Seth Stohs

This would make a great article! Fun read.

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. Image courtesy of Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (photo of Antoine Kelly), Mike Krebs (photo of Garrett Mitchell) 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!

Hey everyone, You've now seen 4-5 daily minor league link reports from @Mass Haas... He's doing them for the next week, but he can't be doing them every single day all season. Having seen now what these entail, is anyone interested in contributing as a writer on these reports and work with me and Mass on getting you acclimated? Let us know...

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. Image courtesy of Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK 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.

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.

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.

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.

Jon Singleton with a double and a homer (2 in 2 games). He's quite the story, for sure.

Jon Singleton with a double and a homer (2 in 2 games). He's quite the story, for sure.

Jon Singleton with a double and a homer (2 in 2 games). He's quite the story, for sure.