Brewers Farm Report: Brevard County Manatees

Each week throughout the regular season, the staff at Reviewing the Brew will be bringing you a comprehensive minor league report about each of the Milwaukee Brewers affiliates. There isn’t much to write home about at the big league level this season (so far) for the Brewers, but Milwaukee does have plenty of exciting prospects off to hot starts throughout their minor league system.

The Brewers affiliate in the Florida State League (Advanced A) is no exception.

The Manatees played six times between May 5-11, and split those contests after winning three of the first four. Brevard County split a pair in Clearwater against the third place Threshers before taking two of three at home from second place Tampa. They closed the week with a 7-6 loss to Bradenton.

Brevard County currently resides in fourth place in the Florida State League North Division with a mark of 14-16, just 3.5 games behind division-leading Daytona.

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The hitters as a group rank at the top of the FSL in steals (41), tied for second with 19 home runs, and third in runs/game (4.3).

As previously mentioned, the pitching staff ranks in the bottom half of the league in most categories, yet are getting some good individual performances from both starters and relievers.

HITTER OF THE WEEK: Christopher McFarland, 2B

For the second straight week, the 22-y-o McFarland earns HOTW. In a half-dozen games, the Lufkin, TX native rapped out 11 hits in 25 at bats, slashing .440/.481/.480. His batting line included a double with four runs scored and two knocked in. McFarland has a seven-game hitting streak (13 of 29, .448 BA) and is hitting .386 in his last eleven games.

Runners-Up: Garrett Cooper, 1B and Omar Garcia, CF

Cooper, 24, slashed .316/.480/.421 in 19 at bats, including two doubles and four RBIs in six games. Garcia is heating up, slashing .316/.381/.368 in 19 at bats.

PITCHERS OF THE WEEK: Hiram Burgos, RHSP and Preston Gainey, RHRP

Burgos, 27, has pitched well all year and in his six-inning start against Tampa last week, allowed four hits and two earned runs, striking out seven while walking a pair. The win boosted his record to 2-3 with an ERA of 3.67 and WHIP of 1.223.

Gainey, 24, is an 11th round pick from the Naval Academy in 2012. In a pair of outings last week, Gainey tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits while whiffing three. In 13.2 frames this season, Gainey has allowed a single unearned run.

Runners-Up: Trevor Seidenberger, LHRP and Tristan Archer, RHRP

Seidenberger, 23, continued his stellar hurling, with two scoreless innings and his first save. On the year in 12.1 innings, the southpaw has allowed zero runs, four hits, and three walks. He has struck out 15 batters.

Archer, 24, pitched twice and earned a win in 2.1 scoreless innings. He has an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.857.

UP NEXT:
No weak sisters in the next week, as the Manatees finish up their series with a trio of games against Bradenton, three in Tampa, and one game against Clearwater (first of three games).

All three squads rank higher than BC record-wise, so the ‘Mans’ are going to have their work cut out for them.

Next: Timber Rattlers Farm Report