Has Kyle Harrison earned a spot on the Brewers opening day roster?

match report

Brewers 6, Mariners 3

Kyle Harrison, meet the opening day roster?

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy hasn’t revealed much yet, but it seems likely Harrison will earn a spot on the team’s charter back in Milwaukee after the left-hander had another stellar performance against the Seattle Mariners on March 8.

advertise

The 24-year-old carved up the Mariners over three-plus innings, striking out eight and allowing just one run on two hits.

Aside from a first-pitch fastball that gave up a home run to Leo Rivas in the second inning, Harrison struck out eight in three innings and was abysmal. Harrison struck out four in the second inning and put a runner on base on a third-down pass.

Lefty’s secondary stuff is especially obscene. In five swings against his slurve, Harrison induced four swings and misses, and with the new kicking change, he produced three whiffs in four swings.

Those pitches constituted a critical next step in Harrison’s development. As a top prospect coming out of the San Francisco Giants system, Harrison found bread with his rising, four-seam fastball, but part of his struggle to establish himself in the majors was struggling against the secondary.

advertise

Do the Brewers think Harrison is ready for a major league role? Murphy answered before the question could be finished.

“Yes.”

Jacob Misiorovski looks sharp

Murphy didn’t seem too happy with Misiorovski’s first outing of the spring, in which he struggled against Team UK at times.

This performance is much more positive.

Misiorovsky struck out six in 3 ⅓ innings and walked only the first batter he faced. He, like Harrison, hit a solo home run but otherwise easily outplayed the Mariners.

The Brewers wanted to give Misiorovsky a bit of a challenge by bringing him in after catching Harrison midway through the game.

advertise

“He was in a tough situation, but it eased up in the spring training games,” Murphy said. “It was tough. I thought he responded well. He got four advances. That’s what you’re looking for here.”

Jared Koenig is better

Reliever Jared Koenig gained some speed on a snap. After Harrison walked the first batter in the fourth inning, Koenig needed just six pitches to get three outs. His sinker velocity reached 95.6 mph and he induced a double and a strikeout.

It’s an encouraging sign for the left-hander, who has seen his velocity drop off in his first few spring outings.

A day in the life of Garrett Mitchell

Both sides of Garrett Mitchell’s mystery were on display as he went 0-for-4 from the field.

advertise

Three of those at-bats were strikeouts, which has been an area of ​​Mitchell’s game that needs improvement considering his career strikeout rate of 33.9%.

But on his first at-bat, Mitchell hit a defender directly with a velocity of 111.6 mph, his fourth of the spring season with a velocity of 104.6 mph or faster. He hit just four balls this spring.

Prospect observation

Ethan Murray’s highlight of the afternoon was a three-run homer that Statcast measured at 477 feet. “I didn’t go that far,” he said later.

Brewers spring training schedule

Brewers vs. Dodgers, Monday at 3:10 p.m. Milwaukee LHP Aaron Ashby vs. Los Angeles TBA. Broadcasting – Brewers.TV.

Closed on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Has Kyle Harrison earned a spot on the Brewers’ Opening Day roster?