Thurs. 4/14 - Minor League Action

[Mass Haas]

Thread will be utilized for any minor league news Wednesday, lineup updates (when damuelle is available, which is often), etc.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

[Joseph Zarr]

Russ Smith has made it cleanly through 4. Maybe he gets into the 5th tho his pitch count is in the 70's on his first outing. 0-0. Joe Gray Jr. continues to strikeout on the regular with 2 k's on the day. Hopefully, he can turn that around.

Nashville leads 4-0 in the First. Alexander re-takes the mound. Weston Wilson continues his excellent start at the plate.

[damuelle]

As Julio Muchacho indicated above, this is Brewers' 2021 2nd round selection LHP Russell Smith's  official organizational debut, starting the opening game of today's doubleheader for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Beloit. CF Sal Frelick once again leads off, having hit safely in the 4 opening games of the season:

1 - Sal Frelick - CF
2 - Carlos D. Rodriguez - LF
3 - Joe Gray Jr. - RF
4 - Wes Clarke - C
5 - Zavier Warren - 3B
6 - Ernesto Martinez - 1B
7 - Ethan Murray - 2B
8 - Darrien Miller - DH
9 - Antonio Pinero - SS
X - Russell Smith - P

[Joseph Zarr]

Good Grief, Joey Wiemer just crushed his first HR of the young season. A 2 run knock over the wall and off a sign (?) in deep Left or out of the park. Hard to tell. Nobody saw it - especially, the LF'er who stared aimlessly to the heavens...both hands stretched out...as if to ask "Can a man hit a ball that hard, that high, and that far?!?"

[damuelle]

RHP Ryne Moore makes his 2nd start for the Mudcats, who look to take a 2-1 series lead in Fredericksburg. DH Oswel Leones returns to the line-up after exiting early a few days ago, while the amazing SS Eduardo Garcia (9-22 on the young season, hitting safely in all 5 games he's played) once again leads things off:

[Joseph Zarr]

Arbert Cipion - shifting back to CF - got them going earlier. He must have seen my tid bit in the Minor League report? A 2 run single to get things going in the 2nd. These Mudcats just keep putting runs up early. Love to see it.

[damuelle]

The 5-0 Biloxi Shuckers welcome CF Garrett Mitchell and 3B Ashton McGee back to the starting line-up after dealing with apparently minor injuries. 2B Felix Valerio (.300 AVG / .417 OBP / .650 SLG) looks to keep swinging a hot bat, while LHP Andy Otero aims for a longer 2nd start than his first (4.0 innings, 2 runs last week):

[Joseph Zarr]

Darrien Miller welcome back to the Home Run circle! 1-0 Timber Rattlers in the Top of the 7th. His 2nd on the early year. 

[damuelle]

After yesterday's stunning comeback from a 5-0, 8th inning deficit, RHP Jason Alexander (5 shutout innings last week) looks for a second solid start for Nashville against Gwinnett. Hero RF David Dahl (game-winning 2-run homer yesterday) bats 3rd:

[Joseph Zarr]

3 minutes ago, damuelle said:

The 5-0 Biloxi Shuckers welcome CF Garrett Mitchell and 3B Ashton McGee back to the starting line-up after dealing with apparently minor injuries. 2B Felix Valerio (.300 AVG / .417 OBP / .650 SLG) looks to keep swinging a hot bat, while LHP Andy Otero aims for a longer 2nd start than his first (4.0 innings, 2 runs last week):

So pumped Ashton McGee is back in the lineup. That's a fun prospect and I was admittedly worried about that shoulder. Good stuff!

[Joseph Zarr]

James Meeker pounds the zone and closes it out in his first High A action. Game 1 - a 7 inning first game of the Double Header - is over for the Timber Rattlers. 3 up and 3 down. 1-0 Win on a Darrien Miller HR knock. Beloit starts their season 0-5 for the first time since 2008, I believe.

[Joseph Zarr]

Micah Bello stays red hot. 2-2 with 2 rbi. Mudcats lead 4-0 in the Top of the 4th.

[Joseph Zarr]

Moore is cruising through 3 ip. A mere one hit. 4 k's. No base on balls - always something you love to see in Low-A. 31 strikes in a mere 43 pitched as he heads to the top of the 4th.

[Joseph Zarr]

Thomas Dillard came into last night's contest 2-14 with no extra basers. He now has 2 doubles in his past 3 AB's knocking in Felix Valerio 'Mr. On Base' as he had a great jump on the rope down the RF line, into foul territory, and sitting at the wall.

[Joseph Zarr]

Moore with his first blemish on a White bomb to right center in a hitters count. He gets out of the inning with still a mere 56 pitches through 5. It's 4-1 Mudcats.

[Joseph Zarr]

Including tonight's contest, Nasvhille has played Gwinntett 31 times over the past year. In 20 of those contests, the result was decided by 2 runs or less. Alexander, seeing his pitch count get up into the upper 80's gives up a 2 out double to deep right center to Jason Nogowski of the Stripers. It's 5-3 Sounds.

[damuelle]

After a close win in Wisconsin's first game today, RHP Justin Jarvis gets the ball in the 2nd game of the doubleheader against Beloit, with just two other line-up changes (RF Tristan Peters and 2B Yeison Coca enter for Clarke and Pinero):

1 - Frelick - DH
2 - Rodriguez - LF
3 - Gray - CF
4 - Miller - C
5 - Warren - 3B
6 - Martinez - 1B
7 - Peters - RF
8 - Murray - SS
9 - Coca - 2B
X - Jarvis - P

[Joseph Zarr]

Have a game Felix Valerio! 4-4, 3rd HR of the season and he is now, again, over the 0.400 mark. I love this young man. Biloxi leads 8-1 and we're headed to the 8th inning.

[Joseph Zarr]

Travis Tietz can't hold on as he loses the strike zone in the Bottom of the 9th. After a lead strikeout, he proceeds to walk the bases full and gives up a 2 rbi game-winning single up the middle to highly touted prospect Brady House. Mudcats fall 7-6.

[Joseph Zarr]

The strength of Nashville's bullpen Sounds off, yet again. Sounds pull out the second win in a row in Gwinnett: 5-4.

[markedman5]

13 minutes ago, Julio Muchacho said:

Have a game Felix Valerio! 4-4, 3rd HR of the season and he is now, again, over the 0.400 mark. I love this young man. Biloxi leads 8-1 and we're headed to the 8th inning.

Maybe another lottery ticket paying off……..thanks Mets

[BallFour]

Valerio isn't human right now. He has 3 home runs and 1 strike out in 32 plate appearances all while being the sixth youngest player in the Southern League.

[wibadgers23]

Valerio is really becoming an exciting prospect. He’s always had a tremendous OBP and his power numbers have improved every year. Him and Wiemer make a pretty exciting 1-2 punch in that lineup.

[nate82]

That Biloxi team offensively is just a nightmare for a pitcher to navigate through.  It could get even worse with a Frelick promotion at some point to AA.  I am assuming one of Mitchell or Weimer would be moved up to AAA first before that happens.  

Kind of dreaming here but if Mitchell and Weimer are promoted to AAA this year that would put them both on track to be with the Brewers in 2023 at some point.  If everything goes right you could possibly see both Weimer and Mitchell in the starting OF in 2023.  Valerio could also be the starting 2B at some point also.

If Weimer, Frelick, Valerio, Mitchell and others all start performing I could see the Brewers farm ranking go into the 10-15 range by the deadline.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Valerio's name mentioned a lot in trade scenarios along with Turang's.  

[CheeseheadInQC]

If you were to ask which Brewers prospect I was most confident would end up with an OPS of at least .700 in the big leagues at this point, I'd probably have to go Valerio. The combination of contact, patience and power is really impressive.