Former Brewers’ 5th-round pick honored with elusive award after no-hit bid

You may have heard this one before: a Milwaukee Brewers' pitching prospect is killing it down in the minor leagues. The organization known for its exceptional pitching development department has enjoyed success after success this season. From the trio of Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, and Logan Henderson having a huge impact on the major league team's success, to the breakouts of Bishop Letson and Tyson Hardin getting Brewers fans excited about the future of their rotation, it's been a banner year for Milwaukee's pitching prospects.

Now, in the Fox Cities of Central Wisconsin, another pitching prospect is starting to turn heads after an impressive performance last week. 22-year-old right-hander, Ryan Birchard, has emerged as a name to watch after tossing seven innings of no-hit baseball against the Quad Cities River Bandits last Thursday.  Birchard collected eight strikeouts and walked just one batter in the game, which the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers ended up winning by a score of 3-2.

For his performance, which was the only one that he delivered during the week, Birchard was awarded the Midwest Pitcher of the Week Award, the first such award of his two-year professional career. What's even more impressive is that Birchard delivered his seven-inning gem while clad in lederhosen, as the T-Rats wore their Wisconsin Brats jerseys. Don't believe me? Check out the video below.

Brewers' pitching prospect Ryan Birchard wins Midwest League Pitcher of the Week after seven-inning no-hit performance

Drafted out of Niagara County Community College, a junior college in Sanborn, NY, in the 5th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Birchard was originally assigned to Low-A Carolina following his selection last summer, but quickly made the jump to High-A after just three appearances with the Mudcats. While his cup of coffee in High-A ball last season didn't go great, Birchard held an 8.71 ERA through five starts, which laid the foundation for what has been an excellent 2025 season.

Birchard has spent all season with the Timber Rattlers, making 22 starts in 25 total appearances. He's covered 103.2 innings and done so with a solid 3.91 ERA. While his walk numbers are slightly elevated (16.2% walk rate in 2025), which was a concern for Birchard going back to last season, he pairs it with a high strikeout rate (26.8%) and seldom allows opposing hitters to get on base with a hit (.191 opposing batting average this year).

With Birchard having more than 100 innings and nearly 30 starts of High-A experience, don't expect the talented right-hander to remain in a Timber Rattlers uniform much longer. If he doesn't get the late-season call-up to Biloxi to join the Shuckers for their stretch run, expect Birchard to start the 2026 season in Double-A or at least earn a very early season promotion.