BREWERS’ AFFILIATES
MINOR-LEAGUE TEAMS AT A GLANCE
COLORADO SPRINGS SKY SOX Class AAA Pacific Coast League Security Service Field 4385 Tutt Blvd. Colorado Springs, Colo. 80922 General manager: Tony Ensor Field manager: Rick Sweet For tickets: (719) 597-1449 Internet: www.skysox.com 2016 finish: 67-71 Recap: The Sky Sox finished second in the American Division of the Pacific Coast League, 121⁄2 games back. They fared well at home, where they went 41-27 while overcoming the usual weather challenges the first couple months of the season. Outfielder Kyle Wren (.339 in 77 games) and catcher Manny Piña (.329 in 63) were offensive standouts, while right-hander Hiram Burgos (10-10, 4.40 ERA) and left-hander Brent Suter (6-6, 3.50) were among the most consistent pitchers. The Brewers and Sky Sox renewed their player development contract in the off-season through 2018, which was good news for position prospects and terrible news for pitching prospects. The 64-year-old Sweet completed his 27th season as a minor-league manager in 2016, and his 1,731 victories rank fourth among active minor-league skippers.
BILOXI SHUCKERS Class AA Southern League MGM Park 105 Caillavet Street Biloxi, Miss. 39530 General manager: Chuck Arnold Field manager: Mike Guerrero For tickets: (228) 233-3465 Internet: www.biloxishuckers.com 2016 finish: 72-67 Recap: After making it to the Southern League championship series in 2015 – their inaugural season – the Shuckers dropped back in the pack in 2016. Several highly touted prospects such as Brett Phillips (.229, 154 strikeouts), Jacob Nottingham (.234, 138 strikeouts) and Tyrone Taylor (.232) turned in below-average seasons offensively, and MGM Park is skewing as a pitcher’s park. The biggest bright spot was the season turned in by right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who overcame the tragic in-season death of his brother to be named the Brewers’ minor-league pitcher of the year. After being promoted from advanced Class A Brevard County, Woodruff went 10-8 with a 3.01 ERA, a WHIP of 1.04 and 124 strikeouts in 1132⁄3 innings.
CAROLINA MUDCATS Advanced Class A Carolina League Five County Stadium 1501 NC Highway 39 Zebulon, N.C. 27597 General manager: Joe Kremer Field manager: Joe Ayrault For tickets: (919) 269-2287 Internet: www.carolinamudcats.com 2016 finish: 52-87 Recap: Carolina closed a brief two-year affiliation with the Atlanta Braves in 2016 by finishing with the worst record in the Carolina League. The Brewers switched their affiliation from Brevard County in the Florida State League to Carolina, and even entered talks to buy the franchise as another way to bolster their burgeoning minorleague system. The roster projects to be filled with prospects such as pitchers Kodi Medeiros, Cody Ponce, Freddy Peralta and Phil Bickford, middle infielder Isan Diaz – Milwaukee’s minorleague player of the year in 2016 – and third baseman Lucas Erceg.
WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS Class A Midwest League Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium 2400 N. Casaloma Drive Appleton, Wis. 54912 General manager: Rob Zerjav Field manager: Matt Erickson For tickets: (920) 733-4152 Internet: www.timberrattlers.com 2016 finish: 71-69 Recap: The Timber Rattlers finished fourth in the Midwest League’s Western Division and returned to the playoffs, where they lost to Cedar Rapids. Eight players were named all-stars, and three — second baseman/shortstop Isan Diaz, third baseman Jake Gatewood and catcher Max McDowell — were named starters for the game. Diaz was the offensive star of the season, hitting .264 with 20 homers, 75 RBI and an .827 OPS. Right-hander Jordan Yamamoto led Wisconsin with 1341⁄3 innings, going 7-8 with a 3.82 ERA, and righthander Nate Griep saved 23 games while going 2-2 with a 2.05 ERA.
HELENA BREWERS Rookie Pioneer League Kindrick Legion Field 1300 N. Ewing St. Helena, Mont. 59604 General manager: Paul Fetz Field manager: Nestor Corredor For tickets: (406) 495-0500 Internet: www.helenabrewers.net 2016 finish: 28-46 Recap: The Brewers’ 13 victories were fewest in the half-season Pioneer League, and they finished last in the North Division. Ronnie Gideon, a 23rd-round pick in 2016 out of Texas A&M, was named the league’s top first baseman after hitting .301 with 17 homers and 41 RBI, and right-hander Wuilder Rodriguez was selected as one of the top five pitchers after going 5-4 with a 4.48 ERA in 17 games (601⁄3 innings, seven starts).
ARIZONA BREWERS Rookie Arizona League Maryvale Baseball Park 3805 N. 53rd Ave. Phoenix, Ariz. 85031 Field manager: Tony Diggs For tickets: (623) 245-5600 Internet: www.brewers.com 2016 finish: 24-29 Recap: The Brewers’ 24 victories were thirdfewest in the 14-team league, and they finished fourth in the five-team Central Division ahead of only the White Sox (21-35). Gabriel Garcia, a 14th-round pick out of Broward Junior College in 2016, led all Brewers regulars with a .300 average and .393 on-base percentage, while Trey York, a ninth-rounder out of East Tennessee State, finished at .283/.387. Jay Feliciano’s six homers in 43 games were tops. Right-hander Nelson Hernandez threw a team-high 562⁄3 innings in 14 appearances, and righties Carlos Herrera and Wilson Adams tied for most victories with three apiece.