Previewing the 2026 season with Javik Blake, the voice of the Biloxi Shuckers

In case there was any doubt of the ridiculous amount of talent in the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league system, four different publications have named the organization's farm system the best in baseball this offseason. Much of that talent is concentrated at the Double-A level, and is set to make up a very talented Biloxi Shuckers roster in 2026.

The Shuckers, who have qualified for the Southern League playoffs in each of the last two seasons, are a key piece of the Brewers' well-oiled minor league machine that continues to churn out talent year after year. That machine isn't slowing down anytime soon -- fans are expecting big things from Milwaukee's Double-A affiliate in 2026.

Earlier this week, I talked to the Shuckers' award-winning broadcaster and media relations manager, Javik Blake, about the upcoming 2026 campaign. Blake, who is entering his fourth season with the Shuckers, was named MiLB's Future Star of the Year in 2025, an award that recognizes the top Minor League Baseball employee under 25 years old. There is truly no one who watches more Shuckers baseball and knows more about the team than the incredibly talented Blake, making him the perfect person to preview the 2026 season. Here's what he had to say:

Q: What should fans expect from the Biloxi Shuckers' new (and previous) manager, Mike Guerrero?

A: "He's awesome in the clubhouse, so much fun to be around, and he's great with the guys." Mike Guerrero, who is rejoining the Shuckers this year after spending eight seasons in Biloxi from 2016-2023, has 26 years of experience as a minor league manager, and the sixth most wins among active MiLB skippers. After serving two years as a roving infield instructor in the Brewers' organization, to say he's more than qualified for his previous post in Biloxi is an understatement.

When asked about his strengths, Javik said, "Mikey obviously has shown throughout his career how good he is with the younger Latin guys, going back to his time in the DSL in the late '90s. Then in 2023, I got to experience it firsthand when we had Chourio, Quero, Rodriguez, and at that point, Freddy Zamora, and Abner Uribe." Guerrero's experience guiding Latin players through a pivotal point in their professional careers bodes well for top-prospect Jesús Made, who at just 18 years old, is expected to be the Shuckers' Opening Day shortstop.

Javik also added that "Mikey's huge thing is obviously infield defense. I vividly remember going into the trade deadline of 2023, when everyone was asking 'What are the Brewers going to do?' [Guerrero] and Tyler Black for about two weeks straight worked on him playing first base in case something arose where the Brewers needed a first baseman. He's so good with the infielders. The growth we saw in 2023 from guys in the infield was incredible." Speaking of things that bode well for Made, and 2025 first-round pick Andrew Fischer who could be joining him on the left side of the Shuckers' infield, Guerrero's infield defense expertise will be a huge benefit. Both Made and Fischer are excellent offensive players, whose biggest question marks lie on the defensive side of the ball. With Guerrero in their corner this season, those concerns are likely to be alleviated.

Q: Could you shed a little light on what former manager Joe Ayrault's new role as the Field Coordinator in the Brewers' organization all entails?

A: "He's basically the manager of the managers. So he oversees all of the managers at the minor league level. He's not directly in charge of hiring and that sort of stuff, but he's working to ensure everything's being kept up on the minor league side. He's currently running the minor league portion of Spring Training." Joe Ayrault, who was the Shuckers' manager in 2024 and 2025, has been a manager in the Brewers' minor league system since 2010, managing several teams, like the Helena Brewers and Brevard County Manatees, whose names may strike a nostalgic chord with some Brewers fans.

However, now Ayrault has his sights set on a new challenge as the Brewers' Field Coordinator. On Ayrault's promotion, Javik said, "It's a really great position. We saw Spencer Allen go from that position [Field Coordinator] to now being the first base coach...Hopefully this is leading to Joe in the big leagues at some point because that would just be a whole lot of fun to see."

Q: How impactful is the experience of playing in the World Baseball Classic for guys like Andrew Fischer (Team Italy) and Stiven Cruz (Team Nicaragua), both of whom are expected to be part of the Shuckers' roster at some point in 2026?

A: "It's incredibly impactful. Joe [Ayrault] always talked about it when he was here. It was really one of the big things that stuck with me: minor league baseball is obviously about preparing you for the big leagues as a player, but it's also about developing you as a human being for the big leagues. So those pressure-packed moments, going up against terrific pitching night and night out, I think it's all really, really important."

Both Fischer, who is headed to the quarterfinals with Team Italy, and Stiven Cruz, who retired Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in order during one of his appearances for Team Nicaragua, are bound to have a leg up on some of their minor league competition after experiencing the unique pressure of representing their home countries while competing against some of the best players in the world.

Q: Your first season in Biloxi was Jackson Chourio's first full season in Double-A. How does Jesús Made's hype compare to Chourio, and what can we learn as Brewers fans from Chourio's time in Biloxi?

A: "Obviously, there was a lot of helium with Chourio, but for Made, the hype has probably been higher because Chourio had been there and done that." Brewers fans have now seen what a top-ranked prospect can become in MLB, with Chourio putting together two 20/20 seasons before his 22nd birthday. Rightfully so, given how similar their paths are to each other, those same expectations have been applied to Made.

However, Javik cautions Brewers fans not to be too impulsive in their assessments of Made's 2026 season, saying, "He's going to be a star, but one of the big things, obviously, is it's really hard to hit in the Southern League...The ballparks are bigger, the wind is always blowing in, it's hot and sticky, so the ball doesn't fly. It's important to keep in mind: if he has a .700 OPS, it's not necessarily bad, it's above league average here in the Southern League." Blake went on to recount his inaugural season in Biloxi when Chourio had a pedestrian .721 OPS through the first three months of the season and then exploded for an otherworldly 1.165 OPS for the Shuckers in the month of July.

When asked about the biggest takeaway from the top prospect's time spent in big-league camp this spring, Javik, after comparing Made's bulked-up physique to former Wisconsin Badgers running back Melvin Gordon, said, "You look at the underlying metrics, you look at the bat speed data, the exit velocities, how he's attacking pitches, his in-zone whiff rate, they all trend in the right direction."

It's safe to say that Blake is rather excited to watch Made man shortstop for the Shuckers in 2026, but he remains rational in his expectations for the 18-year-old phenom. When asked what a successful 2026 season would look like for Made, Blake responded, "I think he gets to the end of the year knocking on Nashville's door. I would like to see the power to take a step in the right direction, obviously seeing the bulk he's put on should help. See him hone in on those swing decisions. And then see him excel on the defensive side."

Q: Is there any concern with breaking up Made and Luis Peña this year? Overall, how much of an emphasis is there on keeping certain cohorts together in the minor leagues?

A: "I don't think it's as big of a thing at the Double-A level of keeping them together. It's more about what's right for the player's development at that point. I think it's more just about creating a winning culture" However, Javik doesn't expect the two infielders to be apart for long, adding, "For Peña, I think if all goes well, he could be up here within the first two months."

Up to this point, Made and the Brewers' second-ranked prospect, Luis Peña, have completed their minor league journeys together. They were teammates in the Dominican Summer League back in 2024, began the 2025 campaign together in Low-A with the Carolina Mudcats, and then earned midseason promotions to High-A on the same day. Made did play the final games of the 2025 season with the Biloxi Shuckers, and now it appears as if the two will stay separate at the beginning of the 2026 season with Made in Double-A and Peña in High-A. But as Javik predicts, the two could be reunited rather quickly if Peña gets off to a hot start with the Timber Rattlers.

Q: If Peña's not in the Shuckers' infield to start the year, how do you see the rest of the starting infield group shaking out? Is Andrew Fischer the Opening Day third baseman?

A: "I do think Fischer is probably going to be playing third to start the year. Made at short, Dylan O'Rae, Eric Brown Jr., and Jeremy Vargas will be your platoon guys up the middle, and then I think Blake Burke's at first. [Mike] Boeve, Burke, and Fischer will probably rotate in at DH."

When asked about the catching situation, Javik said, "I think Marco Dinges has a really good shot to start with us behind the plate. The other option is to roll with Matthew Wood and Darrien Miller just like we did last year. But I think it's a conversation of whether or not Dinges starts in Double-A."

I pressed Blake, saying that promoting Dinges to Double-A to start the year would feel aggressive, but he astutely pointed out that the Brewers promoted Jeferson Quero to Double-A after just 20 games in High-A. Not only does Dinges have 51 games of High-A experience to his name, but he also logged 64 games in the SEC before the Brewers drafted him. I have to say, I agree with Blake when he said, "I'm convincing myself more and more that Matthew Wood and Marco Dinges will be our catchers to start the year," but it does leave a question of how Miller factors into the Shuckers' 2026 roster.

Q: Speaking of Blake Burke, how fun is it to watch him take batting practice?

A: "It's sick. The sound is insane off his bat. Him and Wilken were in the same BP group last year, and it just wasn't fair."

Blake Burke (pictured above) was the 34th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and it's safe to say he can hit the cover off the baseball. The former University of Tennessee first baseman, who collected 45 extra base hits in 132 games split between High-A and Double-A last year, is expected to be the Shuckers' primary first baseman in 2026, giving Blake plenty more opportunities to watch his eye-popping batting practice.

Q: How about the outfield group? Who do you see starting out there?

A: "I would think that Eduardo Garcia is going to be the starting center fielder. I think we're going to wait on Josh Adamczewski, Josiah Ragdale, and Braylon Payne. So I think our starting outfield is some combination of Dasan Brown in left, Jordyn Adams in the other corner, and Garcia in center...O'Rae, Vargas, and Eric Brown Jr. are probably mixed in there as well."

When I asked Blake about Garcia's wrist injury that he suffered while playing in the Venezuelan Winter League this year, he wasn't too concerned about the talented outfielder's timeline, saying, "I would be pretty shocked if he's not with us before like mid-April. Just based on the timeline that's been reported."

Blake also noted that he expects the outfield group to be an ever-changing one for the Shuckers in 2026, saying, "I think this outfield will look a lot different in August than it will in April."

Q: Who do you expect to be in the Shuckers' 2026 Opening Day rotation?

A: "I have [Brett] Wichrowski in Triple-A to start the year, but with NRI [on-roster invitee] guys and injuries, you never know how it's going to shake out. But regardless, you're looking at a rotation that's Bishop Letson, Tyson Hardin, Jaron DeBerry, K.C. Hunt, and Manuel Rodriguez. That's going to be a lot of fun."

Javik continued, saying, "I'm really excited to see what steps Letson takes this year, the metrics on that fastball are insane. Hardin's another guy I'm really excited to see this year. And then DeBerry, he's sneaky underrated. The reason he's not a Top 30 prospect is because he's in the Brewers' organization. If he's in any other organization, he would be in the Top 30."

On Rodriguez, who had a strong season in High-A last year before making one start for the Shuckers on the final day of the season, Blake said, "I think the big thing is just how does the 89-90 [mph velocity] play here in Double-A...He's going to have good command, he's going to be efficient. Here in the Southern League, he can really use the ballparks to his advantage."

Q: Who are some bullpen arms we should be looking out for? Who's the Opening Day closer?

A: In regard to the closer's role, Blake mentioned several names to look out for, saying, "I think you look at guys who could do it. [Kaleb] Bowman's been there before, [Nick] Merkel can do it, [Jesús] Broca is a sneaky option for it. And then does Yerlin Rodriguez figure out his command? Because if he does, he's going to be at the back end of the bullpen...I'm sure we'll see a number of guys in that closer role throughout the year."

Last year, the Shuckers turned to Justin Yeager, who the Brewers acquired in the William Contreras trade, in the ninth inning for much of the first half of the season. However, when Yeager was promoted to Triple-A in the middle of the season, it became much more of a "closer by committee" in Biloxi. Blake also mentioned Joe Corbett, who is joining the Shuckers after a couple of seasons in the independent and international leagues, and the aforementioned Cruz, fresh off his WBC run, as names to watch out for at the back-end of the Shuckers' bullpen.

Q: Who is one guy on the 2025 Shuckers' roster who won't be with you in 2026 that you are most excited to watch this year?

A: "Luis Lara. Best defensive outfielder I've ever seen. One of my favorite people as a human being. And the swing is really good. He had a couple exit velocities in the 107s, 108s, 110s last year, and if that ball just gets like three degrees higher, he probably hits ten homers last year."

When asked if there's any chance that Lara is in Milwaukee by the end of the year, Blake said, "I'd love it, but the outfield is a crowded place in the Brewers' organization. More than anything, you hope he takes a really great step at the Triple-A level, and it leads to a lot of good things for him."

Q: Who is your under-the-radar breakout candidate for the Biloxi Shuckers this year?

A: "I'm going to say Matthew Wood. The catching defense is great. I love the swing. Just the way he carries himself and carries the pitching staff is really, really great."

"Also, it's not a guy who I think is necessarily going to be a superstar, but just a great dude who is going to have a big career is Ramón Rodriguez. He would have been in Nashville last year if he didn't get hurt. He was so good when he was with us. Over a .300 average, almost as many runs batted in as games played, more walks than strikeouts, and did a really great job commanding the staff."

A huge thank you to Javik Blake for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk some Shuckers' baseball ahead of the 2026 season. Biloxi's season kicks off with a three-game away series against the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Los Angeles Angels' Double-A affiliate, beginning on April 3. To ensure that you don't miss a beat of the Shuckers' 2026 season be sure to follow the team (@BiloxiShuckers) and Javik (@javblake8) on X and stay up-to-date with the team on milb.com/biloxi.