Another Brewers minor league team clinches a spot in the 2024 postseason

What's better than having one of your minor league affiliates make the postseason. Having two of them make it, of course!

We're barely halfway through June and the Milwaukee Brewers already have a second minor league team that will be representing the organization in the postseason this fall. Today, it was the Low-A Carolina Mudcats who clinched their spot in the playoffs.

Just two days ago, the High-A affiliate of the Brewers, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, punched their own ticket to the 2024 postseason. They did so with an 8-5 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps, guaranteeing a Midwest League West Division title.

The Mudcats came into Monday needing just a win to give them something to play for after the regular season. They were able to secure that win, but only had to play a little over four innings to do so. How, you might ask?

The Low-A Carolina Mudcats are the second Brewers minor league team to clinch a 2024 playoff spot.

Back in the first week of May, the Mudcats had one of their games against the Columbia Fireflies suspended due to rain. That game was rescheduled to be finished today as part of a double(ish)header and resumed in the top of the fifth inning.

Down 1-0 to restart things, the Mudcats quickly evened the score when outfielder Yhoswar Garcia scored on a wild pitch. Pitcher Jesus Rivero, who would enter the game in the top of the fifth when the game resumed and earn the win, would throw 3.2 scoreless innings to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the eighth.

That's when the Mudcats would strike again. WIth no outs and shortstop Cooper Pratt on second, third baseman Daniel Guilarte would hit a single to second to give Carolina the 2-1 lead. Two outs later, outfielder Reece Walling would drive home Guilarte, who advanced to second on his base hit, for a very important insurance run.

With Aidan Maldonado on to close the game for the Mudcats, the Fireflies would manage to add a two-out run in the ninth in an attempt to rally back. But the 2022 14th rounder would strike out the final Columbia batter to send his team to the playoffs.

At 39-23, the win gave the Mudcats a guaranteed first place finish in the Carolina League Northern Division over the second place Lynchburg Hillcats. It marks the second straight season Carolina will be playing in the postseason after they won the second half division title in 2023.

In a sentiment that feels all too familiar, congrats to the entire Mudcats player and personnel group for returning to the playoffs in 2024. Two affiliates down, two to go!