Brewers prospects struggle as Peoria Javelinas limp to league-worst 8-20 finish
The Arizona Fall League season wrapped up Saturday night when the Salt River Rafters took down the Surprise Saguaros to win the title. Unfortunately, the Milwaukee Brewers’ AFL affiliate, the Peoria Javelinas, had a disappointing fall season, but let’s take a look at how things shook out.
Peoria Javelinas
Halfway Update: The Javelinas as a team currently sit in last place in the AFL with a 5-12 record, 6.5 games back of the first-place Surprise Saguaros. While they rank right in the middle of the pack with 106 runs scored (6.2 runs/game), they’ve allowed a league-worst 156 runs (9.2 runs/game).
They rank fourth of the six teams with a .800 team OPS, hitting .278/.373/.427 with 16 homers and 25 steals this fall. On the pitching side, they sport a 9.13 ERA and 2.16 WHIP with 157 strikeouts over 143 innings. They’re just 3-for-10 in save opportunities with a league-high 118 walks and 191 hits allowed.
Final Update: Peoria closed out the season at 3-8, for an 8-20 overall AFL record, 10 games behind the regular-season champion Surpris Saguaros. They finished with the fewest runs scored (167 runs; 5.96 runs/game) and allowed the most runs (242 runs; 8.64 runs/games). They also have the unfortunate designation of having the only negative run differential in the league (-75 runs).
As a team, the Javelinas finished last in batting average (.240), on-base percentage (.338), slugging percentage (.383), and OPS (.721). They finished fourth in homers (27), fifth in doubles (45), and fourth in steals (43) among the six teams. On the pitching side, they finished with a 7.61 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, and a league-best 291 strikeouts. They also went just 5-for-15 in save opportunities.
RHP Ryan Birchard
Halfway Update: Birchard has had his share of struggles this fall, though his ERA is the best of the four Brewers pitchers on the roster. He’s allowed five runs over nine innings (5.00 ERA) across three starts, allowing just five hits but walking a league-high 12 batters compared to 11 strikeouts.
Final Update: Across five AFL starts, Birchard finished with a 1-1 record and a 4.20 ERA spanning 15 innings. He allowed seven runs on nine hits and 19 walks with 19 strikeouts. Opponents hit just .188 against him, but the walks really cost him as his WHIP stood at 1.87.
RHP Coleman Crow (Milwaukee’s No. 30 prospect)
Halfway Update: Crow, who missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, has still not made his debut in the Brewers system after being acquired in the Adrian Houser/Tyrone Taylor trade last December. He made his return in the AFL earlier this month, as he’s made three appearances (one start) for the Javelinas thus far, allowing five runs across six innings (7.50 ERA) on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Final Update: Crow made just one more appearance for Peoria after the halfway update, allowing three runs across three innings in a start. He finishes the AFL season with an 8.00 ERA across four appearances (two starts), spanning nine innings with eight runs allowed on 14 hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
LHP Mark Manfredi
Halfway Update: Manfredi has had a very rough AFL season, allowing eight runs (six earned) on five hits and six walks with three strikeouts across 2 1⁄3 innings for a 23.14 ERA, though he has picked up a save.
Final Update: After an absolutely horrid start to the AFL season, Manfredi continued to struggle as he allowed two runs across his final three innings of work. He finished the season with a 13.50 ERA over seven appearances (5 1⁄3 innings), as he allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on six hits and 13 walks with six strikeouts.
RHP Nick Merkel
Halfway Update: Merkel has totaled 5 2⁄3 innings and allowed four runs (6.35 ERA) on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. He’s primarily struggled with the home run ball, giving up three across his three appearances this season.
Final Update: Merkel’s second-half stats didn’t change much from the halfway point, as he finished with a 6.92 ERA across seven appearances (13 innings), allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits and 12 walks with 18 strikeouts.
3B/2B Juan Baez (Milwaukee’s No. 27 prospect)
Halfway Update: Baez has been the most impressive of Milwaukee’s prospects this fall, as he’s hitting .389/.511/.667 with two homers, one triple, two doubles, 10 RBIs, 14 hits, 12 runs, and two steals across 36 at-bats in 11 games. He’s also walked eight times compared to nine strikeouts.
Final Update: Baez finished with the third-best OPS among qualified hitters on the Javelinas, as he had a .295/.402/.474 line with two homers, two triples, four doubles, 15 RBIs, 23 hits, 16 runs, and three steals across 78 at-bats in 22 games. He also drew 13 walks compared to 18 strikeouts.
3B Brock Wilken (Milwaukee’s No. 8 prospect)
Halfway Update: Wilken, who had a mediocre sophomore season with Double-A Biloxi, has continued to struggle in the AFL. Across 46 at-bats in 12 games, he’s hitting just .130/.236/.261 with two homers, five RBIs, five runs, and six hits. He’s drawn seven walks but struck out 17 times this season.
Final Update: Wilken struggled in the AFL, hitting just .155/.260/.310 with four homers, nine RBIs, 13 hits, and 12 runs scored across 23 games and 84 at-bats. He also finished with a team-worst 32 strikeouts compared to 12 walks.
OF Luis Lara (Milwaukee’s No. 17 prospect)
Halfway Update: Lara, turning 20 in November, falls somewhere between Baez and Wilken in terms of AFL production, as he’s hitting .222/.333/.333 with one homer, five RBIs, four steals, seven runs, and 10 hits across 45 at-bats in 13 games.
Final Update: Lara improved on his midseason numbers, finishing with a .256/.350/.360 line with one homer, one triple, four doubles, nine RBIs, 14 runs, and 22 hits across 86 at-bats in 25 games. He also stole a team-high 10 bags — though he was caught five times — with 17 strikeouts compared to 12 walks.