Seth Stohs

Transactions are coming today. Some very exciting promotions at that. Check back throughout the day for more and do discuss those moves. Nashville remains in first place after a 4-2 week. Biloxi returned to their winning ways with a 4-2 week. Wisconsin went 5-1 again. Carolina played at .500. Several top prospects had huge weeks. How might an updated Brewers top prospect ranking look? We are now about six weeks into the season, and several players (hitters and pitchers) have really stood out. This is the time of year when we will start seeing more and more merit-based promotions (and potentially demotions) beyond transactions for injury-related purposes. As the day goes on, the Brewers’ affiliates will be making those announcements. Also, remember that several full-season minor league leagues are comprised of two half-seasons. The season essentially starts over at the halfway point and a couple of playoff spots will be up for grabs. That is something we’ll need to pay attention to over the next month. TRANSACTIONS Nothing is official yet, but there will be several player promotions announced on Tuesday. RHP Cristian Sierra has been released. RHP Fernando Olguin promoted from the Arizona Complex to Carolina. RESULTS Last week’s Week in Review (5/3-5/9): Chourio Debuts in Carolina, Rattler Pitchers Continue to Dominate Tuesday: Break out the Brooms, It’s a 4-0 Affiliate Evening Sweep! Wednesday: T-Rats Win Ensures Affiliates Avoid 0-4 Night Thursday: Nashville and Wisconsin Lead the Way Once Again Friday: Shuckers and Mudcats Avoid Any Friday the 13th Voodoo Saturday: Thirty-Five Runs Power a 3-1 Night Sunday: It’s a Four-Game Affiliate Sweep, Including Stiven Cruz’s Sterling Debut and Team-Record Six Biloxi Home Runs! WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: Nashville Sounds Week: 4-2 @ Jacksonville Season: 24-11 overall, 1st place in the International League West. They are 1/2 game ahead of Columbus and 4 1/2 games ahead of Toledo and Memphis. Nashville just continues to play great each week. In Jacksonville, they outscored the Jumbo Shrimp 40-28 over the week, largely due to a 10-1 win on Thursday. Ethan Small made a start and gave up one run on four hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out nine batters. Five Sounds relievers pitched twice last week without allowing a run. Connor Sadzeck led the way with five strikeouts in three innings. Obviously when he was optioned, Keston Hiura had to be disappointed. However, he didn’t let it affect how he performed. In four games with the Sounds, he went 7-for-15 and hit .467/.556/1.067 (1.623) with three home runs and nine RBI. Two of those homers came against Marlins’ pitching prospect Max Meyer. Hiura did miss the final two games of the week with a minor injury. Mario Feliciano played in just three games. He went 7-for-11 (.636) with a double. Mark Mathias played in four games and went 7-for-16, hitting .438/.471/.625 (1.096) with a home run. On the other side, Tyler White had a rough week. He played in four games and went 1-for-17 (..059) with seven strikeouts. What’s Next? The Sounds will return home to take on Louisville. Pitching Probables (RHP Caleb Boushley, LHP Ethan Small, RHP Dylan File, RHP Jason Alexander, RHP Josh Lindblom, TBD) Double-A: Biloxi Shuckers Week: 4-2, hosting Birmingham Season: 16-17 overall, 2nd place in the Southern League. They are 2.0 games behind Pensacola. A week after they lost all six of their games, the Shuckers were back on their winning ways. After winning the first game, they lost the next two. However, they won the final three games by a combined score of 30-10. This week, it was the offense that carried their success. Joey Wiemer played in all six games. He went 10-for-24 and hit .417/.500/1.083 (1.583) with one home run and five RBI. Jakson Reetz played in five games and went 7-for-17. He hit .412/.524/1.000 (1.524) with a double and three homers. Thomas Dillard played all six games. He went 7-for-20, hitting .350/.500/.650 (1.150) with three doubles and a home run. He also walked six times. Felix Valerio played in six games. He went 8-for-25. He hit .320/.393/.680 (.1.073) with three home runs. Noah Campbell played in four games and went 5-for-14 (.357) with two doubles. He added three walks. Victor Castaneda went six scoreless innings in his first start last week. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out ten batters. He pitched three innings out of the bullpen on Sunday. Overall, he gave up two runs on five hits and two walks. In nine innings, he had 16 strikeouts. Tyler Herb had another terrific start. He tossed six scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out three batters. Five Sounds relievers worked at least two scoreless innings during the week. What's Next? The Shuckers will travel to Mississippi to take on the Braves. Pitching Probables (LHP Nick Bennett, RHP Justin Bullock, TBD, RHP Victor Castaneda, RHP Noah Zavolas, LHP Nick Bennett) High-A: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Week: 5-1, @ Quad Cities Season: 22-11 overall, 2nd place in the Midwest League West Division, 2.0 games behind Cedar Rapids. The Timber Rattlers went 5-1 for the week, but they were unable to make up any ground to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. These two teams are likely to remain at the top of the division, and after the upcoming week hosting South Bend, the Rattlers will head to Iowa to take on the Kernels. The pitchers have really led the way for Wisconsin much of this season, but last week, the offense really had a big week. It started with a 17-4 win, and over the six games, the Rattlers outscored the Bandits 49-24. Tyler Black played in all six games and went 11-for-25. He hit .440/.500/.800 (1.300) with a double, a triple, two homers, and 11 RBI. He also walked three times. Tristan Peters also played all six games. He went 9-for-24 and hit .375/.467/.833 (1.300) with two doubles, three triples, and a home run. He also walked five times. Zavier Warren played six games and went 7-for-24. He hit .292/.433/.583 (1.016) with four doubles and a home run. He also walked five times. Darrien Miller played in five games and went 8-for-21. He hit .381/.480/.524 (.1004) with a double and a triple. Cam Robinson recorded saves in both of his appearances last week. In four scoreless innings, he gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out five batters. Kent Hasler pitched twice and gave up just a walk over 3 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. He struck out nine batters. Brandon Knarr made two starts for Wisconsin. He went 2-0 and gave up just two runs. He gave up eight hits, walked two, and struck out 15 batters in 12 innings. Antoine Kelly gave up two runs (1 earned) on three hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out two batters. What’s Next? The Timber Rattlers return home to take on the South Bend Cubs. Pitching Probables (LHP Antoine Kelly, RHP Ryne Moore, RHP Justin Jarvis, TBD, TBD, TBD) Low-A: Carolina Mudcats Week: 3-3, @ Fayetteville Season: 17-16 overall, tied for 3rd place in the Carolina League North Division with Salem, 1/2 game behind Lynchburg and 2 1/2 games behind Fredericksburg. As you would expect from a 3-3 week, the teams were very closely matched. In fact, Carolina was outscored 27-28 for the week. Four of the games were settled by two runs or less. As you’ll see below, the Mudcats got a nice, long start, but it was the relief corp that really got the job done. In his start, Ryne Moore gave up one run on six hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out six batters. Stiven Cruz pitched three innings in his bullpen appearance. He gave up just one hit and walked one, and he struck out eight batters. Edwin Jimenez also worked three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He gave up one hit, walked one, hit one and struck out four batters. Michele Vassalotti finished two games and went 2-0. In four innings, he gave up only an unearned run and struck out six batters in four innings. Carlos Rodriguez pitched just once, four innings in relief. He gave up an unearned run on two hits and a walk, and he struck out seven batters. Christian Tripp worked three innings over two relief outings. He gave up no runs on two hits. He walked none and struck out five batters. Herbert Perez played in five games. He went 5-for-19 and hit .263/.391/.474 (.865) with a double and a home run. He also walked four times. Jesus Chirinos played in all six games. He went 5-for-19 and hit .263/.417/.421 (.838) with a home run. He also walked five times. Of players with more than seven plate appearances, no one had an OPS higher than .626 What’s Next? The Mudcats will be hosting the Down East Wood Ducks. Pitching Probables (RHP Edwin Jimenez, RHP Fernando Olguin, RHP Carlos Rodriguez, RHP Jefferson Figueroa, RHP Stiven Cruz, RHP Israel Puello) PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Brewers Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week (May 10 to May 16). #1 - LHP Aaron Ashby (Milwaukee) - 1 G, 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 8 K (Season: 8 G, 3 GS, 27.1 IP, 14 R, 11 ER, 17 BB, 33 K, 0-3, 1 S, 3.62 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 5.6 BB/9, 10.9 K/9) #2 - OF Joey Wiemer (Biloxi) - 6 G, 10-for-24 (.417), 1-2B, 5 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K (Season: 33 G, 39-for-129, .302/.375/.605 (.980), 12-2B, 0-HR, 27 RBI, 13 BB, 45 K) #3 - OF Garrett Mitchell (Biloxi) - 4 G, 4-for-14 (.286), 0-2B, 1-3B, 0-HR, 1 BB, 3 K (Season: 30 G, 24-for-107, .224/.331/.346 (.676), 3-2B, 2-3B, 2-HR, 11 RBI, 13 BB, 40 K) #4 - OF Sal Frelick (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 8-for-26 (.308), 1-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 21 G, 23-for-79, .291/.391/.456 (.847), 5-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 9 RBI, 6/9 SB, 13 BB, 14 K) #4 - OF Sal Frelick (Biloxi) - 3 G, 4-for-13 (.308), 0-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K (Season: 9 G, 9-for-39, .231/.268/.256 (.456), 1-2B, 0-3B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, 1/2 SB, 2 BB, 7 K) #5 - LHP Ethan Small (Nashville) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 9 K (Season: 7 GS, 32.1 IP, 9 R, 7 ER, 17 H, 21 BB, 46 K, 3-1, 1.95 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 5.8 BB/9, 12.8 K/9) #6 - SS Brice Turang (Nashville) - 6 G, 8-for-28 (.286), 0-2B, 1-HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K (Season: 31 G, 38-for-132, .288/.354/.424 (.778), 7-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 21 RBI, 14 BB, 31 K) #7 - OF Hedbert Perez (Carolina) - 5 G, 5-for-19 (.263), 1-2B, 1-HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K (Season: 27 G, 19-for-108, .176/.246/.296 (.542), 4-2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 5/6 SB, 10 BB, 41 K) #8 - C Jeferson Quero (Carolina) - 5 G, 4-for-18 (.222), 0-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K (Season: 26 G, 25-for-106, .236/.291/.349 (.640), 7-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 14 RBI, 9 BB, 28 K) #9 - SS Freddy Zamora (Biloxi) - 2 G, 0-for-8 (.000), 0-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K (Season: 24 G, 19-for-91), .209/.270/.286 (.556), 4-2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 22 K) #10 - 2B Tyler Black (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 11-for-25 (.440), 1-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K (Season: 19 G, 21-for-66 (.318/.439/.500 (.939), 4-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 21 RBI, 12 BB, 10 K) #11 - 2B Felix Valerio (Biloxi) - 6 G, 8-for-25 (.320), 0-2B, 3-HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 27 G, 27-for-98, .276/.353/.520 (.874), 4-2B, 1-3B, 6-HR, 18 RBI, 13 BB, 15 K) #12 - OF Jackson Chourio (Carolina) - 4 G, 4-for-18 (.222), 2-2B, 0-HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K (Season: 10 G, 16-for-43, .372/.413/.605 (1.018), 7-2B, 1-HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K) #13 - C Mario Feliciano (Nashville) - 3 G, 7-for-11 (.636), 1-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K (Season: 21 G, 20-for-73, .274/.338/.343 (.680), 5-2B, 0-HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 21 K) #13 - C Mario Feliciano (Milwaukee) - (Season: 1 G, 0-for-0, R, BB) #14 - LHP Antoine Kelly (Wisconsin) - 1 GS, 5.2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K (Season: 6 GS, 27.1 IP, 9 R, 7 ER, 12 H, 17 BB, 35 K, 1-0, 2.30 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 5.6 BB/9, 11.5 K/9) #15 - OF Joe Gray, Jr. (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 5-for-23 (.217), 3-2B, 2-HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K (Season: 33 G, 22-for-116, .190/.304/.388 (.692), 9-2B, 1-3B, 4-HR, 14 RBI, 7/7 SB, 19 BB, 48 K) #16 - SS Eduardo Garcia (Carolina) - 5 G, 3-for-21 (.143), 0-2B, 0-HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 10 K (Season: 30 G, 34-124, 274/.311/.395 (.706), 7-2B, 1-3B, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 4 BB, 51 K) #17 - UTL Zavier Warren (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 7-for-24 (.292), 4-2B, 1-HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 6 K (Season: 31 G, 29-for-112, .259/.359/.393 (.752), 12-2B, 1-HR, 13 RBI, 5/5 SB, 14 BB, 31 K) #18 - RHP Abner Uribe (Biloxi) - IL (out for season) #19 - OF Hendry Mendez (Carolina) - 5 G, 5-for-20 (.250), 0-2B, 0-HR, 2 RBI, 4BB, 7 K (Season: 27 G, 20-for-91, .220/.388/.275 (.663), 2-2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 24 BB, 28 K) #20 - LHP Russell Smith (Wisconsin) - Did Not Pitch (Season: 5 GS, 20.0 IP, 13 R, 11 ER, 17 H, 13 BB, 22 K, 1-1, 4.95 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 5.9 BB/9, 9.9 K/9) PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Hitter of the Week: Outfielder Joey Wiemer, Biloxi Shuckers Wiemer had a big week for the Shuckers. He played all six games. He had ten hits including a double and five home runs. He also walked three times and showed his speed with a couple of stolen bases. Weimer was a star at Bedford High School in Michigan. Beyond baseball, he was on the varsity football team four years and the basketball team two seasons. He was a three-year starter at the University of Cincinnati before the Brewers made him their fourth-round pick in 2020. He began his professional career last year with 75 games in Carolina before ending the season with 34 games in Wisconsin. Combined, he hit .296/.403/.556 (.958) with 18 doubles and 27 home runs. He was also 30-for-36 in stolen base attempts. He did as much damage with the Rattlers in half the number of games. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .467 with a 1.234 OPS. Wiemer is a fantastic prospect who has both power and speed. The 23-year-old will likely play mostly in the corner outfield spots, and his power has a chance to be really special. Consider he’s already got 12 doubles and nine home runs in just 33 games in Double-A. Pre-season, Baseball America named him the #100 prospect in baseball. Pitcher of the Week: LHP Brandon Knarr, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Here we are again, a Timber Rattler is the choice for Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Week. For the second time, that pitcher is left-hander Brandon Knarr. Last week, he made two starts and went 2-0. He posted a 1.50 ERA. In 12 innings, he gave up two runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out 15 batters. Possible it is his last start in High-A? Knarr has a career that has been quite circuitous to get to this point. The Pennsylvania native was a star at Eastern York High School. He started his college career at Notre Dame before transferring to the College of Central Florida. In 65 2/3 innings, he had 86 strikeouts. From there, he went to the Division II baseball powerhouse at the University of Tampa. In six starts before the season was shut down, he went 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA. He had 64 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings (16.3 K/9). Knarr went undrafted in the Covid-shortened, five-round 2020 MLB draft. As you recall, teams were able to sign non-drafted players for up to $20,000. Knarr had many options, but the Brewers offered the opportunity to work as a starter. He signed and has taken advantage. Last year in Carolina, he went 7-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 75 innings. He struck out 103 batters (12.4 K/9). He ended the season with five starts in Wisconsin, where he struggled some but also struck out more than a batter per inning. Knarr has worked hard to get to this point in his career. He stands less than 6-0 tall. He doesn’t throw real hard, but he is incredibly competitive. His fastball sits between 88 and 91 mph. He has a split-finger pitch that is sitting in the 72-76 mph range. He’s got two breaking balls, a slider in the low-80s and a slower curveball in the mid-70s. He works fast and really commands the zone. He’s known to ask questions and is always working to learn more about his craft. Feel free to discuss the Brewers' prospects and their affiliates in the COMMENTS below. View full article

Week 4 of the minor-league season is complete. The week started with the promotions of some very exciting prospects. One of them had a huge week. Which one? Nashville keeps winning, and Wisconsin’s pitching staff is pretty remarkable. Check out all that happened in the Brewers’ system last week. Clearly, ‘Player Development’ is the most important thing about minor league baseball. Organizations will always prioritize doing what is best for the big-league club, and that’s getting players ready to contribute at that level. That said, Winning is not only fun, but it can be a part of player development. Yes, players work on their individual performances and skills, but it’s also good to learn how to come together as a team to win games and learn that competitive fire. Last week, all four Brewers affiliates played all six of their games. Combined, they went 12-12 on the week, and that’s including an 0-6 by Biloxi. Wisconsin had another strong week thanks to some incredible pitching talent. Nashville remains in first place. Before we jump into Week 5’s games, let’s take one more look back at Week 4. See how each affiliate did, which prospects performed, and what’s next. And, at the end, find out who the Brewer Fanatic choices for Hitter and Pitcher of the Week are. TRANSACTIONS Last week, the Brewers Designated Jose Urena for Assignment, making room on their 26-Man Roster and the Brewers' 40-Man Roster. On Monday, the team announced that Urena had cleared waivers and was outrighted to Nashville. However, Urena chose to become a free agent. RESULTS Last week’s Week in Review (4/26-5/2): K is for Knarr Tuesday: Promotions and Releases and Retirements, oh My! Wednesday: Biloxi Loses Third Straight But Late Wins Abound Elsewhere Thursday: Nashville Wins on a Walkoff, but Blown Leads and Missed Chances Cost Other Affiliates Friday: Wild Walk-off for Wisconsin (Literally) Saturday: Sounds and Timber Rattlers Continue to Impress Sunday: Nashville Dominates. Three Stirring Comebacks Result in One More Affiliate Victory WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: Nashville Sounds : Week: 4-2 hosting Norfolk Season: 20-9 overall, 1st place in the International League West. They are 2 1/2 games ahead of Columbus and 4 1/2 games ahead of St. Paul. In a completely random fact about Nashville’s week of games. They won four games. Also, four times, they scored exactly four runs in a game. They went 3-1 in those games. The Sounds' offense wasn’t great, but they did outscore Norfolk 22-18. That may have been closer, but the pitchers earned a 1-0 win on Saturday and a 4-0 win on Sunday. The pitching, and specifically the bullpen, was strong. The Sounds become the first International League team to win 20 games this season. They also are 5-for-5 in their series so far this season. Jon Singleton found his way on base. He went 4-for-14 and hit .286/.565/.500 (1.065). He had one home run. However, in his six games, he walked nine times. Jonathan Davis played in five games. He went 8-for-18 and hit .444/.542/.444 (.986). He had four walks and stole two bases. David Dahl played in four games. He went 4-for-13 and hit .308/.471/.385 (.856) with a double and four walks. A few hitters struggled. Pablo Reyes went 1-for-12 (.083). Tyler White went 3-for-20 (.150). Corey Ray played in just two games and went 1-for-7 (.143) with five strikeouts. Six relievers didn’t allow a run this week. Miguel Sanchez worked 3 1/3 innings over three games. He struck out five batters. Dylan File went five shutout innings in his start. He gave up three hits, walked two, and struck out three batters. What’s Next? The Sounds hit the road to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Pitching Probables (RHP Josh Lindblom, RHP Caleb Boushley, LHP Ethan Small, RHP Dylan File, RHP Jason Alexander, RHP Josh Lindblom) Double-A: Biloxi Shuckers Week: 0-6 hosting Montgomery Season: 12-15 overall. A seven-game losing streak has moved the Shuckers from first place to being tied for 2nd place in the Southern League South Division with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 3.5 games behind Montgomery. That is a rough week for the Shuckers. It has been a rarity around minor-league ball for a team to win - or lose - all six games of a series. But that’s what Biloxi did. While three of the six losses were by one run, and another was by two runs, the team was outscored 19-37 for the week. The addition of top prospect Sal Frelick to a Shuckers outfield that already included Joey Wiemer and Garrett Mitchell is undoubtedly exciting. However, none of the three really hit last week. Harold Chirino, Arnaldo Hernandez, and Luis Contreras combined for six relief appearances and 9 2/3 scoreless innings, and ten strikeouts. On the other side of that equation, several in the bullpen struggled. Robbie Hitt, Zach Vennaro, J.T. Hintzen, Nash Walters, and Taylor Floyd combined for nine appearances and 7 1/3 innings. They gave up 17 runs on 21 hits and five walks. Tyler Herb made two starts. He worked ten innings and gave up one run on seven hits. He walked three and struck out 12 batters. Along with the pitching not being really strong, the offense was not good either. Brent Diaz led the team for the week with a .795 OPS. He played three games and hit .182. However, his two hits were a double and a home run. Freddy Zamora played in all six games. He went 8-for-25 and hit .320/.346/.400 (.746) with two doubles. The story for the week was the promotion of outfielder Sal Frelick to Double-A. He played in all six games. He went 5-for-26 and hit .192/.192/.231 (.423) with a double. What’s Next? The Shuckers will host Birmingham at MGM Park. Pitching Probables (RHP Victor Castaneda, LHP Nick Bennett, RHP Carlos Luna, LHP Andy Otero, RHP Tyler Herb, RHP Victor Castaneda) High-A: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Week: 5-1, hosting Ft. Wayne Season: 17-10 overall, 2nd place in the Midwest League West Division, 2.0 games behind Cedar Rapids. The Timber Rattler's pitching staff, led by pitching coach and former Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Patrick McGuff, has been unbelievable, and that remained true last week. They won the first two games of the week by scores of 9-0 and 4-0. Wisconsin pitchers allowed only 12 runs for the entire week. The Rattler bats scored 29 runs. However, three of the final four games of the series were decided by one run. TJ Shook pitched twice and worked ten innings. He did not give up a run. He gave up eight hits, walked none, and struck out 12 batters. Brandon Knarr tossed six shutout innings in his start. He gave up six hits, walked one, ten, and struck out six batters. Antoine Kelly struck out ten batters in five shutout innings. He gave up just one hit and one walk. Russell Smith went five scoreless innings in his start as well. He gave up just one hit, walked three, and struck out seven batters. Justin Jarvis gave up one run in his start. In five innings, he gave up six hits and walked two batters. Cam Robinson pitched twice and recorded two saves. In four innings, he did not allow a run or a hit. He walked two and struck out three. Joe Gray led the offense. He played all six games and went 5-for-17. He hit .294/.480/529 (1.009) with a double and a home run. He also walked seven times and stole two bases. Zavier Warren played in five games and went 4-for-16. He hit .250/.409/.375 (.784) with two doubles. He also had four walks. Wes Clarke hit just .143 (2-for-14) on the week, but he walked ten times and posted an on-base percentage of .500. Tyler Black, Ethan Murray, and Yeison Coca combined to go 0-for-31 last week. Micah Bello had a great first month in Carolina. He was promoted to Wisconsin. In six games this weekend, he went 3-for-19 and hit .158/.200/.211 (.411) with a double and five RBI. What’s Next? The Timber Rattlers will be traveling to Quad Cities to play at the beautiful Modern Woodmen Park. If you have seen the movie Sugar, it is the home field for the team. Pitching Probables (LHP Brandon Knarr, LHP Antoine Kelly, RHP Justin Jarvis, LHP Russell Smith, RHP TJ Shook, LHP Brandon Knarr) Low-A: Carolina Mudcats Week: 3-3, hosting Augusta Season: 14-13 overall, In 2nd place in the Carolina League North Division, 3.5 games behind Fredericksburg. After winning the first two games of their series, the Mudcats lost three of the last four to split the week’s series. The offense performed. They scored 14 in the first game of the week and scored 40 runs for the whole week. The pitching staff gave up 33 runs. The big story, of course, was the full-season debut of 18-year-old Jackson Chourio. Jackson Chourio played in his first six games and went 12-for-25. He hit .480/.519/.800 (1.319) with five doubles, a homer, and five RBI. He had two walks and two stolen bases. Arbert Cipion played in just three games. He had a single, a triple, and a home run. Oswel Leones played in four games. In 16 plate appearances, he hit .286/.375/.571 (.946) with a double and a home run. Jesus Chirinos went 6-for-20 (.300) with a home run. Zack Raabe went 5-for-16 (.313). Ryne Moore made one start. In six innings, he gave up only an unearned run. He gave up three hits, walked one, hit three and struck out seven batters. Karlos Morales, Junior Montero, and Pablo Garabitos combined to work 9 1/3 innings in five appearances. They gave up only one unearned run on six hits, one walk, and nine strikeouts. What’s Next? The Mudcats will be traveling to Fayetteville to take on the Woodpeckers. Pitching Probables (RHP Ryne Moore, RHP Israel Puello, RHP Alexander Cornielle, RHP Miguel Segura, RHP Brannon Jordan, RHP Ryne Moore) PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Brewers Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week (May 3 to May 9). #1 - LHP Aaron Ashby (Milwaukee) - 2 G, 1 GS, 6.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 6 K (Season: 7 G, 3 GS, 23.1 IP, 14 R, 11 ER, 17 BB, 25 K, 0-3, 4.24 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 6.6 BB/9, 9.6 K/9) #2 - OF Joey Wiemer (Biloxi) - 6 G, 4-for-24 (.167), 3-2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 12 K (Season: 27 G, 29-for-105, .276/.345/.495 (.840), 11-2B, 4-HR, 19 RBI, 10 BB, 38 K) #3 - OF Garrett Mitchell (Biloxi) - 5 G, 2-for-17 (.118), 1-2B, 0-HR, 4 BB, 7 K (Season: 26 G, 20-for-93, .215/.324/.333 (.657), 3-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 11 RBI, 12 BB, 37 K) #4 - OF Sal Frelick (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 8-for-26 (.308), 1-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 21 G, 23-for-79, .291/.391/.456 (.847), 5-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 9 RBI, 6/9 SB, 13 BB, 14 K) #4 - OF Sal Frelick (Biloxi) - Week/Season: 6 G, 5-for-26 (.192), 1-2B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 4 K #5 - LHP Ethan Small (Nashville) - 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K (Season: 6 GS, 27.1 IP, 8 R, 6 ER, 13 H, 18 BB, 37 K, 2-1, 1.98 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 5.9 BB/9, 12.2 K/9) #6 - SS Brice Turang (Nashville) - 5 G, 4-for-21 (.190), 0-2B, 0-HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 25 G, 30-for-104, .289/.353/.433 (.786), 7-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 17 RBI, 11 BB, 25 K) #7 - OF Hedbert Perez (Carolina) - 5 G, 1-for-19 (.053), 0-2B, 0-HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K (Season: 22 G, 14-for-89, .157/.211/.258 (.469), 3-2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 4/4 SB, 6 BB, 36 K) #8 - C Jeferson Quero (Carolina) - 4 G, 3-for-18 (.167), 2-2B, 1-HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 5 K (Season: 21 G, 21-for-88, .239/.266/.375 (.641), 7-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 14 RBI, 4 BB, 23 K) #9 - SS Freddy Zamora (Biloxi) - 6 G, 8-for-25 (.320), 2-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K (Season: 22 G, 19-for-83), .229/.278/.313 (.591), 4-2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 22 K) #10 - 2B Tyler Black (Wisconsin) - 3 G, 0-for-8 (.000), 0-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K (Season: 13 G, 10-for-41 (.244/.404/.317 (.721), 3-2B, 0-HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB, 8 K) #11 - 2B Felix Valerio (Biloxi) - 5 G, 3-for-17 (.176), 1-2B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 21 G, 19-for-73, .260/.341/.466 (.807), 4-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 13 RBI, 11 BB, 10 K) #12 - OF Jackson Chourio (Carolina) - Week/Season: 6 G, 12-for-25, .480/.519/.800 (1.319), 5-2B, 1-HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K. #13 - C Mario Feliciano (Nashville) - 2 G, 1-for-7 (.167), 0-2B, 0-HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K (Season: 18 G, 13-for-62, .210/.279/.274 (.554), 4-2B, 0-HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 19 K) #13 - C Mario Feliciano (Milwaukee) - (Season: 1 G, 0-for-0, R, BB) #14 - LHP Antoine Kelly (Wisconsin) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 10 K (Season: 5 GS, 21.2 IP, 7 R, 6 ER, 9 H, 14 BB, 33 K, 1-0, 2.49 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 5.8 BB/9, 13.7 K/9) #15 - OF Joe Gray, Jr. (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 5-for-17 (.294), 1-2B, 1-HR, 7 BB, 4 K (Season: 27 G, 17-for-93, .183/.300/.333 (.633), 6-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 9 RBI, 7/7 SB, 16 BB, 40 K) #16 - SS Eduardo Garcia (Carolina) - 6 G, 6-for-25 (.240), 1-2B, 0-HR, 5 RBI, 0 BB, 9 K (Season: 25 G, 31-103, 301/.330/.447 (.777), 7-2B, 1-3B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 3 BB, 41 K) #17 - UTL Zavier Warren (Wisconsin) - 5 G, 4-for-16 (.250), 2-2B, 0-HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K (Season: 25 G, 22-for-88, .250/.337/.341 (.678), 8-2B, 0-HR, 9 RBI, 4/4 SB, 9 BB, 25 K) #18 - RHP Abner Uribe (Biloxi) - IL (out for season) #19 - OF Hendry Mendez (Carolina) - 5 G, 2-for-13 (.154), 0-2B, 0-HR, 1 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K (Season: 22 G, 15-for-71, .211/.391/.282 (.673), 2-2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 20 BB, 21 K) #20 - LHP Russell Smith (Wisconsin) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 7 K (Season: 5 GS, 20.0 IP, 13 R, 11 ER, 17 H, 13 BB, 22 K, 1-1, 4.95 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 5.9 BB/9, 9.9 K/9) PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Hitter of the Week: Outfielder Jackson Chourio, Carolina Mudcats Less than a month into the season, the Brewers decided to make some significant minor-league transactions last Monday. Sal Frelick moved from Wisconsin to Biloxi. Micah Bello was promoted from Carolina to Wisconsin. And Jackson Chourio was sent to Carolina from the Complex. Chourio played in all six games in his first week with the Mudcats. He went 12-for-25, and hit .480/.519/.800 (1.319) with five doubles and a home run. He also stole two bases. He made all 22 plays that came to him in centerfield. Covid moved the international signing date from July 2nd to January 15th. On that day in 2021, the Brewers signed the shortstop to a $1.9 million deal out of Venezuela. Chourio has all the tools. He is touted for his power potential and his overall hit tool. While he could stay at shortstop with a strong arm and range, he also has the speed to play in center field. People also talk about his maturity. All this makes him incredibly exciting. Chourio turned 18 in March and is currently the youngest player on any full-season affiliate's roster. Pitcher of the Week: RHP TJ Shook, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Get a dice and assign each of the six sides to a Timber Rattlers starting pitcher. Roll said dice, and that is the pick for pitcher of the week. OK, that isn’t true. I don’t actually roll dice to make this pick. However, we have now done three Brewers Minor League Week in Reviews, and the choice for pitcher of the week has been a member of the Wisconsin pitching staff. The first week, the choice was lefty Antoine Kelly, Jr. Last week, it was lefty Brandon Knarr. This week, those two could have taken this honor again, but the choice was right-hander TJ Shook. Shook has split time this season between starting and working in long relief. He has alternated between making a start and then, later in the week, working in long relief. That’s what he did this week too. On Monday, he tossed six shutout innings against Ft. Wayne to earn a win. On Sunday, he worked four innings in relief and did not give up a run. Combined, he gave up eight hits and didn’t walk anyone. He struck out 12 batters. TJ Shook grew up in South Carolina. After being an All-State selection in 2015 and 2016 (junior and senior seasons), he went to the University of South Carolina. He redshirted in 2017. The following year he worked 21 games out of the bullpen. He moved into the rotation during the next season (2019). In 2020, he pitched in six games, and in 8 2/3 innings, he had two walks and 16 strikeouts when the season ended. He went undrafted in 2020, but as a redshirt junior, he decided to sign as a free agent with the Brewers. Last year, he pitched in a couple of games in the rookie/complex league. He made six starts for Carolina and went 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA. He finished the season with five starts for Wisconsin. Combined in 2021, he went 5-2 with a 4.95 ERA. In 13 starts and 52 2/3 innings, he walked 28 and struck out 71 batters. Last year, he walked just over 12% of batters faced. This year, that number has dropped to 8%. At the same time, his strikeout rate has jumped from 26% to 35% Shook stands tall, at 6-4 and about 220 pounds. He throws a fastball, a cutter, a curveball, and a changeup, and all four can be good pitches. He gets some same-side run on his two-seam fastball. He has been executing his pitches very well. Along with the improved control, he’s been able to show command of his pitches. He is also really smart, including on the mound, understanding what he wants and needs to do on the mound. Your turn. Who would you have chosen for Hitter and Pitcher of the Week? Which prospects intrigue you the most? Which prospects have moved up (or down) your personal rankings so far this season? Let's discuss. View full article

The Brewers are in first place. Entering game action this week, the Triple-A Nashville Sounds and Double-A Biloxi Shuckers are also in first place. High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Low-A Carolina are currently in second place. The Brewers farm system is strong. Find out who performed well throughout the system over the past week. It was a busy week for the four Brewers affiliates. Nashville was in St. Paul and fought the rains over the weekend, but they were able to increase their lead in the division. Biloxi split their series against Pensacola and remains in first place. Wisconsin had a rough week, winning just one game, but their overall record remains strong. And the Mudcats didn't score many runs but found ways to keep winning. There were a couple of solid hitting performances individually, but several very strong pitching performances were in the Brewers' system. Several were considered for pitcher of the week, and really, you could do a coin flip to pick between the top two. The windy, circuitous route to pro baseball for this week's choice is fascinating, and his story should be told. TRANSACTIONS While no official transactions have been made on Monday, we hear that transactions are coming. RESULTS Last week’s Week in Review: Sounds, Shuckers Run to First Place Tuesday: Carolina Postponed and Tough Losses Across the Board Wednesday: Carolina Wins, a Couple Eerily Familiar Late Losses, and Biloxi Hangs On Thursday: Dominant Pitching Leads Affiliates to 3 Wins, 1 Close Loss on the Night Friday: Taking Note of a Broadcasting Workhorse Saturday: Good Times Up Top - Nashville’s 16-7, Big League Crew 15-7 Sunday: Garcia Leads a Classic Mudcat Comeback, Followed by Two Losses and a Rainout WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: Nashville Sounds Week: 3-2 at St. Paul Season: 16-7 overall, 1st place in the International League West. They are 1/2 game ahead of Columbus and 2 1/2 games ahead of Memphis. It was a weird week in St. Paul, but the Sounds were able to increase their lead in the division. After two tight losses to start the week, the Sounds good a win, and then the rains came. They started a game on Friday and finished it on Saturday, but the regularly scheduled game was suspended. Sunday’s game was simply postponed. Seven Sounds relievers threw a combined 8 2/3 innings with just one unearned run allowed. Josh Lindblom had a fantastic start. He gave up one run on two hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out eight Saints batters. Caleb Boushley gave up one run on four hits and a walk over five innings in his start. He struck out three batters. Ethan Small struck out seven over five innings of one-run ball. He gave up two hits, though he did walk four batters. Despite the rainy conditions, a couple of Sounds hitters had big weeks. Here are the highlights: Weston Wilson played in five games. He went 5-for-14 and hit .357/.500/.857 (1.357) with a double. He also had a two-home run game. He also walked four times and stole two bases. Brice Turang played in five games as well. He went 7-for-20, hitting .350/.435/.750 (1.185) with two doubles and two home runs. What’s Next? The Sounds return home to face Norfolk, who is 12-12 on the season. Pitching Probables (RHP Luis Perdomo, RHP Josh Lindblom, RHP Caleb Boushley, LHP Ethan Small, RHP Dylan File, RHP Jason Alexander) Double-A: Biloxi Shuckers Week: 3-3 vs. Pensacola Season: 12-9 overall, 1st place in the Southern League South Division. They have a 2 1/2 game lead over Montgomery. The Shuckers split their home series against the Blue Wahoos. The series began with a loss. Then Shuckers pitchers tossed two consecutive shutouts before being shut out on Friday. Let’s start with the pitching because they were really good. Tyler Herb made one start and tossed six scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked none, and struck out eight batters. Victor Castaneda went 5 1/3 innings in his start. He gave up no runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out five batters. Zach Vennaro pitched three times and finished three games. He gave up just one hit and struck out two batters in 2 1/3 innings. Harold Chirino, Matt Hardy, Robbie Hitt, and Nash Walters each pitched twice without allowing a run. There were a few solid Shuckers' offensive performances, but just three of 13 batters hit over .200 for the week. Jakson Reetz played three games and went 3-for-9 (.333) with a double and a walk. (.944 OPS) Joey Wiemer played all six games; he went 6-for-22 and hit .273/.360/.545 (.905) with three doubles and a home run. Cam Devanney played in five games and went 4-for-13 (.308) with a walk and a home run. What’s Next? The Shuckers will be playing host to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Pitching Probables (RHP Tyler Herb, RHP Victor Castaneda, LHP Nick Bennett, RHP Carlos Luna, LHP Andy Otero, RHP Tyler Herb) High-A: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Week: 1-5 at Peoria Season: 12-9 overall, Tied for 2nd place in the Midwest League West Division with Peoria, 3.0 games behind Cedar Rapids. It was a rough week for the Timber Rattlers. They had a 6-2 win on Thursday, but they were outscored 19-39 over the other five games. There was one blowout, but the other losses were by three runs or less. Darrien Miller played in five games. He went 6-for-17, hitting .353/.500/.588 (1.089) with a double, a homer, and four walks. Zavier Warren went 7-for-22 over six games last week. He hit .318/.375/.500 (.875) with four doubles. Carlos Rodriguez hit .313/.400/.500 (.900) with a homer and three walks. Sal Frelick played all six games. He went 8-for-26, hitting .308/.357/.538 (.895) with a double, a triple, a homer, and two walks. It was a rough week for the starting pitchers, the whole Timber Rattles pitching staff. Except for one guy…. Lefty Brandon Knarr went six innings during his start. He gave up two hits and a walk but no runs, and he struck out seven batters. Max Lazar made a start and gave up only an unearned run over 3 1/3 innings. What’s Next? The TimberRattlers will be hosting Fort Wayne. Pitching Probables (RHP TJ Shook, LHP Brandon Knarr, LHP Antoine Kelly, RHP Justin Jarvis, LHP Russell Smith, RHP TJ Shook) Low-A: Carolina Mudcats Week: 4-2 at Down East Season: 11-10 overall, Tied for 2nd place with Lynchburg in the Carolina League North Division, 3.0 games behind Fredericksburg. It was a closely-contested series Down East last week. Over six games, the Mudcats outscored their opponent 26-24 thanks to their Sunday, 6-4 win. It was a slow week for the Mudcats' offense. Just one batter posted an OPS over .700. Eduardo Garcia played in five games. He went 8-for-21 and hit .381/.391/.714 (1.105) with two doubles, a triple, a homer, and eight RBI. The pitching wasn’t really strong either. Alexander Cornielle tossed five innings during his start. He gave up two unearned runs in five innings despite allowing four hits and walking five batters. Michele Vassalotti pitched twice. He gave up three runs (1 earned) over 4 2/3 innings. Ryan Moore gave up two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out nine batters. Trevor Tietz pitched twice and recorded two saves. In two innings, he walked one and struck out three. No runs. No hits. What’s Next? The Mudcats will be back home to face Augusta for six games. Pitching Probables (RHP Brannon Jordan, RHP Ryne Moore, RHP Edwin Jimenez, LHP Alexander Cornielle, RHP Carlos Rodriguez, RHP Brannon Jordan) PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Brewers' Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week (April 26 - May 1). #1 - LHP Aaron Ashby (Milwaukee) - 1 GS, 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 5 BB, 6 K (Season: 5 G, 2 GS, 17.0 IP, 8 R, 5 ER, 13 BB, 19 K, 0-2, 2.65 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 6.9 BB/9, 10.1 K/9) #2 - OF Joey Wiemer (Biloxi) - 6 G, 6-for-22 (.273), 3-2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 9 K (Season: 21 G, 25-for-81, .309/.385/.519 (.903), 8-2B, 3-HR, 17 RBI, 9 BB, 26 K) #3 - OF Garrett Mitchell (Biloxi) - 6 G, 2-for-22 (.091), 3 BB, 9 K (Season: 21 G, 18-for-76, .237/.326/.368 (.694), 2-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 9 RBI, 8 BB, 30 K) #4 - OF Sal Frelick (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 8-for-26 (.308), 1-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K (Season: 21 G, 23-for-79, .291/.391/.456 (.847), 5-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 9 RBI, 6/9 SB, 13 BB, 14 K) #5 - LHP Ethan Small (Nashville) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 7 K (Season: 5 GS, 23.1 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 9 H, 16 BB, 31 K, 2-0, 0.77 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 6.2 BB/9, 12.0 K/9) #6 - SS Brice Turang (Nashville) - 5 G, 7-for-20 (.350), 2-2B, 2-HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K (Season: 20 G, 26-for-83, .313/.380/.494 (.874), 7-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 14 RBI, 9 BB, 20 K) #7 - OF Hedbert Perez (Carolina) - 5 G, 5-for-19 (.263), 1-2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 10 K (Season: 17 G, 13-for-70, .186/.230/.314 (.544), 3-2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3/3 SB, 4 BB, 28 K) #8 - C Jeferson Quero (Carolina) - 5 G, 3-for-23 (.130), 1 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K (Season: 17 G, 18-for-70, .257/.290/.357 (.647), 5-2B, 1-3B, 0-HR, 10 RBI, 4 BB, 18 K) #9 - SS Freddy Zamora (Biloxi) - 5 G, 2-for-16 (.125), 1-HR, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K (Season: 16 G, 11-for-58), .190/.250/.276 (.526), 2-2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 17 K) #10 - 2B Tyler Black (Wisconsin) - (Season: 10 G, 10-for-33 (.303/.410/.394 (.804), 3-2B, 10 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K) #11 - 2B Felix Valerio (Biloxi) - 2 G, 1-for-7 (.143), 1 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K (Season: 16 G, 16-for-56, .286/.368/.536 (.903), 3-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 12 RBI, 9 BB, 5 K) #12 - OF Jackson Chourio (Complex) - #13 - C Mario Feliciano (Nashville) - 4 G, 3-for-14 (.214), 2-2B, RBI, 2 BB, 3 K (Season: 16 G, 12-for-56, .214/.279/.286 (.564), 4-2B, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 17 K) #13 - C Mario Feliciano (Milwaukee) - (Season: 1 G, 0-for-0, R, BB) #14 - LHP Antoine Kelly (Wisconsin) - 1 GS, 3.0 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K (Season: 4 GS, 16.2 IP, 7 R, 6 ER, 8 H, 13 BB, 23 K, 1-0, 3.24 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 7.0 BB/9, 12.4 K/9) #15 - OF Joe Gray, Jr. (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 3-for-25 (.120), 2-2B, 1 BB, 13 K (Season: 21 G, 12-for-76, .158/.247/.290 (.537), 5-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 6 RBI, 5/5 SB, 9 BB, 36 K) #16 - SS Eduardo Garcia (Carolina) - 5 G, 8-for-21 (.381), 2-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 8 RBI, 0 BB, 6 K (Season: 19 G, 25-78, 321/.357/.500 (.857), 6-2B, 1-3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 3 BB, 32 K) #17 - UTL Zavier Warren (Wisconsin) - 6 G, 7-for-22 (.318), 4-2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K (Season: 20 G, 18-for-72, .250/.317/.333 (.650), 6-2B, 5 RBI, 3/3 SB, 5 BB, 20 K) #18 - RHP Abner Uribe (Biloxi) - IL (out for season) #19 - OF Hendry Mendez (Carolina) - 5 G, 3-for-18 (.167), 2B, 2-RBI, 4 BB, 4 K (Season: 17 G, 13-for-58, .224/.384/.310 (.694), 2-2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 15 BB, 16 K) #20 - LHP Russell Smith (Wisconsin) - 2 GS, 8.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 7 BB, 8 K (Season: 4 GS, 15.0 IP, 13 R, 11 ER, 16 H, 10 BB, 15 K, 0-1, 6.60 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 6.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9) PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Hitter of the Week: Outfielder Weston Wilson, Nashville Sounds Weston Wilson had a really strong week last week in St. Paul. He hit .357/500/.857 (1.357) in five games with a double and two homers. Both homers came in the same game on Thursday night at CHS Field. Wilson has been in the organization for quite a while. The 27-year-old Clemson alumnus was taken in the 17th round of the 2016 draft. He has progressed through the organization quite consistently. In 2017, he started in Low-A but spent the final four months of the season at High-A. In 2018, he played 105 games in Carolina before ending the season with a few weeks in Double-A Biloxi. He began the 2019 season with the Shuckers, where he hit 19 doubles and 19 homers in 127 games. Like others, he missed the 2020 season. When he returned in 2021, he played 70 games for Nashville. He hit .267/.354/.548 (.902) with 11 doubles and 16 homers. He also stole eight bases in 10 attempts. He struck out 23% of the time, which isn’t bad, but he also walked over 11.4%of his plate appearances. Wilson is big and strong with a lot of power. He’s also a good athlete and can play all over the diamond. He’s played eight games at third base, six at left field, and then at first base, second base, and right field. In 2021, he even played quite a bit at shortstop. Wilson is not currently on the Brewers' 40-man roster, but that could be possible sometime in 2022. Pitcher of the Week: LHP Brandon Knarr, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers If you want to tell me that Tyler Herb should have won this for the week, you aren’t going to get an argument from me. Tyler Herb – 6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 8 K Brandon Knarr – 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 7 K They both went six innings and didn’t give up a run. They both had three base runners. Call it a tie? Maybe I should have. But after looking at each, I went with Brandon Knarr because if we had named a Brewer Fanatic Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month, it would have been Knarr. On the season, the 23-year-old has made four starts. He is 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. In 22 1/3 innings, he walked six and struck out 27 batters. Knarr’s path to pro ball has taken many turns. The Pennsylvania native put up some crazy strikeout numbers at Eastern York High School. He went to Notre Dame as a freshman and pitched in 12 games. He transferred to the College of Central Florida and went 6-1 for head coach Marty Smith. In 65 2/3 innings, he had 86 strikeouts. From there, he went to the Division 2 baseball powerhouse at the University of Tampa. In six starts before the season was shut down, he went 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA. He had 64 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings (16.3 K/9). Knarr went undrafted in the Covid-shortened, five-round 2020 MLB draft. As you recall, teams were able to sign non-drafted players for up to $20,000. Knarr had many options, but the Brewers offered the opportunity to work as a starter. He signed and has taken advantage. Last year in Carolina, he went 7-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 75 innings. He struck out 103 batters (12.4 K/9). He ended the season with five starts in Wisconsin, where he struggled some but also struck out more than a batter per inning. Knarr has fought to get this far in his career. He stands less than 6-0 tall. He isn’t a flamethrower, but he is incredibly competitive. His fastball sits between 88 and 91 mph. He has a split-finger pitch that is sitting in the 72-76 mph range. He’s got two breaking balls, a slider in the low-80s and a slower curveball in the mid-70s. He works fast and really commands the zone. He’s known to ask questions and always working to learn more about his craft. Feel free to discuss the Brewers' prospects and their affiliates in the COMMENTS below. View full article

I really enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for being a good example of what we all could do.

I really enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for being a good example of what we all could do.

Week 3 of the minor-league season is complete. Two of the Brewers affiliates, both Triple-A Nashville and Double-A Biloxi, are first-place teams. High-A Wisconsin is in second place. Low-A Carolina is the lone affiliate under .500, at 7-8. Several top prospects had big weeks, so as Week 4 is about to begin, let’s look back at Week 3. The season is still young, but soon the first month of the season will be complete. Already, several prospects are off to strong starts. There are also several players who have not been recognized as top prospects to this point, but if they continue to play well, they could move up rankings by midseason. For now, let's take a look at what happened in the past week throughout the Brewers system. Please note, the hyperlinks on player names will show you past articles in which that player has been tagged. Click around a bit and see how much some of these players have been written about at Brewer Fanatic. As this is a new site, we will be working hard to tag articles appropriately. RESULTS Tuesday: Pitching Performances Abound and Only One for Naught in Biloxi Wednesday: A Tight One, A Comeback, A Slog, and Nashville Cruises Thursday: Black Wins it for Rattlers, Three Others Fall Friday: First-Rounders Clicking Saturday: Sounds and Rattler Roll On Sunday: Nashville Wins a Close One, Biloxi Coughs Up Another Lead. Wisconsin and Carolina get Shellacked. MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Nashville Hitters to Rescue the Brewers’ Struggling Offense? WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: Nashville Sounds: Week: 5-1 at home vs Charlotte Season: 13-5 overall, 1st place in the International League West. They are 1.0 game ahead of Columbus and 2 1/2 games ahead of St. Paul. Not only did the Sounds have a strong 5-1 week, but they also had a dominant week. One of their five wins was a one-run game. In the other four wins, they won by seven, seven, eight, and ten runs. They outscored their opponent (Charlotte) 40-11 last week. Ten Sounds pitchers threw and did not allow a run last week, so let’s start with the pitching. Ethan Small gave up just one hit over five shutout innings in his start. He did have to work out of some trouble due to five walks, but he also recorded six strikeouts. Trevor Kelley and Peter Strzelecki each worked three scoreless innings over three games pitched. Dylan File world twice, once as a starter and once out of the bullpen. Combined, he gave up one run on seven hits over ten innings. He walked four and struck out six batters. Jason Alexander gave up one run in five innings in his start. He gave up four hits, walked none, and struck out three. Caleb Boushley gave up one run on two hits and two walks and struck out six batters in five innings. No Sounds player got into all six games as the playing time was spread out to some degree. Here are the highlights: Tyler White played in four games. He hit .500/.556/.929 (1.485) with a double, a triple, a homer, and seven RBI. He also walked three times in 18 plate appearances. Early Triple-A returns have been good for Alex Jackson. Over 19 plate appearances in five games last week, he hit .353/.421/.765 (1.186) with a double, two homers, and seven RBI. Brice Turang went 11-for-22 over his five-game week. He hit .500/.542/.636 (1.178) with three doubles and six RBI in 24 plate appearances. Mark Mathias played in four games, and he hit .467/.500/.600 (1.100) with two doubles in 16 plate appearances. On the other side of the proverbial spectrum, Corey Ray and Weston Wilson both went 1-for-14 (.071) over four games last week. Jon Singleton went 1-for-12 (.083), though that one hit was a home run. Andruw Monasterio went 2-for-14 (.143) on the week. What’s Next? The Sounds travel to St. Paul to take on the Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. (Go to SaintsBaseball.com for tickets!) Pitching Probables (RHP Jason Alexander, RHP Josh Lindblom, LHP Ethan Small, RHP Caleb Boushley, TBD, TBD) ----- Double-A: Biloxi Shuckers Week: 1-5 at Birmingham Season: 9-6 overall, 1st place in the Southern League South Division. They have a 1 1/2 game lead over Montgomery. The Shuckers had a tough week. They were outscored 29-22 over the six games. Their win was a one-run game, and four of their five losses were by just one run as well. Let’s start with the pitching. Harold Chirino, Lucas Erceg, and Zach Vennaro combined for 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Each pitched twice. Victor Castaneda gave up one run on four hits over five innings in his start of the week. He walked one and struck out seven batters. Carlos Luna made two starts. In 7 2/3 innings, he gave up three runs (2 earned) on nine hits and three walks. There were a few really strong performances for the Shuckers last week. Garrett Mitchell led the way. In six games, he hit .385/.429/.692 (1.121) with two doubles, two homers, and six RBI. Joey Wiemer also played all six games. He hit .333/.407/.542 (.949) with two doubles and a home run in 27 plate appearances. Cam Devanney played in four games. In 16 plate appearances, he hit .375/.375/.563 (.938) with three doubles. Jakson Reetz went 4-for-12 (.333) on the week with two doubles and a home run. It wasn’t all good offensively. Ashton McGee played all six games and went 1-for-17 (.059) with 10 strikeouts. Gabe Holt and Thomas Dillard each went 2-for-16 (.125). Dillard did have a double and walked five times. What’s Next? The Shuckers will be playing host to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Pitching Probables (LHP Andy Otero, RHP Tyler Herb, RHP Victor Castaneda, LHP Nick Bennett, RHP Carlos Luna, LHP Andy Otero) ----- High-A: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Week: 5-1 at home vs Quad Cities Season: 11-4 overall, 2nd place in the Midwest League West Division 1.0 game behind Cedar Rapids. It was a great week for the first-place Timber Rattlers. They won the first five games of the week. The first three games were one-run games. After a rain-out on Friday, they won both games of a doubleheader on Saturday. Then on Sunday, they lost 18-1 which, of course, throws any Run Differential equations out the door. Let’s start with the top hitters. Top prospect Sal Frelick played in all six games. He hit .429/.538/.667 (1.205) with two doubles and a homer. He also walked five times with just two strikeouts in 21 plate appearances. Tristan Peters played in four games. In 14 plate appearances, he hit .462/.500/.692 (1.192) with a double and a triple. Ernesto Martinez had 20 plate appearances in five games last week. He hit .286/.450/.643 (1.093). Of his four hits, he had two doubles and a home run. He also walked five times and had three stolen bases. Tyler Black played in all six games. In 25 plate appearances, he hit .350/.480/.450 (.930) with two doubles. He had four walks and one strikeout. Zavier Warren went 7-for-19 (.368) with a double. It was a mixed bag for the pitching staff, though 18 of the 39 runs they allowed came in Sunday’s 18-1 loss. Antoine Kelly had a terrific start last week. He gave up just one hit over five scoreless innings. He walked four and struck out even batters. TJ Shook gave up one run on two hits, two walks, and two hit batters over 5 2/3 innings in his start. He had seven strikeouts. Brandon Knarr also went 5 2/3 innings in his start. He gave up two runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out seven batters. What’s Next? The TimberRattlers will travel to Peoria to take on the Chiefs. Pitching Probables (LHP Russell Smith, RHP Max Lazar, LHP Brandon Knarr, LHP Antoine Kelly, RHP Justin Jarvis, LHP Russell Smith) ----- Low-A: Carolina Mudcats Week: 2-4 at home vs. Lynchburg Season: 7-8 overall, 3rd place in the Carolina League North, 4.0 games behind Fredericksburg. The Mudcats scored 22 runs during their 2-4 week. Ten of those runs came in the first game of the week. They won a 2-1 decision on Wednesday. Then they lost the final four games of the week and were outscored 10-42. It was a slow week for the Mudcats offense, but a couple of hitters stood out. Zack Raabe, the team’s 8th round pick in 2021 out of Minnesota, hit .417/.579/.583 (1.162) with two doubles in five games played. He walked six times and struck out just four times in 19 plate appearances. Hendry Mendez played four games and hit .286/.375/.571 (.946) with a double and a home run. It wasn’t a great week for the Mudcat pitchers overall, but that isn’t to be unexpected, especially in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Consistency is always a question and something these guys are working to gain. Ryne Moore gave up an unearned run on two hits in five innings during his start. He walked one, hit one, and struck out five batters. Jefferson Figueroa made one start. Somehow, he did not allow a run despite giving up four hits and two walks. Edwin Jimenez gave up one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out five batters without issuing a walk. He had five strikeouts. Brannon Jordan was charged with one run on three hits and four walks in five innings during his start. He struck out five batters. On the other side of the spectrum, Carlos Rodriguez gave up five runs on seven hits and a walk in just 1 2/3 innings. Israel Puello gave up seven runs on eight hits and a walk in two innings. Jolon Zhao made his first two appearances. Combined, he gave up four runs on two hits and five walks, and he recorded three outs. What’s Next? The Mudcats will travel down east to Kinston, North Carolina, to play the Down East Wood Ducks. Pitching Probables (TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD) ----- PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Hitter of the Week: Outfielder Garrett Mitchell, Biloxi Shuckers Garrett Mitchell had a strong week with the Shuckers. He played all six games and hit .385/.429/.692 (1.121) with two doubles and two home runs. Overall this season, Mitchell has played in 15 games. He is hitting .296/.367/.482 (.848) with two doubles, a triple, two homers, and nine RBI. Mitchell was a 14th-round pick in 2017 by the A’s out of Orange Lutheran High School in southern California, the same school that Gerrit Cole went to. Like Cole, Mitchell decided to go to UCLA for three years. As a sophomore in 2019, he hit .349/.418/.566 (.984) with 14 doubles, 12 triples, and six home runs. He also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts. In 15 games before Covid ended the 2020 season, he hit .355/.425/.484 (.909) with six doubles and a triple. The speedster was five for six in stolen base attempts. That summer, the Brewers made him the 20th overall pick in the draft. Mitchell is listed by Baseball America as the #4 Brewers prospect. As you might guess from his numbers, he is an athletic, speedy ballplayer with tremendous tools. He is a great defensive center fielder already. Offensively, he’s got the potential to not just be a slap hitter, but he could also develop into some power. Pitcher of the Week: Antoine Kelly, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers In his start this past week, Kelly gave up just one hit over five scoreless innings. He walked four, but he struck out seven batters. Kelly has made three starts so far this season. He is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 13 2/3 innings, he has given up six hits, walked ten, and struck out 19 batters. Kelly was the 13th-round pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2018 draft out of Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. He went to Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Illinois. One year later, he was the Brewers' second-round pick in 2019. In 2021, he made seven starts for Carolina before one start with Wisconsin. Baseball America ranks the 22-year-old as the organization’s #13 prospect. In November of 2020, he had surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and didn’t play in 2021 until mid-July. He’s got great stuff. In his most recent start, he was sitting between 94 and 98 mph. He’s got a really good slider and is working on a changeup too. His one issue, as you can see even in last week’s strong start, has been control. At 6-6 with a strong frame, he has a chance to be special if he can harness his command. Feel free to discuss the prospects, the teams, and more. View full article

Question for the group... based on the above, who would you say are the Hitter and the Pitcher of the Day? Several good choices.

Winning any way is good. Winning pretty. Winning ugly. Winning by blowouts. Winning with shutouts. Winning despite struggling is great! You don't want to bury yourself too far back in the division early in the season, so wins are always good. And yes, it's encouraging for when things do come together.

Winning any way is good. Winning pretty. Winning ugly. Winning by blowouts. Winning with shutouts. Winning despite struggling is great! You don't want to bury yourself too far back in the division early in the season, so wins are always good. And yes, it's encouraging for when things do come together.

Winning any way is good. Winning pretty. Winning ugly. Winning by blowouts. Winning with shutouts. Winning despite struggling is great! You don't want to bury yourself too far back in the division early in the season, so wins are always good. And yes, it's encouraging for when things do come together.

Winning any way is good. Winning pretty. Winning ugly. Winning by blowouts. Winning with shutouts. Winning despite struggling is great! You don't want to bury yourself too far back in the division early in the season, so wins are always good. And yes, it's encouraging for when things do come together.

Yeah, typically these are guys who have big league experience, maybe even some good seasons, but now they're hanging on. All teams need them to 1.) have depth with guys who have been there-done that, and 2.) keep the prospects from needing to be pushed too fast. These guys can hit or pitch and have had success, and they succeed when they play every day. In the big leagues, they're role players who may make 1 start a week, and maybe pinch hit once.

Yeah, typically these are guys who have big league experience, maybe even some good seasons, but now they're hanging on. All teams need them to 1.) have depth with guys who have been there-done that, and 2.) keep the prospects from needing to be pushed too fast. These guys can hit or pitch and have had success, and they succeed when they play every day. In the big leagues, they're role players who may make 1 start a week, and maybe pinch hit once.

Yeah, typically these are guys who have big league experience, maybe even some good seasons, but now they're hanging on. All teams need them to 1.) have depth with guys who have been there-done that, and 2.) keep the prospects from needing to be pushed too fast. These guys can hit or pitch and have had success, and they succeed when they play every day. In the big leagues, they're role players who may make 1 start a week, and maybe pinch hit once.

Yeah, typically these are guys who have big league experience, maybe even some good seasons, but now they're hanging on. All teams need them to 1.) have depth with guys who have been there-done that, and 2.) keep the prospects from needing to be pushed too fast. These guys can hit or pitch and have had success, and they succeed when they play every day. In the big leagues, they're role players who may make 1 start a week, and maybe pinch hit once.

Yeah, you didn't see Craig Biggio complaining about being hit. I wonder if Hughie Jennings did!! Two more HBP than Biggio in about 40% of the plate appearances!! Rank Player (yrs, age) Hit By Pitch PA Bats 1. Hughie Jennings+ (18) 287 5648 R 2. Craig Biggio+ (20) 285 12504 R 3. Tommy Tucker (13) 272 7273 B 4. Don Baylor (19) 267 9401 R 5. Jason Kendall (15) 254 8702 R 6. Ron Hunt (12) 243 6158 R 7. Dan McGann (12) 230 6057 B 8. Chase Utley (16) 204 7863 L 9. Frank Robinson+ (21) 198 11744 R 10. Minnie Minoso+ (20) 197 8233 R

Yeah, you didn't see Craig Biggio complaining about being hit. I wonder if Hughie Jennings did!! Two more HBP than Biggio in about 40% of the plate appearances!! Rank Player (yrs, age) Hit By Pitch PA Bats 1. Hughie Jennings+ (18) 287 5648 R 2. Craig Biggio+ (20) 285 12504 R 3. Tommy Tucker (13) 272 7273 B 4. Don Baylor (19) 267 9401 R 5. Jason Kendall (15) 254 8702 R 6. Ron Hunt (12) 243 6158 R 7. Dan McGann (12) 230 6057 B 8. Chase Utley (16) 204 7863 L 9. Frank Robinson+ (21) 198 11744 R 10. Minnie Minoso+ (20) 197 8233 R

Hey @BillScottCanRake, this is absolutely fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

Corbin Burnes wasn’t in midseason form on Opening Day (as you would expect), and the Brewers were unable to come up with enough big hits and fell to the Cubs on Opening Day. Box Score SP: Corbin Burnes: 5.0 IP,4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (83 pitches, 48 strikes (57.8%)) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Jake Cousins (-0.255), Kolten Wong (-0.155), Corbin Burnes (-0.138) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Bases on Balls for Burnes? The 2021 season went remarkably well for Corbin Burnes. He became an All-Star for the first time, and after the season was named the National League’s Cy Young winner. Burnes began the 2021 season by striking out 58 batters before issuing his first walk on May 13th. Pretty remarkable. On Thursday afternoon, Burnes had a walk in the first inning and another one in the second inning without recording a strikeout. Then came the third inning. Burnes struck out the side and looked dominant as ever. He was strong in the fourth inning too. However, after the Brewers gave him a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Burnes gave up two singles to start the inning. The Cubs scored on a sacrifice fly by Patrick Wisdom. It was followed by a two-run homer from Nico Hoerner. He got a second out, but then he walked a third batter before getting a pop up to end the inning. What to make of it? Well, nothing. It’s one game. Burnes clearly was not as sharp as he has been, and obviously will be. Old Guys Can Still Play 35-year-old Andrew McCutchen has hit well against the Brewers. Over 159 career games against Milwaukee, he has hit .275/.349/.520 (.869) with 34 doubles and 36 home runs. That’s pretty good. On Thursday, he made his Brewers debut. He recorded the first hit of the season for the team, a double down the right-field line at 98 mph. In his next at-bat, he singled at 97 mph. He actually got out the third time, but he hit a 105 mph liner. He went 2-for-5 in the game. Lorenzo Cain, who turned 36 next week, had a 105 mph double, and he also hit a sacrifice fly that left the Brewers down just one run. STARTED OUT WELL The Brewers got their leadoff hitter on every inning between the 2nd inning and the 8th inning, seven straight innings. However, they were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. What’s Next? The Brewers remain in Chicago for their second of four afternoon games in this series. Brandon Woodruff will be on the mound for the Brewers. The Cubs will send Justin Steele to oppose him. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SUN MON TUE WED THU TOT Ashby 0 0 0 0 41 41 Boxberger 0 0 0 0 27 27 Cousins 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gott 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gustave 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hader 0 0 0 0 0 0 Milner 0 0 0 0 0 0 Suter 0 0 0 0 0 0 Urena 0 0 0 0 0 0 Williams 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

I'm not sure I'll click on links to go to other sites. I like a one-stop shop... but the Singleton story is really interesting, and very public. Hopefully he's in a good place right now.