Brewers Prospects To Watch As Triple-A Nashville Opens Its Season

Five of the Milwaukee Brewers top 3o minor league prospects will be on the roster when the Nashville Sounds kick off the Triple-A season Friday night against Jacksonville at First Horizon Park in Downtown Nashville.

Jacob Misiorowski highlights that group. The hard-throwing right-hander begins the season ranked fourth in the organization and No. 99 in all of baseball by MLBPipeline.com while right-handers Logan Henderson, Craig Yoho and Carlos Rodriguez and recently-acquired infielder Caleb Durbin round out the list.

First baseman Tyler Black, the No. 6 prospect in the Brewers’ system was expected to open the season with Nashville but will instead miss the first 6-8 weeks of the season after fracturing the hamate bone in his right hand.

Three of the 28 players on Nashville’s Opening Day roster appeared in the majors last season and six players are currently on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster.

Leading the Sounds in 2025 is longtime manager Rick Sweet. Sweet has spent the last 12 years managing Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliates to a 761-651-1 (.539) record and his 2,353 victories in 34 years as a minor-league skipper are the most among active managers.

Here’s a quick look at the top prospects who will open the season at Nashville (with their MLBPipeline.com rankings in parenthesis)

RHP Jacob Misiorowski (No. 4)

Despite the success he had after moving to the bullpen late last season, the Brewers still see the fireball-throwing Misiorowski as a potential starter. Whether or not he fulfills that potential depends on his ability to harness and control his triple-digit fastball and develop effective off-speed and breaking pitches. Those two concepts have eluded Misiorowski thus far and the need to hone those skills was apparent during Spring Training when he struck out nine while allowing eight runs on five walks and eight hits over 7 2/3 innings of work.

“Because you can throw it 100 mph doesn’t really mean anything,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said during Spring Training. It’s being able to command what you can command. You might be better to command 98 and having your variety of pitches and staying ahead in the count, rather than being all heat and being behind 3-and-1 and having 30-pitch innings. You’re not going to get to the big leagues having 30-pitch innings.

“He’s a smart kid. He’ll get it. I think he’s got a great future.”

RHP Logan Henderson (No. 13)

Even after Milwaukee added Henderson to the 40-man roster during the winter, the odds were slim that the former fourth-round pick would break camp with the big-league club. Henderson, though, pitched himself into the conversation by striking out 10 over 8 2/3 innings of Cactus League play – eight of which came over his first 5 2/3 innings of work, during which he didn’t allow a run.

He got roughed up his last time out but after compiling a 3.32 ERA in 19 starts across the top three levels of Milwaukee’s minor league system and the Brewers’ current shortage of healthy starters, Henderson could find himself back with the Brewers sooner rather than later.

Like Misorowski, Henderson needs to work on developing a third pitch beyond his 91-94 MPH fastball and 80-82 MPH changeup. He dabbled a bit with a slider early last season before focusing more on an 87-89 MPH cutter but the vast majority of his pitches were the fastball and changeup.

“He’s been very impressive to me,” Murphy said. “But it’s that third pitch, maybe that you’re wondering about.”

RHP Craig Yoho (No. 19)

After posting a sparkling 0.94 ERA in appearances last season across the top three levels of Milwaukee’s minor-league system, Yoho was dominant in Cactus League action, going 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings of work.

That performance led some to clamor for his addition to the Opening Day roster but the Brewers instead opted to send Yoho, who’s not yet on the 40-man roster, to Nashville to start the season and if he continues to perform at a high level, will likely be one of the first arms summoned this season.

“He’s got some development (left),” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We’re excitd about his future but right now, we think it’s best with how our whole (pitching staff) is constructed.

“Depth is a real big, important thing.”

INF Caleb Durbin (No. 22)

Acquired along with Nestor Cortes in the deal that sent closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last winter, Durbin slashed .312/.427/.548 with five homers and a record-setting 29 stolen bases in 24 Arizona Fall League games, earning Breakout Prospect of the Year honors in the process.

Possessing the skillset and attitude that manager Pat Murphy adores, the former NCAA Division III standout came into camp expected to compete for a job on the Opening Day roster as a utility infielder but after slashing .259/.339/.407 with 2 home runs, 10 stolen bases and a .746 Cactus League OPS, the Brewers opted to him to Nashville for more seasoning and regular action.

“Caleb’s a good baseball player,” Murphy said. “He’ll figure it out.”

RHP Carlos Rodriguez (No. 23)

Rodriguez pitched his way into top-prospect status with an impressive showing in 2023 when he posted a 2.88 ERA in 26 starts for Biloxi and Nashville but wasn’t quite as sharp last season when he went 9-9 with a 4.51 ERA in 25 appearances (22 starts) for the Sounds.

Rodriguez still got his first taste of big-league action thanks to a rash of injuries that decimated the Brewers’ pitching staff and while his numbers weren’t very impressive (0-3, 7.30 ERA in three starts), he’s only 23 years old and the Brewers are confident that he can’t turn things around and pitch his way back to the major leagues this season.

Here’s a look at the Sounds’ full Opening Day roster:

Manager: Rick Sweet

Coaching Staff: David Tufo (bench coach), Tim Doherty (hitting coach), Zachary Jones (hitting coach), Bryan Leslie (pitching coach), Justin Meccage (pitching coach).

Catchers (2): Jorge Alfaro, Anthony Seigler.

Infielders (6): Wes Clarke, Raynel Delgado, Caleb Durbin*, Ernesto Martinez Jr., Andruw Monasterio*, Freddy Zamora.

Outfielders (4): Adam Hall, Jimmy Herron, Jared Oliva, Garrett Spain.

Pitchers (16): RHP Grant Anderson*, RHP Deivi García, RHP Logan Henderson*, RHP Blake Holub, LHP Tyler Jay, RHP Jesus Liranzo, RHP Easton McGee, RHP Sam McWilliams, RHP Ryan Middendorf, RHP Jacob Misiorowski, RHP Vinny Nittoli, RHP Carlos Rodriguez*, RHP Garrett Stallings, LHP Grant Wolfram*, RHP Craig Yoho, LHP Bruce Zimmermann.

Injured List (2): 1B Tyler Black (right hand), RHP J.B. Bukauskas (lat surgery).

* – On Brewers’ 40-man roster