Tag Archives: Ethan Small

08 Aug

whatever happened to …

Ethan Small, former SEC pitcher of the year at Mississippi State and a first-round draft pick in 2019, is currently on a rehab assignment in San Francisco’s minor league system. The 27-year-old left-hander pitched relatively well in his first three outings for Triple-A Sacramento but got whacked on Tuesday, surrendering four runs while getting just one out. His ERA over eight rehab appearances all told is 9.00. After going 10-2 with a 1.93 ERA in Starkville in 2019, Small was the 28th overall pick by Milwaukee in that year’s draft. Despite some success in the minors, he made just four big league appearances with the Brewers — 8.71 ERA in 10 1/3 innings — before they traded him to San Francisco this February. The Giants put him on their 40-man roster but also put him on the 60-day injured list with an oblique strain. He made his first rehab appearance on July 16 in rookie ball. It seems unlikely that he’ll have an impact with the Giants this season.

30 May

transaction watch

Ethan Small will be checking the wind direction at Chicago’s Wrigley Field today, hoping it’s not blowing out. The former Mississippi State star is slated to make his big league debut for Milwaukee against the Cubs in Game 1 of a twinbill. Small, a left-hander, has been atop the Brewers’ prospect charts ever since he was drafted 28th overall out of State in 2019. He blew through Double-A Biloxi last summer and was off to a tremendous start at Triple-A Nashville this season. Featuring primarily a fastball and changeup, Small went 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings for the Sounds. … Ole Miss product Nick Fortes made his 2022 debut for Miami on Sunday, going 2-for-2 against Atlanta. Fortes, a catcher, hit .290 with four homers in 14 games last September for the Marlins but didn’t make the club out of spring training. He was batting .257 with three homers and 13 RBIs at Triple-A Jacksonville when he was recalled on Friday. … Tim Anderson, the ex-East Central Community College standout, is headed to the injured list with a reported groin injury. Anderson is batting .356 (third in the American League) with five homers, 19 RBIs and eight steals as the Chicago White Sox leadoff batter.

24 Jun

the next challenge

Former Mississippi State star Ethan Small, having proved himself in Double-A (see previous post), will get the challenge of the next level tonight when he starts for Triple-A Nashville against visiting Charlotte. Milwaukee’s 2019 first-round pick went 2-2 with a 1.97 ERA for the Biloxi Shuckers with 67 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “(H)e’s kind of forced our hand to where he’s just dominated the last several outings. It made the decision really easy to get him to Triple-A and let him continue to develop there.” Small, a left-hander, is the top-rated pitching prospect in the Brewers’ organization and their No. 4 overall, per MLB Pipeline. P.S. Former Mississippi prep stars Demarcus Evans and Garrett Crochet have tantalizing stuff that has given MLB hitters fits much of this season. Lately, however, the pendulum has swung. On Tuesday, Petal High product Evans was knocked around for four runs in 2/3 of an inning in Texas’ loss to Oakland. The 24-year-old right-hander has been touched for seven earned runs in his last three appearances and seen his ERA jump to 8.68 in nine games overall. Crochet, an Ocean Springs product, had an even rougher outing Tuesday: four runs allowed without retiring a batter in the Chicago White Sox’s loss against Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old lefty has coughed up runs in his last three appearances and seen his ERA rise to 2.78 over 21 games. By cosmic coincidence, Evans and Crochet debuted on the same day – Sept. 18 – last season. Hitters had to adjust to the new guys with the big arms. Now the young pitchers might have to do some adjusting. Evans’ adjustments will come at Triple-A Round Rock, as he was optioned out on Wednesday.

19 Jun

small’s world

Milwaukee doesn’t appear to need a lot of help in its starting rotation at the moment, but should a need arise, Ethan Small is showing signs of being ready for the call. The ex-Mississippi State standout threw seven shutout innings — his longest career outing — in Double-A Biloxi’s 13-1 victory against Rocket City on Friday night. Small (2-2, 1.96 ERA) allowed three hits, one walk and fanned nine in his eighth start for the Shuckers. A 6-foot-4, 215-pound left-hander, he has struck out 67 batters in 41 1/3 innings, including a 12-K performance last week against the Mississippi Braves. Small was the SEC’s pitcher of the year at State in 2019 and Milwaukee’s first-round pick that summer. He threw just 21 innings in the low minors in 2019 and spent last season in the Brewers’ alternate camp. MLB Pipeline rates Small the No. 4 prospect in the Milwaukee system and projects his MLB arrival as 2021. That’s looking like a real possibility.

15 Aug

making tracks

The Milwaukee Brewers are taking the slow and steady approach with Ethan Small, their first-round pick in June from Mississippi State (and the first Mississippian chosen at 28th overall). The left-hander, who worked 107 innings for the Bulldogs on their road to the College World Series, has made just four pro appearances, the last on Aug. 9 for Class A Wisconsin. He is slated to start again Friday. He has yet to allow a run over nine innings and has punched out 13. Already rated the Brewers’ No. 5 prospect (MLB Pipeline), Small is projected to make the majors by 2021, which sounds like a fast track but isn’t out of the ordinary for advanced college players. Take Dakota Hudson, for instance. The ex-MSU right-hander was the top pick out of the state in 2016 – 34th overall – and debuted with St. Louis last year. Hudson threw six shutout innings to beat Kansas City on Wednesday, improving to 11-6 with a 3.82 ERA as one of the Cardinals’ steadiest starters. The first pick from the state in 2018 was Ryan Rolison, taken 22nd overall out of Ole Miss by Colorado. Lefty Rolison, the Rockies’ No. 2 prospect, has reached high Class A Lancaster, where he is 4-5, 5.02, possibly on track to reach The Show next season. The state’s top pick in 2017 was Brent Rooker, the SEC Triple Crown winner at State who went 35th overall to Minnesota. Rooker’s rise has been stalled by injuries this year. Currently on the IL at Triple-A Rochester, he is batting .281 with 14 homers. Austin Riley was the first Mississippian picked in 2015 – 41st overall out of DeSoto Central High by Atlanta. The third baseman/outfielder made a smashing MLB debut this spring – at age 22 – but is currently out with a knee injury. (He is expected to start a rehab assignment soon.) MSU alum Hunter Renfroe – the first Mississippian picked in 2013 – and ex-Ole Miss star Drew Pomeranz – the first in 2010 – are currently in the big leagues. Renfroe, who debuted in 2016, is with San Diego, and the well-traveled Pomeranz, who was up by 2011, is with Milwaukee. The other three top picks from this decade, all high school players, did not fare so well. Blake Anderson (36th overall in 2014 out of West Lauderdale High) hasn’t played since 2017 and isn’t currently listed on a roster in Miami’s system. D.J. Davis (17th overall out of Stone County in 2012) was released by Toronto last summer, having never climbed above A-ball. Connor Barron (third round out of Sumrall in 2011 by Florida/Miami) opted to attend Southern Miss, where he had an up-and-down career and never got drafted again.