CEDAR
RAPIDS, Iowa – With three Perfect Game All-Americans on the roster,
the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers entered Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium on
Tuesday night, May 26 with young talent ready to emerge. Although
early season struggles have set the Timber Rattlers back, the team is
now looking towards its talented prospects for a much needed spark on
the road.
As
their series concluded against the Cedar Rapids Kernels – a team with three former PG All-Americans of their own to open the season in Nick Gordon, Stephen Gonsalves and Brian Navaretto – on Thursday
night, that’s exactly what they got from their ace, a pitching
performance that garnered a much needed win.
The
ace of the Timber Rattlers staff, Kodi Medeiros, was a first-round
selection of the Brewers in the 2014 MLB Draft. A hard throwing
southpaw, Medeiros has been solid over the course of the season thus
far although his stats may not reflect it. With a 2-2 record that has
been highlighted by his two winning appearances, Medeiros provided
seven strong in both outings, not allowing an earned run in either
performance.
While
some may believe Medeiros has looked average on the mound to this
point, Thursday night at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids he
was anything but, pitching seven scoreless innings against the
Kernels while only allowing two hits and striking out five. With last
night’s win marking the first W in nine tries against Cedar Rapids
this season, the Timber Rattlers headed home capping an 11-game road
trip which they finished 5-6.
Over
the course of the night Medeiros looked as advertised. He was
efficient, strong, and had the ability to command numerous pitches
around the strike zone.
“I
felt good,” Medeiros said. “Our offense scored early, so that
made it easy for me to focus on throwing strikes.”
The
Brewers prospect was untouchable at certain points, especially after
the second inning when he really seemed to settle in. With the
Rattlers pushing the lead to 4-0 in the fourth, Medeiros put the
clamps on the Kernels, not allowing another hit through his seven
innings of work.
With
the Wisconsin bullpen picking up where Medeiros left off, the rest
was history as the team put away Cedar Rapids, ending the road trip
with a 6-0 victory.
With
five more strikeouts on Thursday night, Medeiros’s 52 strikeouts in
46 1/3 innings of work ranks third in the Midwest league. He also has
fewer innings pitched than either of the two pitchers ahead of him.
The
19-year old Hawaii native was also a 2014 Perfect Game All-American
who, in a Perfect Games scout’s words, “was unhittable and
someone who can flat out pitch.” With a fastball that touches 95
mph and an excellent breaking ball, it was easy to see why Medeiros
was a first-round selection and someone the Brewers hope rises
through the ranks quickly.
Although
he is now stationed in Low-A Wisconsin, Medeiros says his time
pitching for Perfect Game and the Timber Rattlers has been something
he’ll never forget.
“I’ll
always be thankful for the people who helped me along the way.
Whether it was in back home or here in Wisconsin. I’ve learned a
lot that I will take with me wherever I go”
As
the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Medeiros’s reported signing bonus
was two million dollars, which is an under-slot deal for where he was
picked. With the 12th pick supposed to receive around $2.8 million,
Medeiros took a pay cut so the Brewers could sign the other players
they drafted early, including fellow 2013 PG All-Americans Monte
Harrison and Jake Gatewood.
Although
Medeiros was the Brewers first pick in the 2014 draft, taking the pay
cut shows his maturity and willingness to win at a young age,
something not all 19-year olds have. With electric stuff on the mound
added to a positive attitude on and off the field, it seems like the
Brewers have a future star in the making.
While
Medeiros is the undisputed leader of the Timber Rattlers organization
and one of the top prospects in the Brewers farm system, the two
other Perfect Game All-Americans that were also drafted by the
Brewers in 2014 also show incredible promise.
Monte
Harrison, a standout high school football star, was the team's second
round pick last year. As a high school senior, Harrison showed off
his athletic ability by becoming one of the top football recruits in
the state of Missouri while also moving his way up MLB Draft boards.
As the summer approached, Harrison decided to forego college and sign
with the Brewers.
Starting
his first full year as a professional in Wisconsin, Harrison has
struggled at the plate but has begun to pick it up of late, possibly
taking a little longer than expected to settle into his new role. A
sweet swing accompanied by a sense of ease when fielding his
position, Harrison is looking as if he has the goods to become a
special player once he puts it all together.
“I
just go out there and let the game come to me,” Harrison said. “You
can’t press too hard or you won’t succeed. Baseball is a game of
failure.”
With
baseball savvy combined with great raw talent, Harrison should come
along as the season moves into the summer months.
Another
the third Perfect Game All-American on the Timber Rattlers is
shortstop Jake Gatewood. A first round selection in last June’s
amateur draft, Gatewood has been the Rattlers' everyday shortstop for
the entire 2015 campaign to this point.
Looking
strong defensively, Gatewood should also start to shake off his early
struggles at the plate as the season heats up. With major power
potential, Gatewood is also a tremendous athlete who was showing off
his range at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium where he tracked down four or
five hard hit balls that seemed to be making their way towards a hole
on the infield.
When
asked about the exposure he received through Perfect Game, and how
Perfect Game helped develop his skills, Gatewood replied with
gratefulness.
“I
got a lot of exposure and publicity playing for Perfect Game,”
Gatewood said. “They helped me get my name out there and transform
myself into an all-around better player.”
With
a 6-0 shutout win last Thursday, the Timber Rattlers headed home on a
positive note. While Medeiros is pitching well, the feeling seems to
be that Wisconsin is forming an identity of playing small ball on the
offensive side compiled with power pitching and smart/efficient
defense on the other.
As
the season rolls on, Wisconsin will become home to three super
talents who have the ability to perform at major levels. All we can
do now is sit back and wait for them to round into form.