Brewers Minor League Week in Review (4/19-25): Sounds, Shuckers Run to First Place

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.