Joseph Zarr

This is certainly what we'd love to see happen. The god given athletic gifts are clearly there. From my vantage point, it reall seems like a struggle to simply find comfort and any kind of groove given the massive changes to his swing. We have to remember: he used that pronounced leg lift and wind-up his entire life. He used it all the way into Low-A closing out his 2022 season. This is a complete overhaul to what was second nature for him in the box in a very brief off-season.

What in baseball gods' green outfield grass happened?!? I've been painting a bathroom all morning. I step out after the first coat is finished (finally) and I see we gave up a 9-spot?!? Good grief.

RHP Ryan Middendorf is back to doing what he does: scoreless inning with punch outs in the bag. That's two more scoreless frames and 3 K. His second outing in a row we've come to expect after a couple hiccups to begin his campaign.

He hit another ding dong in the following game. What a series close for Carolina who move to 8-6 on the season.

INF Cam Devanney hit a solo shot in the 5th frame - his 1st of his very young season in just his second game. It's 2-2 the Sounds are knotted up in the 8th. Hiura also has a three hit day. Houser went scorelss in 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 0 BB, 2 K.

Yeah, it's not just the production of RHP Justin Jarvis - which is obviously eye-popping and intriguing as all get out. It's the way he's doing it. He is currently dominancing the pitch clock. By a fairly significant margin, he is the fastest and most aggressive pitcher in the system with his Mix. The ball is leaving his hand with 12-13 seconds on the clock. He is, imho, tiring hitters - giving them extremely little time to recover one swing to the next.

Can I get a: How about the absolute work RHP Justin Jarvis has pumped out in 2023?!? He is dealing. He has taken this pitch clock and embraced it like no other starter I have seen in the system. The ball is literally leaving his hand with 12-13 seconds on the pitch clock. A very fun watch at present.

It's a big change. The body language is really not good right now. It is mimicking the mostly weak contact he is producing at the plate. I can't recall a single ball out of the infield even when he has made contact in Quad Cities.

Chourio is now 3-for-3 in Game 2 w a run but it's all about Freddy Zamora who just knocked in his 4th rbi with a two-run jack here in the 5th. Shuckers now lead 4-0. OF Carlos Rodriguez continues his recent hot streak with a 3-for-3 night of his own. And RHP Justin Jarvis is cooking with gas. *Bless those moments when Daniel and I submit within seconds of each other 😅

What's wild about the walks development is it pretty much came out of nowhere this past series plus. It's completely discernible in the batters box as well where he is exuding a wild confidence and selectivity we just absolutely hadn't seen until, well, now.

RHP Luis Contreras is definitely showing Big League stuff in 2023. Attacking hitters. Very active heat. Intimidating stuff. His number show it as do his Statcast peripherals. And, definitely agreed early on RHP Quinton Low. As we discussed recently, his pitching tools are borderline (if not already) filthy. We have yet to see anything offensively in 2023 screaming we have a long-term two-way candidate here. Granted, it's very very early and I personally still love the Brewers are allowing Low to explore both sides of the diamond.

RHP Stiven Cruz just gave up a 3-run blast (his second HR allowed today) here in the bottom of the 3rd inning. T-Rats now trail 4-2.

Really enjoying the turning of the Tides in Carolina. They are playing the most consistent brand of baseball in the entire Brewers system (which feels odd to say given their youth and inexperience). As a whole, however, the affiliates are very much exemplifying a combined one game above 0.500. It's time for the blue chippers to jump start their innate talents and gifts.

On the other hand, LHP Nick Bennett continues a rough adjustment to the bullpen: he gives up a 4-spot in his first relief inning and the Shuckers suddenly find themselves behind the Trash Pandas 5-3.

C Alex Jackson is filled with clutch and power: He rips a one out 3-run blast in the top of the 9th! Sounds win 3-1!

The Good News: INF Cam Devanney is back with the Sounds and playing SS The Bad News: He's now 0-for-3 with 2 K Sounds trail 1-0 in the bottom of the 7th inning. Come on, men let's end this losing streak!

Those two T-Rats' runs came off the lumber held by C Alex Hall. If I'm not mistaken, that might be 3 HR in his past two games?

OF Jace Avina hit a double. Hallelujah! Wood has a two-run homer. Mudcats lead 5-1 at Down East as they go for four straight and 5-of-6. RHP Cameron Wagoner gave up a 5-spot in the first. T-Rats trail 5-2 early. The Shuckers are clinging to a 2-1 lead off a OF Noah Campbell two-run blast. He drove in INF Zavier Warren who had ripped a double. Sounds are knotted at zeroes with the Jumbo Shrimp early. Hopefully, RHP Caleb Boushley finds his way back to that lovely 2022 form.

I'll say this: He had a reputation of nasty but wild. In 2023, so far, he has been very controlled. I would imagine - my own opining here - they are creating the foundations of control first and starter innings next. Stack on success. Prototype an inning to two innings - 30 pitch max - and then build out from there. It seems quite obvious to me early, even if they can't stretch him to a starter, he could absolutely dominate relief innings.

18-of-29 from Deep. 3-of-4 at the Charity Stripe. That'll do, I guess.😅

It was game two for all affiliates in their ongoing six-game road series. We had three early morning games for my Inland Pacific Northwest time zone, so I was catching up into the afternoon. Carolina won their third straight, Biloxi bounced back in their own dominant fashion, Nashville squandered another one losing their fifth straight contest, and the T-Rats broke a no-hitter with an improbable 2-0 two-hit victory. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic Game Balls: We're going to Carolina and RHP Jacob Misiorowski who continues to dazzle even in limited pitch counts (more below), LHP Ethan Small for a fantastic relief outing showcasing mastery of all parts of the zone (hitters are now 2-of-24 versus Small in 7 1/3 IP), RHP Tobias Myers who again gave his Shuckers teammates a fantastic showing in todays' knock at Rocket City, the continued torrid output of early season Sounds MVP Eddy Alvarez who became the first Sounds player with four hits in a game in 2023, and we'll end with the fantastic overall effort from Timber Rattler Ben Metzinger who played fantastic defense at third base and drove in what proved to be the winning run. Transactions: OF Blake Perkins was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers RHP J.B. Bukauskas was optioned to the Nashville Sounds OF Monte Harrison was activated from Nashville's Development List LHP Thomas Pannone was activated from Nashville's Development List Final: Jacksonville (Marlins) 10, Nashville 9 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Stunned by Jumbo Shrimp in Extras Suddenly gone are those feel good stories and improbable late-inning victories from the very early going of the Sounds 2023 season. The men are in a struggle and they are playing their way deeper into their ongoing slump. After today's loss, Nashville has suddenly squandered five straight games. And, given what I'm seeing, they need a clubhouse come to Baseball Jesus moment to steady their ship. No play was more emblematic than OF Monte Harrison's misplay and errant throw off a sublime reach and poke single to center field in the tenth and final inning. The failed Harrison effort led to the winning run scoring all the way from first base. It's a runner that should have never crossed - especially given the stakes. There was a lack of urgency. There was a lack of execution. Sadly, these snafus are suddenly hitting up and down Rick Sweet's line-up. The Sounds are, simply put, in a funk. Three Quick Strikes: 1) LHP Robert Gasser continues to struggle locating in his second and third trips through Triple-A line-ups. Today was no different. After three very successful and impactful innings, Gasser once again lost that elusive control. He began walking batters. His pitch count elevated. And, he was pulled early. Rick Sweet, unfortunately, was again forced to dig deep into his bullpen in the early going. This overuse is starting to wear on the pen's early season success as today's outing showcased. Getting back to Gasser, there's a mystery going on with him at Triple-A. He very clearly has more than ample stuff as I've said on more than one occasion. But, the accuracy - the trust, the release point, the attack...it's hard to tell - is just not there in any fashion that repeats itself. He'll have to battle these current woes if he is to have any success at the MLB level. There is so much to work with here but it has to be closer to the zone more consistently for the high-caliber arsenal to really start turning heads. 2) LHP Clayton Andrews showcased MLB-ready stuff today and not in the manner we've come to expect. He didn't have his best stuff, whatsoever - uncharacteristically missing the zone early and often. But, he also worked around the control issues and willed his team into extra innings. He rescued struggling J.C. Mejía from further damage to his already shaky 2023 numbers when he grabbed a crucial strikeout off his patented nasty change-up. This got out of the ninth frame with threatening runners on the corners. He showed me quite a bit more mettle today. It won't always be perfect, obviously. What do you do when you're fighting your pitches? He continues to be my favorite arm in the Nashville bullpen. 3) INF Eddy Alvarez continues to be an offensive revelation for the Sounds. A key one out two-run smoothly hit ball to right field grabbed the Sounds a two-run lead in the 10th (we'll bypass the very odd pick-off at first base on a very weakly hit pop up to foul territory) and a 4-for-5 game (two doubles) saw his numbers rocket higher once again: 0.341 BA / 1.133 OPS overall. He's been the Sounds most productive everyday player by a significant stretch in the early going. It's been one of the unexpected surprises of 2023. He's showcasing his dependability should the Brewers suffer yet another untimely injury. Final: Biloxi 7, Rocket City (Angels) 1 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Myers' Eight Strikeouts Leads Shuckers to 7-1 Win over Trash Pandas The bases were dripping for INF Felix Valerio. OF Noah Campbell had just sent a run across with his third free pass on the day (special shout out to the entire Shuckers line-up, actually: 12 BB on the day). And, well, the power literally went out across Rocket City's Toyota Stadium. All feeds were cut. The live stream withered into a cloud of darkness. And, I was left to follow the twitter feeds for random updates. RHP Tobias Myers was fantastic yet again: It got so desperate for Shuckers fans they were sent to Instagram Live to follow new Biloxi announcer, Javik Blake! None the less, the Shuckers rebounded from yesterday's thrashing to put forth a dominant outing of their own. Three Quick Strikes: 1) OF Jackson Chourio has indeed started 2023 slowly. The K's have piled up more than we baseball purists would like, but it's important to focus on the positives with such a talented 19-year-old super prospect. He's still making very good contact. Five of his ten knocks have been for extra bases. Hence, though the batting average is barely treading water above 0.200 we still see the OPS hovering in and around 0.700. He finished his day 2-for-6 with a two-bagger and two more runs. It's a long season. There have been plenty of sparks early. 2) If RHP Tobias Myers continues at this rate, we may see him SOS bat signaled up to Nashville's extremely thin (and struggling) starting pitching staff. After eight more punch outs today, we are looking at a 24:4 K:BB rate in just 16 IP. That's elite output at any level. Batters are hitting a woeful 0.175 against him and the WHIP is sitting at 0.88. It's just three outings but he's showcasing an arsenal worthy of last year's Triple-A status. I, for one, hope he gets another shot. What a fantastic start to his career with the Brewers! 3) Let's talk about another early season revelation: OF Lamar Sparks. We typically hear of Indy League gems unearthed on the pitching side of the Brewers organization. However, early in 2023 Sparks is staking his claim for the offense. Batting lead-off today, Sparks finished 2-for-3 with three free passes and two runs. More importantly, not a single strikeout in that crucial spot in the batting order. In his first action in affiliated since the 2021 season, he is starting to make a name for himself in the highest level he's ever competed in. What's more, we now have a 10:10 BB:K ratio contributing mightily to his 0.839 OPS. Final: Wisconsin 2, Quad City (Royals) 0 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Timber Rattlers' site, game details, please visit and review: Rattlers Bounce Back with 2-0 Win at Quad Cities RHP Joseph Hernandez really competed tonight and, best of all, improved as his pitch count got higher. We still see AB's get away from him when he's nibbling around the zone but failing to find it - a bit too many 3-1 and 3-0 counts for my liking at this stage. The walks are consistently rearing their heads and that will continue to pose problems if this persists for obvious reasons. But, this is nitpicking. This is a young man who showcases a really interesting pitching tool kit. He can attack hitters from different angles with different speeds and from different arm slots. Tonight, his best pitch was the slider - most impactful as a strikeout pitch versus righties. Again on the plus side, he did not give up much hard contact but for a couple of fly outs directly to Je'Von Ward in left field - with his off-speed deliveries he was mostly seeing a bevy of ground ball outs. A truly solid outing overall and an outing to build upon: 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 0 ER. Three Quick Strikes: 1) Let's recognize the sublime field work from Ben Metzinger at the hot corner. He made several difficult charging scoop and throws to Ernesto Martinez at first base (whose continued ability to drop into the splits is a marvel); he made a deep accurate throw from well beyond the bag; and he made a key stab and pop and toss out with a runner on second base and two down. This last play mentioned here prevented what was a surefire run and it ultimately proved to be the key defensive play of the game. 2) Though the young Rattlers couldn't muster a thing versus Quad Cities LHP Tyson Guerrero (a very impressive outing from the 24-year-old southpaw), they did all they needed to do during one key two out sequence in the seventh inning. One Joe Gray Jr. walk; a wild pick-off throw allowing Gray Jr. to advance; a sharply hit opposite field single off the bat of Ben Metzinger; a superb slide and effort at home plate from Gray Jr. beating a bang-bang throw and tag by what appeared to be an eyelash. When your pitchers are shutting the door, that's all you need. One sequence. One series of sublime execution. It was a proverbial baseball chef's kiss. 3) Hats off are indeed ordered for the bullpen efforts of LHP Karlos Morales and RHP Kaleb Bowman. They took the ball after Hernandez's fine work and kept that door shut. Bowman nabbed his 4th save of the young season showcasing his full arsenal of tools getting the final out off a weak dribbler coughed to the dirt before home plate while Morales grabbed his second hold with two scoreless innings himself. I can't help but wonder what glorious southpaw nectar awaits us should LHP Pablo Garabitos get healthy enough to join Morales in the Rattlers pen. Final: Carolina 5, Down East (Rangers) 2 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Mudcats Win Third Straight, 5-2 in Kinston The Mudcats have indeed won three straight, and four of five overall, on the heels of two consecutive 5-2 victories at Down East. RHP Jacob Misiorowski appears to have dazzled in another reduced pitch count workout: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K. It would appear we are working with pitch counts in the twenties at this stage while maybe reaching thirty. With results like this, however, let's take our time. Unfortunately, as I mentioned yesterday, there is no live feed at Down East. I publicly share some of your frustrations Brewer fans: Stay strong. Stay thirsty. More Misiorowski starts are coming 'round the bend. Three Quick Strikes: 1) The early part of the 2023 Mudcats season was originally all about the young and tantalizing infield. However, it has quickly become the intrigue of the pitching staff. Another fantastic pitching outing across the board today. Special mention will be given to one my ongoing favorites in RHP Edwin Jimenez who remains extremely sharp early in 2023 - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K. Go get that promotion, young man! 13 K distributed amongst the staff - three apiece for the aforementioned Misiorowski and RHP Nick Merkel while RHP Shane Smith grabs two and his first save. 2) Back to the young infield, it's really nice to see both Gregory Barrios and Daniel Guillarte start getting some hits! The young duo went a combined 5-for-10 today manning the top of the order. We see 1 RBI apiece with Guillarte grabbing two runs in the lead-off slot. On the other side of things, 1B/DH/RP Quinton Low did his best Jace Avina impression going 0-for-5 with 5 punch outs. He'll look to bounce back. Clearly, Low's best work in the early season is happening on the mound. 3) 1B (and only occasional catcher these days) Tayden Hall is showcasing a continued patient approach at the dish. Today's outing feature a 2-for-3 output - 2 BB, 1 K. We'd like to see more XBH's as the season progresses, but the ongoing 3:1 BB:K ratio is a wonderful thing to look at. Patience with the lumber in hand is one of the most difficult skills for young players to develop. I'm looking forward to tracking his AB's as soon as live streams become available again. We're back to playing strictly under the lights tomorrow across the lower levels. We'll see RHP Caleb Boushley attempt to right his ship and give his bullpen and manager Rick Sweet a sigh of relief. We'll see if RHP Christian Mejias can stack success for the Shuckers at Rocket City coming off his last shutdown 8 K outing. RHP Cameron Wagoner will look to keep momentum going for the Timber Rattlers down in Quad Cities. And, young 19-year-old RHP Yujanyer Herrera will attempt to keep the Mudcats rolling down in Down East. Our affiliates just snuck above 0.500 cumulatively at 25-24 on the young season. Let's keep it rolling, men! Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

Just saw the Giannis news. Gag me. Ugh. Let's see what sort of game plan Bud comes up with. My hopes are not high. It's the Playoffs...that time of year when the Bucks can't shoot a basketball but Giannis rescues them and goes for 50.

I just saw with the Cruz injury the Pirates called up ol' Brewers Farmhand INF Mark Mathias. Happy to see he's balling and having success too over his 7-game stint. Naturally, McCutcheon is loving life back with Pittsburgh.

Never. A. Doubt. What a win. What a sweep. This team is defying alllll sorts of odds and I absolutely love it.