Brewers Announce 2021 Robin Yount Performance Awards

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers today announced their 2021 Robin Yount Performance Awards, naming outfielder Joey Wiemer as Minor League Player of the Year and left-hander Ethan Small as Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

“Joey and Ethan separated themselves from a number of quality candidates to stake claim to these awards,” said Vice President of Minor League Operations Tom Flanagan.

Wiemer hit .295 with 27 home runs and 77 RBI over 109 games between Low-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin in 2021. The 22-year-old led the Brewers farm system in home runs (27) and total bases (220), ranked second in hits (117) and runs (117), third in RBI (77) and extra-base hits (47) and tied for third in stolen bases (30).

Selected in the fourth round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, Wiemer began his first professional season with Carolina. After hitting .276 with 13 HR and 44 RBI in 75 games with the Mudcats, he was promoted to Wisconsin on Aug. 9. Wiemer played 36 games with the Timber Rattlers, batting .336 with 14 HR and 33 RBI.

He was one of Milwaukee’s two Minor League Players of the Month for July, posting a 14-game hitting streak from July 13-28.

“Joey had an extremely impressive season between two levels,” said Flanagan. “He seemed to get better as the year went along, narrowly missing a 30-30 season.”

Small split the 2021 season between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, going 4-2 with a 1.98 ERA (77.1ip, 17er) and 92 strikeouts over 18 starts.

“Ethan performed at both stops at upper levels of the system, continuing to refine his arsenal along the way with quality results,” said Flanagan.

The 24-year-old went 2-2 with a 1.96 ERA (41.1ip, 9er) with 67 strikeouts in eight starts for the Shuckers before his promotion to Nashville on June 22. He made three starts for the Sounds before going on the injured list July 15. He made one rehab start with ACL Brewers Gold on Aug. 24 before rejoining Nashville on Aug. 28.

Drafted in the first round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, Small went 2-0 with a 2.06 ERA (35ip, 8er) with 24 strikeouts over nine starts with the Sounds.

Small was named one of Milwaukee’s two Minor League Pitchers of the Month for June after allowing just one earned run over 24.1 innings for a 0.37 ERA in four starts with Biloxi before posting a 2.08 ERA (8.2ip, 2er) in two starts at the Triple-A level in June.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.