Jason Wang

He throws gas though!

For the first time in a while, there’s some room in the Brewers rotation. After non-tendering Brandon Woodruff and watching Wade Miley and Julio Teheran depart for free agency, who are some of the available starting pitchers the front office might pursue in their stead? First and foremost, it’s important to remember that we are working with the Milwaukee Brewers, a historically frugal team with a tendency to seek value for money over shiny new superstars. While it would be awesome to have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani make back-to-back starts at American Family Field, the team is unlikely to pursue (and even less likely to actually complete) such lucrative contracts. Now that we’ve set expectations, let’s find some potentially undervalued arms. Seth Lugo Lugo spent six years with the Mets before joining the Padres in 2023. He pitched quite well, posting a 3.57 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 146 ⅓ innings and 26 starts. Lugo is a no-nonsense pitcher whose style leverages his excellent control and uses it to compensate for an average strikeout rate and below-average velocity. His four-seam fastball was his primary weapon, and although it averaged just 93.4 miles per hour, it had respectable whiff and strikeout rates of 21.5% and 31.8%. Count him as a member of the high-heat revolution; his placement in the upper part of the zone made an otherwise average fastball into a plus pitch. Lugo also had one of the best walk rates in the league at just 6.0%. Despite a strong four-seam, his most effective pitch by run value was actually his sinker, holding a total run value of 11. He held opposing batters to an average of just .206 and an expected weighted on base average of .281. His cumulative fastball run value of 17 was better than 97% of qualified pitchers in 2023. His arsenal of breaking balls left a little to be desired, but with a six-pitch selection, they can’t all be winners. In addition to his value as a mid- or back-of-the-rotation guy (at least for Milwaukee), Lugo is one of the cheaper options on today’s market. MLB Trade Rumors is expecting him to receive $42 million over three years, a reasonable price to pay and an annual salary only slightly higher than the $10 million paid to Corbin Burnes this past season. As Lugo is just over 34 years old, the Brewers can also exercise some flexibility in terms of the duration of the deal, depending on how comfortable they feel with his somewhat spotty injury history. (Of course, these aren't always rational auctions, and holding firm against giving that third or fourth year might cost the Brewers their chance to land Lugo.) Michael Wacha Like his teammate (the aforementioned Seth Lugo), Wacha had a quiet yet effective 2023 campaign. Posting a 3.22 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 134 ⅓ innings and 24 starts, Wacha had the second-highest rWAR on the Padres, behind only NL Cy Young Winner Blake Snell. Wacha doesn’t possess the petrol of other peak pitchers, but with a changeup as his primary weapon, who cares? His arsenal actually resembles that of Devin Williams, using a four-seam fastball as his secondary pitch and deploying sinkers, cutters, and curveballs for good measure. Both Wacha’s changeup and his four-seam fastball had run values of 12, with his changeup having exceptional whiff and strikeout rates of 35.9% and 32.0%, respectively. Over 766 pitches, opposing batters posted a .233 xwOBA, and his offspeed run value was higher than 98 percent of the league. His four-seam fastball had an opposing batting average of just .188, despite lower whiff and strikeout rates. MLBTR projects Michael Wacha to get a three-year, $36-million deal, which places him in a similar price range as Lugo. For an average annual value of $12 million, Wacha could be a great candidate to fill out the second or third spot in the Brewers' starting rotation. At 32 years old, he may even be able to stick around a little longer if things work out well. His presence would also add some interesting pitch mix variety, if wedged between Burnes and Freddy Peralta. Michael Lorenzen Despite throwing a no-hitter in his second start with the Phillies, Lorenzen had a second half of 2023 that didn’t exactly boost his free-agent stock. Across 66 innings, he pitched to a 4.36 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. His entire tenure with the Phillies was actually quite disappointing. Aside from the aforementioned no-hitter, his ERA and WHIP with Philadelphia ended up at 5.51 and 1.46. Nonetheless, Lorenzen has some upside. His 3.58 ERA with the Tigers over 105 ⅔ innings earned him his first career All-Star nod (although he was the team’s only selection), and his stats were marred by rough patches in April, June, and September. Lorenzen largely depended on his four-seam fastball and his slider, a productive pairing that combined for a total of 16 runs better than average. With fastballs placed high in the zone and sliders kept low and inside, he was able to garner whiffs and punchouts in key moments. What really seemed to deflate his production, at least on paper, were his lackluster breaking balls. His sweeper was particularly weak, with opposing batters averaging .293 against the pitch and slugging .610. Placement seemed to be the problem, with most of the pitches ending up middle-middle or completely outside of the zone. He likely won’t be winning a Cy Young award anytime soon, but with an estimated contract value of $22 million over two years, Lorenzen fits into the Goldilocks Zone of being just cost-effective enough to pitch in Milwaukee. He’ll be 32 years old by the time the 2024 season starts, so he still has a few years to take advantage of the patented Brewers pitching lab. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even throw another no-hitter. Which of these three hurlers is your favorite bargain starter target for the Brewers? Who else is on that list for you? Jump into the conversation with a comment. View full article

Last week's trade sending Mark Canha to the Detroit Tigers widened the path to regular playing time in 2024 for Tyrone Taylor. However, for various reasons, it's hard to know for sure whether that's the Brewers' plan. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports As of the writing of this article, Tyrone Taylor is currently in the top spot on the Brewers depth chart for right field. If you had only watched him prior to this past August, you might be questioning why that's the case. After all, his pre-All-Star-break slash line of .160/.180/.240 over 78 plate appearances left much to be desired. After heading back to the lab, Taylor re-merged from his chrysalis as one of the hottest hitters in Milwaukee, posting an .881 OPS in August and and a .912 in September, an incredible way to end the year. He also found some success in the postseason, hitting a two-run home run in the first game of the Wild Card Series. Outside of his late-summer offensive outburst, Taylor is also a plus defender in the outfield, partially thanks to his excellent arm strength. His competitive throws average 90.4 miles per hour, placing him in the 85th percentile. Although he played just 576 ⅓ innings as an outfielder, he managed to compile 4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), landing him fourth among Brewers outfielders. It would make sense that the front office's belief in Taylor's development and ability to fulfill the role as the team's starting right fielder was a primary driver behind refusing to exercise Mark Canha's team option. This decision was also in line with the team's tendency to keep payroll relatively low. With a $2-million buyout and Taylor's estimated salary of $1.7 million (per MLBTradeRumors), the team is hoping for roughly the same overall production with a savings of almost $8 million. We only have 147 plate appearances of peak Tyrone Taylor performance to analyze in 2023, but since his rookie year of 2021, he has been consistently (albeit slightly) above league-average, recording a 108 OPS+ in 2021 and a 102 in 2022. Canha was, admittedly, slightly better in those two years, recording OPS+ figures of 111 and 122, but he's nowhere near as good defensively. Assuming the Brewers don't acquire any free agent outfielders or call up any prospect talent, the last hurdle for Taylor to clear would be the arbitration process. If that goes smoothly and he continues the momentum he started in the second half of 2023, he could end up being the steal of the century. Is there any case for non-tendering Taylor, rather than paying out a relatively small arbitration-scale salary? How much do you trust Taylor to stay healthy and be productive, going forward? We'll find out more Friday, at the deadline to tender players a contract for 2024. In the meantime, let's discuss. View full article

In the final week of the Arizona Fall League, Brewers prospects kept up the good work through the championship game, which saw highlight moments from Wes Clarke and Justin Yeager. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK - Justin Yeager Pictured Game Results Monday, 11/6 | None Tuesday, 11/7 | Surprise 8, Glendale 5 Wednesday, 11/8 | Surprise 4, Mesa 8 Thursday, 11/9 | Glendale 4, Surprise 6 Friday, 11/10 | None Saturday, 10/11 | Peoria 5, Surprise 6 In the final three games of the regular season, Eric Brown Jr. stood out from the crowd, collecting three extra-base hits while Justin King remained lights out. 2B Eric Brown Jr. Week: 3-for-8, 2 2B, HR, RBI, 2 K (2 games) Eric Brown Jr. had an excellent finish to the regular season. After hitting a double in a loss against the Mesa Solar Sox on 11/8, he hit another double and a home run in the following game against the Glendale Desert Dogs. At just 22 years old, he’s had an outstanding season in Arizona. Serving as a flexible middle infielder and splitting time evenly between the two positions, his fielding and hitting both showed excellent potential. Despite not having the same power as teammates Wes Clarke and Damiano Palmegiani, he was a well-rounded player who came through when needed. Brown may return to the Timber Rattlers in High-A, but expect a promotion to Biloxi sooner rather than later. His final slash line for the season was .297/.390/.462. 1B Wes Clarke Week: 2-for-6, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K (2 games) Clarke also had a strong finish to his Fall League season, although his entire season could be described as strong. He collected two hits and a double in his final game against the Glendale Desert Dogs. This year, Wes Clarke was a superstar with the Saguaros, serving as a significant power and on-base threat. With his performance in this league and his .889 OPS across 503 plate appearances with the Biloxi Shuckers in AA, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make his AAA debut with the Nashville Sounds in 2024. Did I mention he was also the swaggiest player on the team? In the championship game, Clarke hit a one-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Saguaros a 6-1 lead. This RBI would come in quite handy, given that the game ended with a score difference of just one run. His final slash line for the season was .297/.435/.568. OF Hendry Mendez Week: 0-for-4, 2 K (1 game) Throughout the season, Mendez has shown glimpses of greatness here and there but still has a bit of work to do before competing in higher-level baseball. He’s incredibly young, having just turned 20 on November 7th, and will likely return to High-A in 2024. His final slash line for the season was .216/.326/.297. RHP Joseph Hernandez Week: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, BB, 4 K, HR In his final start of the season, Hernandez pitched against the Mesa Solar Sox and gave up four earned runs in four innings. He retired the first three batters in order but faced a little trouble in the second, conceding a single, a hit by pitch, and a wild pitch, ultimately escaping the inning unharmed. In the third inning, a walk, a double, a single, and a two-run home run were responsible for the handful of runs he gave up, but he finished strong, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. He threw 54 pitches, 38 of which were strikes (70.4%). Hernandez has potential as a starter but needs to iron out some of the kinks and maybe expand the zone before being promoted from High-A. His final ERA and WHIP were 9.45 and 2.18. LHP Justin King Week: 1.0 IP King pitched a very low-key sixth inning in the final regular season game against the Desert Dogs, facing the minimum and relying on a baserunning gaffe and some soft contact to get his three outs. He threw ten pitches, four of which were strikes (40.0%). He also appeared in the championship game, coming in the ninth inning with one out and the bases loaded. Protecting a 6-1 lead, King gave up a walk and a single before getting the second out of the inning and being pulled for fellow Brewers prospect Justin Yeager. King showed an ability to compete against higher competition, and after posting a 2.93 ERA over 30 ⅔ innings in High-A last year, expect him to be promoted to Double-A sooner rather than later. His final ERA and WHIP were 4.26 and 1.11. LHP Adam Seminaris Week: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K, L Seminaris came in to pitch after Joseph Hernandez’s start and pitched 2 ⅓ innings against the Mesa Solar Sox. After retiring six batters in a row, he conceded a walk, three singles, and a wild pitch, giving up four runs. He threw 50 pitches, 29 of which were strikes (58.0%). Seminaris spent time in rookie ball, Double-A, and Triple-A to mixed results. He’s got some work to do but has flexibility as a starter or long reliever. He pitched the most innings with the Biloxi Shuckers, posting a 5.70 ERA across 53 ⅔ innings, so he might spend another year before advancing further. His final ERA and WHIP were 5.87 and 1.37. RHP Justin Yeager Week: 1.0 IP, H, 2 R, 2 BB, K Yeager pitched the final inning of the week's first game against the Desert Dogs. His two earned runs came after back-to-back walks, a single, and a force out at second base. He threw 29 pitches, 15 of which were strikes (51.7%). Although his regular season may not have ended the way he wanted, his appearance in the championship game was emphatic. After inheriting runners on first and second and tasked with protecting a one-run lead, Yeager struck out Tyler Locklear on three pitches and secured the victory for the Surprise Saguaros. Regularly used in higher leverage situations, Yeager showed flashes of his potential as a closer. After all, what’s higher leverage than securing the final out of the championship game? He didn’t pitch much in 2023, accumulating just 2 ⅓ innings in Biloxi before being sidelined by injury, so he’ll likely return to Double-A in 2024. His final ERA and WHIP were 6.23 and 1.50, respectively. View full article

Agree that using him as a trade piece is probably the team's best bet. There's definitely a demand for starting pitching and while he's not quite good enough to occupy a long-term spot on this team, there are definitely teams (Royals, Nationals) that might give up some bats for him.

While they weren't at the Fall-Stars game, Eric Brown hit his first home run of the Arizona Fall League season and Wes Clarke continued his steady progress at the plate. On the pitching side, Joseph Hernandez had his best week yet, performing valiantly in his first start. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK Game Results Monday, 10/30 | Scottsdale 3, Surprise 5 Tuesday, 10/31 | None Wednesday, 11/1 | Glendale 11, Surprise 2 Thursday, 11/2 | Mesa 2, Surprise 5 Friday, 11/3 | Salt River 2, Surprise 5 Saturday, 11/4 | None It was a relatively short week of games with the AFL Home Run Derby and Fall-Stars game taking place. Nonetheless, Brewers prospects got some important work done and the pitching prospects made significant improvements. Wes Clarke also had a chance to compete in the Home Run Derby. 2B Eric Brown Jr. Week: 1-for-9, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K (3 games) Eric Brown has shown off so many great skills thus far, such as hitting for average, plate discipline, and the ability to steal bases. The last piece was power, and he finally checked that box too, hitting his first home run in the Saguaros’ only loss of the week against the Glendale Desert Dogs. He hit another home run in the Fall Stars game, pulling off a pretty swaggy bat flip in the process. Brown’s consistency has been on display for five weeks, with his season slash line at .289/.392/.410. In addition to the offensive production, he’s had a few chances to show off his glove as well. 1B Wes Clarke Week: 2-for-10, HR, RBI, 2BB, 4 K (3 games) Despite striking out four times, Clarke still found a way to do damage, hitting his fifth home run of the season against the Mesa Solar Sox on 11/2, a solo shot to center field in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was the only RBI he recorded in three games but he still managed to post a .833 OPS for the week. His season OPS of 1.009 is the second-highest on the Saguaros and he leads the team in home runs. OF Hendry Mendez Week: 1-for-3, K (1 game) Still seeing limited usage, Mendez appeared in the 11-2 loss to the Glendale Desert Dogs, playing right field. His lone hit was a single to center field to lead off the eighth inning. Partially due to his relatively small amount of at-bats, Mendez actually has the highest OPS on the Surprise Saguaros over the past two weeks, slashing .500/.571/.667 for a total OPS of 1.238. RHP Joseph Hernandez Week: 4.0 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 4 K, W Hernandez finally had the week he wanted, making a four-inning start against the Scottsdale Scorpions in the first game of the week. He retired the opposing batters in order in the first and fourth innings and faced the minimum in the third inning, helped by a double play by fellow Brewers prospect Eric Brown Jr. He also notched his first win of the season. He threw a total of 63 pitches, 39 of which were strikes (61.9%). With this stellar outing, he reduced his ERA to 9.64 ERA and his WHIP to 2.57. He’s still got a long way to go but his potential is undeniably there. LHP Justin King Week: 1.0 IP, H, 2 R, BB, 2 K King stepped in to pitch the final inning of the game against the Desert Dogs in a non-save situation. With his team already down 9-2, there wasn’t much he could do at that point aside from focus on his own performance. After a walk and an instance of catcher’s interference, he allowed a two-run double to Kala’i Rosario. He threw 30 pitches, 17 of which were strikes (56.7%). His ERA and WHIP are currently 5.06 and 1.31 respectively. LHP Adam Seminaris Week: 3.0 IP, H, 2 R, 2 HB, 2 BB, 2 K Seminaris spread out his three innings of work over two games, pitching two innings in the first game of the week against the Scottsdale Scorpions and one inning against the Salt River Rafters. His control against the Scorpions was slightly shaky, hitting two batters and recording a wild pitch, but he seemed to have no issues in his second appearance. Seminaris improved his ERA and WHIP slightly to 4.15 and 1.31. RHP Justin Yeager Week: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K Yeager had a good week, following Seminaris in the team’s game against the Salt River Rafters and pitching the eighth inning. He faced just four batters in a tranquil outing and used an efficient 16 pitches, 9 of which were strikes (56.3%) Yeager’s season ERA and WHIP now stand at 4.70 and 1.30. View full article

The Brewers have made their first highly notable move of the 2023-24 offseason, trading Mark Canha to the Detroit Tigers rather than picking up his 2024 contract option. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Having clearly decided not to bring back Mark Canha for $11.5 million, the Brewers decided instead to bolster an already strong pitching farm system by adding Blake Holub, who posted a 3.79 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 40 ⅓ innings with the Erie SeaWolves in Double A. He was often used in later innings and put together seven saves, demonstrating his ability to pitch in high-leverage situations. Currently on the roster for the Biloxi Shuckers in AA, Holub may move to AAA if things go well. At just 25 years old, he's still got a few years to work out some kinks and get used to facing higher-level hitters. There won't be any changes to the major-league pitching roster as a result of this move just yet, but the same can't be said about the lineup. Primarily serving as a corner outfielder this year, Canha's departure may allow for Tyrone Taylor to get more playing time and continue the impressive trajectory he started towards the end of last season. It will also open the door to more at-bats at the designated hitter role which may play a huge role in the front office's decision to re-sign someone like Rowdy Tellez or pursue a free-agent pure DH like a J.D. Martinez or Joc Pederson. View full article

After very briefly becoming an official free agent, Colin Rea is officially returning to the Brewers in 2024. This might seem like a minor move, but it's an important one for the club. The deal that will bring Colin Rea back for another season includes $3.5 million in salary, $500,000 in performance-based incentives and a club option for 2025. The club option is worth $5.5 million, with a $1-million buyout. Rea originally joined the team on a minor-league deal in 2023 (after also being part of the organization in 2021; he's been highly peripatetic) and ended up being an important component of the major-league rotation, pitching 124 ⅔ innings and posting a 4.55 ERA. Looking at Rea’s player profile, one can see that he’s not a generational talent in any area but is a perfect example of a “gets the job done” kind of guy. All of his Savant stats are right around the 30th-40th percentile, except for his walk and ground-ball rates, both of which are hovering around the 60th percentile. What stands out most about him is actually his four-seam fastball, a pitch with an xwOBA of just .196 and a strikeout rate of 40.6%. It’s his third-most-used pitch, as he opts to use his sinker/cutter combination more often, but with a run value of 7, it’s undoubtedly an effective weapon. It doesn’t seem like much, as Rea isn’t quite an All-Star, marquee name. However, don’t let that distract you from how productive he really is. For a relatively cheap salary, the Brewers are able to fill (in some way, and to some extent) the massive gap left by Brandon Woodruff’s injury, which will sideline him for most, if not all, of 2024. Everyone knows the first two spots will be occupied by Corbin Burnes (assuming he isn’t dealt away at some point before his impending free agency) and Freddy Peralta. Wade Miley’s mutual option is unlikely to be exercised, but maybe he comes back on a different deal. Adrian Houser might be back as a starter and Julio Teheran elected free agency after being designated for assignment and clearing waivers. Eric Lauer chose a similar path after being outrighted to Triple A and refusing the assignment following the conclusion of the season. This means the last starting spot will be where Rea makes his home--unless he gets pushed to the bullpen, that is. Rea found himself often pitching less than the six innings typically asked of a starter, and was most effective when he was out there for around four innings. Furthermore, he’ll have no options left next year, so if his performance starts to slip, the Brewers will have far more flexibility in the bullpen than they would if he was a starter. With his makeup, he could end up in a long relief role, similar to the one Bryse Wilson filled in 2023. If we get the same consistent version of Rea as we did in 2023, this deal is a great way to mitigate the damage of losing Woodruff. If we get an even better iteration, his club option could get exercised, and he’d be around for even longer. This deal doesn't overcommit the team to anything, but it gives them a cheap, familiar option to eat some innings. View full article

Wes Clarke had yet another exceptional week at the plate, while Hendry Mendez had his first breakout performance. On the mound, Justin King and Justin Yeager had scoreless appearances out of the bullpen. Image courtesy of Mike Krebs, Biloxi Shuckers Game Results Monday, 10/23 | Peoria 7, Surprise 11 Tuesday, 10/24 | Salt River 10, Surprise 12 Wednesday, 10/25 | None Thursday, 10/26 | Surprise 6, Peoria 5 Friday, 10/27 | Peoria 9, Surprise 5 Saturday, 10/28 | Scottsdale 2, Surprise 4 The Surprise Saguaros jumped to first place with an outstanding record of 14-9, thanks in no small part to a handful of scrappy Milwaukee prospects. The team went 4-1 on the week, losing just one game to the Peoria Javelinas. In addition to being atop the leaderboard, they have the highest run differential at +38. 2B Eric Brown Jr. Week: 4-for-17, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 K (5 games) Eric Brown had a bit of a slower week, slashing just .235/.278/.235 for an OPS of .513, quite a bit lower than his season average of .805. His lone RBI came against the Peoria Javelinas in the week's first game on 10/23. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Brown hit a single to score Peyton Wilson and move Dasan Brown to third base. Despite his slower week, he saw use in every game and has been a reliable middle infield piece for the Saguaros. He’s appeared in 20 games this season, the most of any player on the team. He also has 74 at-bats thus far, second to only Jacob Hurtubise. 1B Wes Clarke Week: 4-for-11, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 K (3 games) Wes Clarke saw a big improvement over the prior week, cutting down on his strikeouts and improving his plate discipline and average. He posted a slash line of .364/.462/.455 for the week, slightly lower than his 1.038 OPS average for the season. This was diminished by a lack of power and extra-base hits, but his on-base abilities were much appreciated nonetheless. Clarke was pivotal in the Saguaros’ narrow win over the Peoria Javelinas on 10/26. He tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning with an RBI single that scored fellow Brewer prospect Hendry Mendez. He hit another clutch RBI single in the top of the seventh to bring the game within one run. Although he didn’t appear in the same number of games or receive as many at-bats as some of his teammates, he made his presence known and has been focused on quality over quantity. Of all qualified players on the Saguaros, Clarke’s season slugging percentage of .586 is the highest. OF Hendry Mendez Week: 2-for-3, 2B, BB, 0 K (1 game) After patiently waiting for his turn in the spotlight, Hendry Mendez had a great showing on 10/26 against the Javelinas. Batting ninth, he scored three of his team’s runs, all three needed to beat Peoria 6-5 eventually. With plenty of outfielders to choose from, Mendez has struggled to find consistent playing time, accumulating just 30 at-bats over the season, but he’s shown signs of improvement week after week. RHP Joseph Hernandez Week: 1.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K Like the previous week, Hernandez pitched in just the first game of the week. Also, like the previous week, he didn’t have the greatest time on the mound. While he didn’t give up any home runs, he gave up three doubles and five singles, conceding four earned runs to the Peoria Javelinas. On the bright side, he escaped a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning by striking out Christian Cairo. He threw 49 pitches, 26 of which were strikes (53.1%). Joseph Hernandez has a 15.19 ERA and a 3.94 WHIP over 5 ⅓ innings this season. LHP Justin King Week: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K King had a quiet appearance against the Javelinas on 10/27. Entering the game in the seventh inning, he quickly got a lineout, a groundout, and a force out. The only trouble King faced was an instance of catcher’s interference and a stolen base, but he kept it cool and avoided any damage or real concern. He threw 14 pitches, eight of which were strikes (57.1%). Justin King brought his ERA down to 4.15 and his WHIP to 1.15 over the 4 ⅓ innings he’s pitched thus far. LHP Adam Seminaris Week: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, BB, K, W Seminaris notched his second win of the season, making a four-inning start against the Javelinas on 10/23. All three of his earned runs came in the second inning, after which he could recover and limit traffic. He had a slick pickoff of Ryan Bliss on second base to end the third inning and relied on soft contact to get his outs. He threw 68 pitches, 41 of which were strikes (60.3%). Adam Seminaris has a 4.50 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over ten innings this season. RHP Justin Yeager Week: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 HB, K, S Yeager had a few control issues, hitting a batter in each of the two games he appeared in this week. Nonetheless, he got the job done without conceding a single run and even managed to notch his first save of the season, a two-out showing against the Salt River Rafters on 10/24. He threw 11 pitches, seven of which were strikes (63.6%). Justin Yeager has a 5.40 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 6 ⅔ innings. View full article

Eric Brown Jr. had his best week of the AFL thus far, producing at the plate and on the basepaths. Meanwhile, Justin Yeager gave up just one hit in two games. Let's review all the Brewers prospects' showings this past week. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK Game Results Monday, 10/16 | Surprise 8, Mesa 10 Tuesday, 10/17 | Salt River 5, Surprise 1 Wednesday, 10/18 | Surprise 8, Scottsdale 9 Thursday, 10/19 | Scottsdale 0, Surprise 5 Friday, 10/20 | Surprise 7, Salt River 1 Saturday, 10/21 | Surprise 2, Peoria 5 The third week of the Arizona Fall League was a regression to the norm for the Saguaros. After losing a couple of lopsided games in the first week and putting on some beatings of their own in the second, the third week showed off a higher-level of parity. 2B Eric Brown Jr. Week: 7-for-19, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3K, 4 SB (6 games) Eric Brown continued his upward trajectory, appearing in every game and averaging .368. His batting average for the season of .333 is second on the team, trailing only catcher Liam Hicks. In addition to his hitting ability, his speed has been invaluable. Brown has swiped four bases, and he was utilized as a pinch-runner in a close game on Oct. 18 against the Scottsdale Scorpions. He’s still looking to get his first home run of the season, but his consistent on-base abilities make up for a relative lack of power. 1B Wes Clarke Week: 5-for-15, HR, 3 BB, 2 RBI, 6 K (4 games) Clarke saw a slight reduction in usage but was effective when at the plate. He hit his fourth home run of the season against the Scorpions, and is now tied for second-most in the league. At 1.067, he boasts the second-highest OPS on the team (behind the aforementioned Hicks), and he has the second-highest slugging percentage, at .617. Clarke has been one of the most exciting prospects to watch on the Saguaros, and continues to impress. OF Hendry Mendez Week: 1-for-6, 2 BB, 2 K (2 games) Mendez started just two games, splitting time between left and right field. On the bright side, he’s been able to limit strikeouts and his on-base percentage of .313 is quite a bit higher than his batting average of .185. With a little more time allocated for training and development, Mendez might make his name as a player with elite plate discipline and above-average on-base skills. RHP Joseph Hernandez Week: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 HR, HB, BB, K Hernandez pitched only in the first game of the week and had a bit of a rough outing. His first inning saw him give up a single, hit-by-pitch, and a walk, but he avoided any scoring. After quickly getting two outs in the sixth inning, things started to fall apart: He gave up five consecutive hits, including two home runs. Hernandez has an 11.25 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP over four innings this season. LHP Justin King Week: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, HR, BB, 2 K, L Justin King came in the bottom of the 10th inning of the Saguaros' first game of the week against the Mesa Solar Sox. With the game tied 8-8, King gave up the game-winning home run to Kevin Alcantara, the first batter he faced. He threw just three pitches, all of which were strikes. He had a much better outing against the Salt River Rafters on Oct. 20, striking out two batters and giving up no runs in the eighth inning. He threw 24 pitches, 14 of which were strikes (58.3%). King has a 5.40 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP over 3 ⅓ innings this season. LHP Adam Seminaris Week: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, HR, BB, 2 K Seminaris made a two-inning start at the beginning of the week, conceding two runs and five hits over two innings while netting two strikeouts. It was his first start (and just his second game) of the fall season. Seminaris has a 3.00 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP over six innings this season. RHP Justin Yeager Week: 2.0 IP, H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K Yeager was lights-out, making two scoreless relief appearances. He pitched the final inning against the Salt River Rafters on Oct. 17, striking out two and giving up one hit and one walk. He used 19 pitches, 12 of which were strikes (63.2%). He also pitched the seventh inning of the team’s final game of the week against the Peoria Javelinas, striking out two and conceding no baserunners. He used 16 pitches, 9 of which were strikes (56.3%). Yeager has a 7.20 ERA and 2.00 WHIP over five innings this season. Do any of these performances turn your head? Which Brewers assignees to the AFL have your mental gears turning, as you look ahead to the offseason and to 2024? View full article

Brandon Woodruff was one of the Brewers’ best players in 2023 and has been an integral piece of the pitching staff since his first full season as a starter in 2019. Given his current injury status and contract situation, could we see Woodruff sign on for another year in 2025? Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Brandon Woodruff will be arbitration-eligible in 2024 and a free agent at the end of that season. Assuming he’ll miss most of 2024, he won’t really have much firepower to use in fetching a higher salary in the arbitration process. Furthermore, he’ll hit the free-agent market with few (if any) innings pitched, which will likely lead teams to question whether his stuff is still there and whether he’ll be an injury risk in the future. This is where the Brewers front office can shine. Having served as his home for the entirety of his professional career, Milwaukee has the benefit of having the most information on Woodruff as a pitcher, player, and person. Because of this (and the fact that they’ll be the most in tune with his recovery process), a mutually beneficial course of action could be to sign Woodruff to a two-year contract that extends the Brewers' team control through 2025. This accomplishes two main goals. Gives Woodruff an Extra Year to Get Back in the Game Woodruff is a power pitcher. He’s not a crafty pitch-to-contact guy like Wade Miley or Jordan Montgomery, who can get away with lower velocity and strikeout numbers. Woodruff has a 95.8-MPH four-seam fastball and a 95.0-MPH sinker, each of which pair nicely with an 85.8-MPH changeup and some red wine. He's averaged 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings over the course of his career and has fanned as many as 211 batters in a season. Thus, it’s important that he is able to prove to other teams that post-surgery, he hasn’t lost his ability to produce the same velocity. Signing a short-term deal would give him a full season of healthy pitching, and then throw him back into the free-agent market prior to the 2026 season with plenty of recent data to prove that he is still the same guy he’s always been. Gives The Brewers an Extra Year of Brandon Woodruff This really speaks for itself. Having one of the best pitchers in baseball in your starting rotation is a blessing and a privilege. Not only would this decision give Milwaukee an extra year of Woodruff, there’s even a chance that it could help sway Woodruff into returning to the Brewers again, this time signing a longer-term contract as a reflection of the good faith shown to him. Maybe he ends up as a career Brewer--one of the franchise greats. Additionally, the Brewers deciding to pay Woodruff the projected $11 million he was going to get prior to the to injury would keep payroll relatively low for 2024. The team could then pay him a higher sum in 2025 to compensate, allowing them more flexibility in roster construction. Corbin Burnes is on the same contract timeline (arb-eligible in 2024, free agent thereafter) and there are already questions about whether he’ll be willing to stay or if the team will even be willing to extend him. Keeping Woodruff would undoubtedly soften the blow of losing Burnes and prevent Milwaukee from heading into complete rebuild mode. Both parties are in a unique situation, given Woodruff’s surgery, and who knows what’s really on the mind of team management? Much of this depends on how quickly he'll be able to return to action at the major-league level and how much faith he has in himself. Nonetheless, there is hope that we'll continue to see him in Brew Crew blue for at least a few more years. View full article

After mixed results in the first week of the Arizona Fall League, the Surprise Saguaros seemed to put the pieces together, going 5-1--powered by a handful of Brewers prospects. Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Let's check in on the week's results of the Brewers prospects' AFL squad. Game Results Monday, 10/9 | Surprise 3, Peoria 5 Tuesday, 10/10 | Surprise 17, Scottsdale 5 Wednesday, 10/11 | Glendale 1, Surprise 16 Thursday, 10/12 | Surprise 7, Salt River 6 Friday, 10/13 | Mesa 2, Surprise 10 Saturday, 10/7 | Surprise 5, Mesa 2 The Saguaros had an offensive outburst, scoring 50 runs across four days. In their games against the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Glendale Desert Dogs, they combined to outscore their opponents 33-6, an impressive run differential. 2B Eric Brown Jr. Week: 7-for-20, 3 2B, 5 BB, 7 RBI, 5 K, 2 SB (5 games) Eric Brown Jr. made big improvements over the first week of the season, batting well with runners in scoring position and showing great plate discipline, walking as many times as he struck out. He also swiped a pair of bags in the final game against the Mesa Solar Sox. Again splitting time between the two middle infield positions, he continued to perform consistently throughout the week, always finding a way to add value and help his team be as successful as possible. 1B Wes Clarke Week: 3-for-16, 2B, HR, 6 BB, 5 RBI, 7 K (5 games) After a red-hot start in the first week, Clarke regressed slightly, but he continued to show excellent qualities. Despite fewer hits, he still found a way to accumulate five RBIs, one for each game in which he appeared. In the two games in which he didn’t record a hit, he was able to walk in runs. He walked almost as often as he struck out. Despite his down week, Clarke still possesses the fourth-highest OPS on the team, at 1.108. His on-base percentage of .452 for the season thus far is highly impressive. Coupled with clear power, his pop makes for a scary offensive threat for any team in this league to face. OF Hendry Mendez Week: 2-for-10, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 2 K (3 games) Seeing somewhat limited use, Mendez is still warming up to competing at the level of the AFL. At just 19 years old and spending most of his time at High A this past season, Mendez hasn’t broken out just yet, but he seems to have decent discipline at the plate. On the bright side, he recorded his first two RBIs in the 17-5 blowout against the Scottsdale Scorpions. LHP Justin King Week: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1HB, 1 K King pitched the final inning of the Saguaros' widest victory against the Glendale Desert Dogs. Charged with protecting a meager 15-run lead, King’s only base runner came by way of a hit-by-pitch. He allowed said runner to advance to second base on a wild pitch but King got the final groundout to end the game. He threw 21 pitches, 12 of which were strikes (57.1%). RHP Shane Smith Week: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Smith pitched in the team’s only loss this week, giving up a single and striking out one. He used a relatively high number of pitches for a relatively light workload, throwing 26 of them, 18 for strikes (69.2%). Nonetheless, he didn’t walk or hit anyone and got the job done when needed. RHP Justin Yeager Week: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K Yeager was the first reliever out of the bullpen in the Saguaros' competitive game against the Mesa Solar Sox on 10/14. He gave up one hit and struck out two on an extremely efficient 12 pitches, 11 of which were strikes (91.7%). Yeager continues to be one of the most aggressive pitchers in the AFL, pounding the strike zone and testing his limits. This approach worked much better this week than last, avoiding any damage. View full article

Adding onto the pile of unfortunate Brewers news following a disappointing playoff run, it was reported that Brandon Woodruff underwent surgery to fix his right shoulder, potentially causing him to miss the entirety of the 2024 season. Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports After a subscapular strain sent him to the 60-day IL in April, Brandon Woodruff returned to the major league roster in August, dominating and posting a 2.28 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over the 67 innings he could pitch. It seemed like he hadn’t lost a step, and he gave fans a glimpse of what could’ve been had he been healthy all year. In a Herculean effort, he pitched a complete game shutout against the Miami Marlins in September. Unfortunately, his comeback story took a dark turn on October 2nd when the subscapular injury that sidelined him earlier in the year returned and caused him to miss the entire Wild Card Series. If Woodruff had been present for the postseason, perhaps the Brewers could’ve avoided an early first-round exit at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The procedure aimed to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder, a potential long-term fix to what seems to be a chronic issue now. Woodruff is expected to return to action in the second half of the 2024 season if he can return during that year. His future is now in question, as the injury could not have come at a more tragic time. Brandon Woodruff will be eligible for arbitration in 2024 and was labeled a potential trade piece heading into this offseason. Still, questions have shifted from whether he’ll be playing baseball in Milwaukee to whether he’ll be playing baseball at all. Furthermore, he will be a free agent in 2025, but given the long layoff he’ll have before negotiations start, he’ll likely have a hard time signing the deal he was hoping for. Will he be seen as an injury risk? Is he still capable of giving a team the 150+ innings they’d want out of a frontline starter every year? The blue-sky scenario would be that he makes a miraculous recovery, returns shortly after the All-Star Break, and picks up where he left off, striking out opposing batters with extreme prejudice and going deep into games. The gray-sky scenario is that he becomes a shadow of his former self, unable to generate the same velocity or exercise the same command as before, similar to pitchers like Noah Syndergaard. With more and more pitchers going under the knife and mixed results thus far, it’s hard to say. Regardless of the true outcome, the Brewers front office undoubtedly has a difficult decision to make, and Woodruff’s fate, at least for the next few years, is in their hands. View full article