what prompted the promotion from the ACL. He has a very lively arm that certainly sees the ball arrive with some solid rise. He delivers his off-speed stuff from the same delivery slot with nearly identical action. There's a lot to like. Yet, so far at least, he has struggled to command his pitches consistently. Another five free passes tonight over 4 IP with three wild pitches to boot is obviously not a sustainable pattern. We'll chalk it up to nerves and inexperience at this juncture. As I said, all the intriguing ingredients are there. He just has to put it together at a new and higher level of competitive baseball. He picked up his first save as a Mudcat going 4 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 3 WP, 4 K, 2 ER 2) C Jose Sibrian is heating back up. After a fairly hot start to 2023, he had lulled back into a fairly pedestrian overall offensive output hitting 0.196 in the month of June. But, that has definitely changed in a hurry over the first four games of early July. After a 2-for-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R evening he has now hit safely in 3-of-4 July games. He is 5-for-15 with 5 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K overall. Fantastic stuff for a catcher who is all too often overlooked. 3) In a game (and box score) filled with solid performances (go ahead check that box score, folks), we'll give special mention to two things. Firstly, the improved overall play of INF Jadher Areinamo. He is having much better success at the dish and continues to play solid defense all across the infield dirt. We'd love to see some more XBH production, but I'll personally never complain when a young man simply plays solid baseball. Secondly, and riffing off this tune, Areinamo replaced INF Gregory Barrios in the very early going. Barrios was hit by a pitch in the first frame. The pitch seemed to nail his lead left leg just above his knee cap. Seriously? Yes, seriously. Barrios was down on the dirt immediately and in obvious pain. He ultimately rose to his feet and walked extremely sluggishly to first base. He scored a run later in that inning in what honestly looked like a full out sprint. However, he did not return. We'll have to keep tabs on this but I wouldn't expect to see him playing tomorrow even if it is just for precautionary measures. Let's hope that's the case. UPDATE: Embedded within the game summary above is the postgame interview with Manager Victor Estevez. Barrios will miss just a single game with a bruise. ACL Padres 7, ACL Brewers 3 Box Score / Game Log The highlights of this game lie in the continued advancements we are seeing from INF's Dylan O'Rae and Juan Baez. Baez has been the standout of the early Brewers ACL season. I don't think a single one of us could have predicted this torrid pace. He collected three more hits today in a 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 SB line. He is now hitting 0.440 over 75 AB's with 8 2B and 2 3B. Throw in 10 SB to 1 CS. Just a phenomenal ACL season. O'Rae grabbed his 15th SB (0 CS) and went 1-for-4 with 1 R, 1 RBI, and 1 K. He has a 16:7 BB:K ratio to boot. This young man is starting to very snakily make a statement as he continues to demonstrate he might be an innate lead-off hitter at every level. Keep monitoring his progress Brewers fans. 1B/DH Tayden Hall continues to take free passes with the best of them in the ACL - 2 BB today and 8 BB in 24 PA's with not a single strikeout. The Mudcats could really use him as a stabilizing force at first base. Let's hope he stays healthy and gets that opportunity sooner than later. Rehabbing RHP Ryne Moore was given the first inning of work and he went a scoreless 1 IP - 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 1 K. Wonderful to see such success in his first action on the mound in quite some time. Beyond that, RHP Darling Solano was incapable of holding the 3-1 lead the ACL Crew carried into the fifth frame. The Padres scored six runs over the 5th-through-9th frames and that was all she wrote as the Crew never scored after the third frame. The Crew fell to 11-11 overall and they'll look to bounce back tomorrow against (GASP! ?) the ACL Dodgers. The DSL Brewers #1 vs DSL Brewers #2 contest will be completed on July 14th. OF Yophery Rodriguez and up-and-coming INF Gery Holguin each smacked early doubles setting the tone for the DSL Brewers Uno. We'll see where the game goes from here: The DSL Cerveceros squads will be taking their mid-week rest tomorrow. However, the ACL Crew will be looking to get back on track. In the evening hours, we'll also see all four affiliated clubs back at it as they head to game two of each of their respective series. RHP Jason Alexander will look to get the Sounds back on track during his second outing since his rehab assignment in Nashville. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez will take the hill for Biloxi as he looks to cut back on those free passes and string of recent questionable first innings. RHP Stiven Cruz will look to build off his most recent, and best of 2023, outing. And, finally, RHP Will Rudy will look to find that dominant form of his early tenure with the Mudcats. As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball. 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

Not to be lost tonight: INF Robert Moore extended his on base streak to 22 games with a triple

RHP Tanner Shears continues to be phenomenal. He has such a wildly violent but controlled (oddly) delivery. I can only imagine that is not a fun display to try and locate the baseball. He goes more scoreless innings tonight. RHP Shane Smith loses the shutout by giving up a massive long ball out of the ballpark over the bullpen in deep right CF. He gets an incredible web gem charging barehanded scoop and toss to 1B to the next batter. Two outs. Smith walks the next batter on 4 pitches. Tying run to the plate. 3-1 T-Rats.

5th 3-hit game of Joe Gray Jr's 2023 season. 17th game with multiple hits.

Morales gives up a double with one down here in the 6th frame. He then gets a K. Two down. He then walks the next two batters after 2-2 counts where he can't find the outer half and misses by quite a bit. RHP Tanner Shears is on to try and end this frame and strand three runners.

Let's hope this 12-0 rain delay in the bottom of the 4th extends to a cancelled game for the Sounds. Yeah, that's it. Just call it already. 😅

HR for DH Darrien Miller! He just squeaks it fair on his 5th long ball of 2023 just inside the RF foul pole. He's been in a bit of a slide lately (1-for-16 @ Quad Cities) so you love to see that key insurance run. 2-0 T-Rats in the bottom of the 4th.

LHP Karlos Morales has scuffled the past couple months after a very good start to 2023. However, I'd like to point out: he has inherited 15 runners on the season and he hasn't allowed a single one to score. His damage is his own doing. He is definitely doing what he can to help his pitching staff. He strands 2 runners to help Cornielle preserve an unblemished outing.

This is the best RHP Alexander Cornielle has looked all season long. He's attacking in and around the Zone. 5 K now through 3 2/3 IP as he tries to work around a one out double to the deep left center gap. Two down. 1-0 T-Rats. You love to see Cornielle discover some success!

OF Joe Gray Jr. struggled to start the Quad Cities series - I'm sure he'd admit the same. But he closed it with a 3 hit outing and he now has a 2-bagger and a single in his first two trips here at Home versus the Sky Carp. T-Rats lead 1-0. Bottom of the 3rd.