Welcome back to the Minor League Roundup! This week’s edition looks a little different, for two reasons:

1) Brew Crew Ball will be releasing its annual Midseason Awards article this upcoming week, so I thought it would be a fun idea to do the same thing for each of the Brewers’ affiliates.

2) I’ve been working on Draft/All-Star game coverage all weekend and didn’t have as much time as I normally like to devote to the Minor League Roundup. Instead of giving you guys a less thorough version of the same column, I decided to do something entirely different instead.

This column will return to its usual format after the All-Star break.

Nashville Sounds:

MVP: Anthony Seigler

Seigler, who turned 26 last month, truly earned his promotion to Milwaukee. Seigler’s value is in part due to his versatility — he’s played at least 12 games at third base, second base, and catcher this season. He’s proven to be a valuable bat no matter where he is in the field, posting an .881 OPS (.277/.416/.465) through his first 63 games. Seigler ranks first on the Sounds in OPS and third in RBIs, doubles, and stolen bases.

Cy Young: Jacob Misiorowski.

Miz had a 2.13 ERA through 12 starts in the minors. You’ve seen what he looks like against the Dodgers — now, imagine that stuff against guys who can’t crack a big-league roster. Enough said. Honorable mentions: Logan Henderson (3.01 ERA) and Tobias Myers (2.93 ERA).

Most Underrated: Freddy Zamora

Zamora, a former second-round pick out of the University of Miami, has already had a couple solid seasons in the minors. He hit .300 in 92 games of A-ball in 2021, missed most of 2022 due to injuries, and slashed .255/.352/.361 with 51 RBI in 2023. So, why isn’t Zamora on the list of top 30 Brewers prospects?

His stats cratered last year: .193/.307/.261 with almost twice as many strikeouts (75) as walks (41). Zamora seems to have figured things out this year, posting a .273/.366/.340 line on the year. He doesn’t hit for much power but gets on base pretty consistently and remains very talented defensively. Zamora has also had a tendency toward throwing errors, but his fielding percentage at shortstop this season is .970 (a career best).

Biloxi Shuckers

MVP: Brock Wilken

Wilken is expected to miss at least the next 6-8 weeks with a patella injury, but prior to his injury he was absolutely mashing. He’s hit 18 home runs this year, which is still the most in Double-A. The Brewers’ 2023 first-round pick leads the Shuckers with a .942 OPS on the season and ranks second in RBIs (41).

Cy Young: Brett Wichrowski

This pick is a bit of an upset. I’d originally thought Coleman Crow (now with the Sounds) was going to run away with this award, but I wanted to pick someone who’s currently on the Shuckers’ roster. Wichrowski (Brewers’ No. 13) also has a lower ERA in more starts than Crow.

Crow: 2.51 ERA, 10 starts

Wichrowski: 2.41 ERA, 12 starts

Crow does have better K/9 and BB/9 rates, but Wichrowski’s stuff is arguably more impressive. His arsenal includes a 100-mph fastball and a slider that MLB Pipeline ranks as a 60-grade. The Brewers’ 2023 13th-round pick has been especially lights-out recently; Wichrowski has a 1.82 ERA (1.14 WHIP) in his last five starts with Biloxi.

Most Underrated: Tate Kuehner

Kuehner is the other Cy Young contender on the Shuckers’ roster. He’s not a top 30 Brewers prospect, but he’s been the best left-handed pitcher in the organization this year. Kuehner currently sports a 2.61 ERA with a 10.02 K/9 on the season.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers:

MVP: Marco Dinges

Dinges has been arguably the biggest breakout player of the year in the Brewers’ farm system. He’s slashed .323/.426/.532 so far in A-ball, with a .302/.364/.500 line (10.1% walk rate) in 32 games since being promoted to the Timber Rattlers. The Brewers’ 2024 fourth-round pick has been absolutely raking all year and is going to shoot up the rankings in MLB Pipeline’s yearly midseason prospect rankings update. He’s out for a few weeks due to a hamstring strain but should be back on the field sometime relatively soon.

Cy Young: Tyson Hardin

Hardin pitched so well with the Timber Rattlers that he got promoted after just 11 starts. His stats in that sample size? 2.34 ERA, 9.68 K/9, 1.40 BB/9, and zero home runs allowed. Disgusting. Hardin has continued to shove since his promotion to Double-A Biloxi (3.38 ERA).

Most Underrated: Jadher Areinamo

Areinamo is the Brewers’ No. 23 prospect, so he hasn’t flown completely under the radar. Maybe it’s because the Brewers’ middle infield depth is stacked, but he isn’t mentioned nearly as much as prospects ranked similarly to him — think Luis Lara (No. 21), Carlos Rodriguez (No. 22), or even guys like K.C. Hunt (No. 24) and Ernesto Martinez Jr. (No. 30).

Areinamo was named an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star last year and is hitting .291/.355/.451 with nine home runs this year. He’s been one of the Timber Rattlers’ most consistent producers and deserves a shot at Double-A sometime soon.

Carolina Mudcats

MVP: Luis Peña

Every Brewers fan has heard the name Luis Peña by now. He’s skyrocketed up the prospect rankings this year and is currently ranked as the Brewers’ No. 3 prospect. Peña has been hitting for average (.311), power (23 extra-base hits), and playing solid defense in the infield. Oh, and he also has 70-grade speed. Jesus Made is special, but there’s a world where Peña turns out to be even better.

Cy Young: Melvin Hernandez

To be fair, Hernandez doesn’t have a ton of competition down in Carolina. Only four of Carolina’s pitchers have started more than 10 games, and three of those pitchers have an ERA over 3.80. Hernandez’s ERA? 2.22 through 10 starts (16 appearances). He’s also the second-youngest pitcher in all of affiliated baseball and is only walking 1.67 batters per nine innings. The Nicaraguan righty has pitched very well, especially for a player who’s gotten little hype organizationally.

Most Underrated: Filippo Di Turi

It’s hard to choose the most underrated Mudcat because a lot of their best players (Made, Peña, Eric Bitonti, Braylon Payne) are considered top prospects in the organization. Di Turi, an international signing back in 2023, is not. The 19-year-old infielder has been extremely versatile for Carolina, recording starts at third base, second base, and shortstop. Di Turi’s bat isn’t too shabby either — his 9 HR and 46 RBI rank second on the Mudcats. Even if he doesn’t ever end up as a top Brewers prospect, he’s been an important part of the Mudcats’ success this season and deserves recognition.