LIVE: Watch FREE as Caminero, Chourio headline Pipeline Game of the Month
A matchup between two Top 10 overall prospects with a postseason spot on the line? Yes, please.
The MLB Pipeline Game of the Month is headed to Biloxi, Miss. this Saturday for a Double-A contest between Biloxi and Montgomery, featuring No. 2 overall prospect Jackson Chourio and No. 6 Junior Caminero. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
The game will be broadcast for FREE on MLB.com, MLB.TV and on the MLB Pipeline homepage. MLB At Bat and MiLB.TV subscribers will also be able to stream the game live.
Both Chourio and Caminero will take the Game of the Month stage in their age-19 seasons, but both have performed beyond their years, particularly in the second half.
Since July 1, Chourio has hit .302/.352/.536 with a 132 wRC+ over 50 games. With 22 homers and 41 stolen bases on the year as a whole, the Brewers’ top prospect is one of three 20-40 Minor Leaguers in this campaign, joining Blake Dunn and Jacob Melton on that list.
Caminero has been one of Double-A’s most prolific -- and youngest -- sluggers since he was promoted from High-A Bowling Green in late May, especially over the last two months. Caminero's 14 homers, .750 slugging percentage and 1.176 OPS all lead Double-A performers since the start of August, and he’s the youngest member of the Minors’ 30-homer club in 2023 with 30 dingers.
Chourio and Caminero aren’t the only Top 100 prospects who could be on display Saturday. No. 32 Jeferson Quero is widely considered one of the best defensive catchers in Minor League Baseball because of his impressive movement behind the plate and strong arm. Pushed to Double-A for his age-20 season, the right-handed batter has held his own with a .263/.339/.437 line with 15 homers and a 106 wRC+ over 86 games with Biloxi.
The Biscuits just added another Top 100 talent of its own on Tuesday when No. 19 Carson Williams joined the club from High-A Bowling Green. The 20-year-old shortstop hit .254/.351/.506 with 23 homers in the South Atlantic League before the promotion, and his plus infield defense should be an additional asset in the Montgomery lineup.
The inclusion of four top talents would make Saturday’s contest intriguing enough, but there’s a lot more at stake than prospect battles. Entering Monday, Montgomery holds a 1 1/2-game lead over Biloxi for the Southern League South Division second-half title. The Shuckers would need to win four of the six games in this week’s series to roar past the Biscuits and into the postseason, and their homefield advantage could play a role in that pursuit.
As is typical of our Game of the Month visits, coverage will include a pregame tour of Biloxi’s MGM Park, which opened on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast in 2015, on the @MiLB Instagram page. We’ll also have an Instagram Live interview with Chourio through the @MLBPipeline account Saturday afternoon, so keep an eye out there to hear directly from Milwaukee’s top prospect. Down the road, expect a new edition of the MLB Pipeline Pitching Lab with Brewers right-hander Carlos F. Rodriguez, who leads the Southern League in ERA (2.68) and average-against (.177) while ranking second with 146 strikeouts in 117 1/3 innings.