Another intriguing arm has joined the Triple-A Nashville Sounds' starting rotation

The Milwaukee Brewers have demonstrated, at multiple points throughout this season, that having starting pitching depth is one of the keys to success over the course of a 162-game season. Time after time, the Brewers have turned to their plethora of talented arms in Triple-A to fill in for an injured big league starter, and without their key contributions, Milwaukee would not be sitting atop the standings with the best record in all of baseball.

Whether it was Logan Henderson making spot start after spot start without being given a full-time role or Chad Patrick starting the year as a mainstay in the Brewers' rotation and putting his name in the early NL Rookie of the Year conversation or Carlos Rodriguez coming up for one gritty, rain-delay-affected outing, the Brewers have been relying on their prospects for pitching depth all season.

It's fair to worry whether or not the permanent promotion of these starting pitching prospects will result in a dearth of pitching talent in the Brewers minor league system. However, as one prospect demonstrated in his electric Triple-A debut for the Nashville Sounds, the Brewers’ ability to draft and develop strong starting pitching talent isn't going anywhere.

Tate Kuehner joins Nashville Sounds' rotation, impresses in first start

Drafted by the Brewers out of the University of Louisville in the 7th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, left-handed starter Tate Kuehner is quickly ascending the Brewers minor league ranks, reaching Triple-A in just his second full season of professional baseball.

Despite being just two years removed from college ball, the decision to promote Kuehner to the highest minor league level was an easy one. After finishing the 2024 season in Double-A with the Biloxi Shuckers, Kuehner headed back to the Mississippi Delta for the start of the 2025 season. He made 21 starts for the Shuckers this season, and posted a ridiculous 2.50 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 100.2 innings pitched. With plenty of experience at the Double-A level, and a sparkling ERA to go along with it, Kuehner was clearly ready for his next task: Triple-A.

The 24-year-old southpaw officially earned his spot on the Nashville Sounds roster last Wednesday, August 13, and made his first Triple-A start later that day. Taking on the Durham Bulls, the Tampa Bay Rays' talented Triple-A affiliate, Kuehner tossed 5.1 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out four. The lone run came on a solo homer from Rays slugging prospect Bob Seymour, who has 30 longballs on the season and has since been called up to the majors.

Despite taking the loss in a game that the Sounds ultimately lost 2-1, it was an impressive continuation of what has been an incredible season for Kuehner. At just 25 years old next season, the former Louisville Cardinal has a real shot at impacting the big league roster. Whether it be as a starter or a long reliever, expect to hear Kuehner's name in MLB debut conversations a year from now, if he hasn't already logged a big league inning.