Your 2014 Huntsville Stars

[Mass Haas]

Unless the Brewers add Shawn Zarraga to their 40-man roster this fall (at which point they would control his rights in the minor leagues for another three years, for a total of ten without any promise of big league time), Shawn can elect to become a minor league free agent.

[Mass Haas]

Includes video report

 

Brewers prospect Nick Ramirez showcases significant power

Double-A first baseman impresses with middle-of-the-order potential at plate

By Bernie Pleskoff

[Mass Haas]

Goforth makes his move

Brewers' No. 13 prospect enjoying seamless switch to Stars bullpen

By Guy Curtright / Special to MiLB.com

 

A seventh-round pick in 2011, David Goforth is 3-3 with a 3.35 ERA and a league-high 16 saves this year. (Huntsville Stars photo)

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/2/1/4/82371214/cuts/David_Goforth_l53rwdjw_ha13t3w1.jpg

 

The Milwaukee Brewers made a couple of Minor League player development decisions last July that could prove significant for years to come. David Goforth moved from the rotation to the bullpen, and Tyler Cravy made the opposite switch.

 

In the case of Cravy, it was more a move of need that turned out to be fortuitous. In the case of Goforth, it was a well-thought-out switch long in planning.

 

"I didn't know what the timing would be, but I knew the Brewers were going to make the move eventually," said Goforth, Milwaukee's No. 13 prospect.

 

Both pitchers thrived in their new roles, with Huntsville the short-term beneficiary and Milwaukee the long-term one.

 

Cravy was the top starter in the Southern League during the first half, going 8-1 with a 1.72 ERA and 0.85 WHIP before being promoted to Triple-A Nashville.

 

Goforth leads the Double-A circuit with 16 saves in 19 opportunities and has been the anchor for a pitching staff that helped lead the Stars to the first-half title in the North Division while posting the SL's best record.

 

Cravy got his chance in the rotation last season with Class A Advanced Brevard County after Goforth was promoted to Huntsville following an appearance in the mid-June Florida State League All-Star Game.

 

Nothing changed for Goforth initially as he built on his first-half success as a starter with Brevard County, going 3-1 and posting consecutive seven-inning scoreless outings for the Stars.

 

The Brewers, though, had a plan for the right-hander, and he was moved to the bullpen after the mid-July All-Star break despite being the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week.

 

Goforth was 5-for-5 in save opportunities as Huntsville's new closer and then shined again in the Arizona Fall League in that role, making the Rising Stars Game and posting four more saves.

 

Goforth, 3-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 33 games this season, has had a few rough outings but many more impressive ones for the Stars.

 

"The Brewers should be high on him. He's quality," said Chattanooga's Razor Shines, who managed Goforth on the North team in the Southern League All-Star Game.

 

Goforth has a fastball that can reach the high 90s and the assortment of other pitches befitting a former starter.

 

The seemingly sudden switch from the rotation to the bullpen last season wasn't as difficult as you might suspect for Goforth, because he had been in both roles while pitching in the SEC for the University of Mississippi.

 

The Brewers, who took Goforth in the seventh round of the 2011 Draft, liked what they saw in both cases, but always considered the bullpen his ultimate landing spot.

 

"They wanted me to start at first to build up my innings and work on my pitches," the 25-year-old Mississippi native said. "But I was ready to go to the bullpen whenever they decided to make the move.

 

"I think they thought I'd accomplished what I needed to as a starter and that's why the switch was made when it was. I was fine with it and ready to get going with the transition."

 

The Arizona Fall League helped Goforth get fully comfortable in relief.

 

"After starting for a couple of years, I had to get back in the groove of coming out of the bullpen," he said. "It worked out good and really helped me."

 

As a starter, Goforth would reach 97-98 mph with his fastball, but it took him a while to build up his velocity. Now he comes out of the bullpen throwing heat from the start.

 

"It took me a while to get used to warming up quick, but now it is no problem," he said.

 

The problem lies with opponents trying to hit Goforth and the other Huntsville pitchers. Cravy is gone, but the Stars are still tough on the mound.

 

"It's been a fun season so far," Goforth said.

[Noche]

Hey guys, seeing how our system is really breaking out, I thought it would be fun to rank prospects by current affiliate. Doing it this way sure makes it easier! It also helps me start building my tiers for our community lists.

 

Huntsville Stars Top 10

 

1. Mitch Haniger - OF: Do it all OF with a similar profile to past Brewers prospects such as Khris Davis, Jon Lucroy and Michael Brantley. Not flashy but you can tell he is going to be good.

 

2. David Goforth - RHP: High leverage relief pitcher with two plus pitches. Could be best relief prospect in system.

 

3. Jed Bradley - LHP: Bounce back season. Looks like a capable major league arm again.

 

4. Yadiel Rivera - SS: Career .239/.285/.347 across 482 games with 29 homers. Currently 2.5 years younger than average SL player. Probably always been 1-2 levels too far ahead out of org. need. Stay patient on this guy.

 

5. Kentrail Davis - OF: Career .272/.361/.399 over 553 games. Would like to see him get a shot. 10% BB rate and 172 XBH’s. MLB bat speed.

 

6. Nick Ramirez - IB: Career .256/.316/.458 over 368 games with 68 bombs. More power than Hunter Morris. You get the feeling more is there if he could get his body right.

 

7. Brent Suter - LHP: MLB quality starter who profiles as useful but not impactful mainly because heavy heat isn’t there. Loogy floor.

 

8. Drew Gagnon - RHP: MLB quality arm with inconsistent arsenal. Very similar stuff to Taylor Jungmann with a little less juice and less success.

 

9. D’Vontrey Richardson - OF: Good candidate to heat up considerably as weather does.

 

10. Casey Medlen - RHP: Tiny, 6’0” 155 lbs. but can touch 95. Power bullpen arm.

[Mass Haas]

Adam Weisenburger - TV News Investigative Reporter

 

Guest Tim Dillard does more with less - fantastic, you'll see...

[Mass Haas]

Moeller's Suter delivers for Brewers affiliate

Scott Springer, Cincinnati.com

 

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/44b1c90230725952adb7f7665d4cbfd1a815cdf1/c=0-117-1202-1718&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/Cincinnati/2014/07/28/suterbrent.jpg

 

(Photo: Thanks to www.milb.com/ Huntsville Stars)

 

CHATTANOOGA – When most tourists pull into Chattanooga, Tenn., in the summer time, they're usually following those roadway birdhouses to Rock City or the obligatory following stops at Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain.

 

When Brent Suter hits town, he goes from bus to motel to ballpark.

 

The Moeller High School 2008 graduate is a member of the Huntsville Stars of the AA Southern League, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. On July 10-14, they spent an extended weekend at AT&T Field; with the fans down by the river.

 

Suter has been making fans from his Anderson Township days to Moeller to Harvard and throughout the Brewers farm system. Not drafted until the 31st round in 2012, the 6-foot-5 lefty leads the Stars in innings pitched and wins.

 

"My changeup has been clicking," Suter said. "I've been keeping the team in the game. I've been averaging six, seven or eight innings a game."

 

The former Crusader actually has done more than keep the Stars in the game, winning most and nearly throwing a no-hitter back in April. Fittingly, it came on Education Day at Huntsville's Joe W. Davis Stadium as Suter recently spent his offseason substitute teaching in the Forest Hills School District.

 

Since the Ivy League, Suter has had stops in Helena, Wisc., and Brevard County, Fla., in addition to Huntsville. He began in the Rookie League as a reliever, but has been starting since 2013.

 

Though a successful pitcher at Moeller his senior year (3-0. 0.89 ERA), teammates Greg Williams and Russ Oltorik had more wins and logged more innings. He developed more on the mound at Harvard and has honed his craft since.

 

"Confidence, experience, mound presence and I've quickened my tempo a little bit," Suter said. "I've gotten more command of my pitches and I want to try and get a fork(ball) or cutter in the next year. I've been reading hitter's swings and throwing a lot more changeups to lefties than ever before."

 

Though not currently on the Milwaukee 40-man roster, Suter would like to get an invite to big league spring training over the winter.

 

"They just said finish the season strong and keep the momentum going into the offseason," Suter said. "I'm just trying to get myself in AAA."

 

Playing for an NL affiliate, Suter has also enjoyed the offensive aspect of the game this season. At Moeller, he led the Greater Catholic League-South in runs batted in (30) in 2008 and hit a cool .389 while manning center field. Several times this season, he's helped his team with the lumber.

 

Like many pro hurlers, he vividly recalls his first knock.

 

"It was an 'oppo' double to left-center against Pensacola, the Reds affiliate," Suter said. "The guys were calling for me to do some stuff from the dugout."

 

Brent's parents, Mike and Shirley, have logged a lot of miles this season between his brother, Troy, in Madison, Wisc., and the various outposts of the Southern League.

 

They also still attend the occasional Moeller game and update their Crusader sons accordingly.

[Mass Haas]

Via tweets from the Voice of the Stars, Steve Jarnicki:

 

According to Southern League managers in a vote --

 

Nick Ramirez named best defensive first baseman

 

Josh Prince named best baserunner

 

D'Vontrey Richardson named best defensive OF

[Mass Haas]

LINK: MLB.com's scouting guru Bernie Pleskoff profiles Huntsville closer David Goforth, almost a sure-thing 40-man addition this fall.

[Mass Haas]

Miller Park Prospects - Season and Player-by-Player Review

[Mass Haas]