American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Robert Pannier looks at the early season woes of the starting pitching for the Milwaukee Milkmen.

The Milwaukee Milkmen Pun Begins Early

There is nothing that gets the old creative juices flowing than a pun, and one must look at the struggles of the Milwaukee staff early on and recognize that the Milkmen staff has…well…soured. This is a surprising turn of events for a team that has been known for its spectacular starting pitching.

After all, in 2023, the Milkmen had the third best team ERA (4.41). The starting staff was dominant, as two of the top three ERAs in the league came out of Milwaukee (Gregori Vasquez – 3.25, Ryan Zimmerman – 3.36). Christian Young posted the 10th best ERA (3.91) and Juan Echevarria was 13th at 4.05. This was arguably the best starting staff in the league with Vasquez tied for the league lead in victories (11) and Zimmerman tied for third (10).

What a Difference a Year Makes

The 2024 season promised to be much of the same, despite the fact that five of the six primary starters from last season did not return. Echevarria was the only one opting to wear a Milkmen uniform in 2024 after going 4-2 with four saves and a 4.04 ERA in 13 relief appearances and seven starts last year.

Despite the turnover, there was a lot of promise for the 2024 season. Echevarria looked ready to take the ball every fifth day and the club signed left-hander Greg Minier as well as re-signed Rodrigo Benoit.

Minier was one of the top three pitchers in the American Association in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, the left-hander with 9-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 13 starts and 12 relief appearances. The next season he pitched exclusively in the starting rotation, going 6-6 with a 2.48 ERA, striking out 116 in 109 innings pitched. Last season, he headed for the Atlantic League, but an arm injury sidelined him for the entire season. Minier returned to the American Association this year, joining Milwaukee, and it looked like he would be the No. 2 starter in the rotation, if not the ace.

Benoit had proven to be one of the best closers in the American Association, helping the team reach the championship series in 2022 when he went 4-0 with eight saves in 32 appearances, posting a minuscule 1.63 ERA. Benoit struck out a ridiculous 61 in 38.2 innings, allowing just 21 hits and 19 walks. He pitched in Mexico last year, but returned to

Milwaukee this season looking to change his career trajectory by joining the starting rotation.

This combination promised to provide a dominant top three, but that has not been the case so far. Just 10 games into the season, the three have the worst ERAs in the American Association so far. Benoit is at 12.46 after two starts and a relief appearance, allowing 12 earned runs in 8.2 innings. Echevarria has made two starts, giving up 10 runs in 7.1 innings, posting a 12.27 ERA. Minier has allowed nine runs in 8.0 innings, posting a 10.12 ERA.

Don’t Sour on Them Yet

The numbers are clearly troubling, but there is a silver lining to all of this as well. One must consider that Minier is returning from an arm injury that sidelined him for the entire 2023 season, so it will take some time for him to rebuild his strength and command. Benoit is starting for the first time since making a single start back in 2017, so he will have to learn to adjust to seeing batters three and four times in a contest.

Those are not the only things fans need to hang their collective hats on. While all three starters are giving up runs, their other statistics have been respectable. Echevarria has allowed nine hits and four walks in 7.1 innings while Benoit has allowed 10 hits and four walks in 8.2 frames. Minier has allowed 16 hits in eight innings, but has walked just one batter while striking out 12.

All three have a proven track record of success, and most would not be worried had the slums occurred in July or if they had not occurred at the same time. In the meantime, Victor Vargas (0.81) and Shane Barringer (2.07) have picked up the slack, allowing the other three to correct the early-season struggles. That should be bad news for the rest of the league, as this pitching staff could once again be the top group in the league come late June and into July.

By Robert Pannier