Almost ready to be prime-time players
Many top 10 prospects took a step forward
The 2018 season was, by all accounts, a major success for Keston Hiura.
Drafted ninth overall out of UC-Irvine by the Milwaukee Brewers in June 2017,
the second baseman succeeded at both levels he played at in his first full professional campaign while living up to his preseason billing as the Brewers’ top overall prospect according to the Journal Sentinel.
Hiura opened his 2018 with an impressive spring showing with the Brewers in major-league camp, hitting .419 with a home run and seven runs batted in over 19 Cactus League games.
From there he hit .320 with seven homers and 23 RBI with an OPS of .911 in 50 games at advanced Class A Carolina before being promoted to Class AA Biloxi in the first week of June.
Hiura went on to hit .272 with six homers and 20 RBI in 73 games on a loaded Shuckers team that came up just short in its bid to win the Southern League.
All told, Hiura hit .293 with 34 dou-
bles, five triples, 13 homers and 43 RBI in a total of 123 games and 485 at-bats.
“It was an excellent first full year for Keston,” said farm director Tom Flanagan. “He moved quickly to AA and he showed that he can impact the game in a lot of ways.
“His bat is as advertised, and he continued to put up productive ABs and drive the ball to all fields. Defensively he handled things very well at second base. He also showed great instincts on the bases and was a very aggressive base runner.”
The production was terrific, but just as important was Hiura’s health as his right elbow held up just fine.
There were worries after he was drafted that he may need reconstructive surgery, but a combination of rehab, proper rest and spells as a designated hitter helped keep Hiura in the lineup all season.
“Being able to play in so many games and being fully healthy was a big part of his year,” Flanagan said. “It allowed him to re-adjust to playing regularly defensively more than anything. He was also able to make some unique throws from different positions in the shift, and he showed that he can play on the dirt.”
Hiura will close out the year by taking part in the Arizona Fall League, a finishing school for prospective major-leaguers, which runs from early October through mid-November.
“Keston already does so many things very well and he has off-the-charts makeup, so you know he will continue to work hard to get even better,” said Flanagan.
“One area that he will continue to work on is improving his agility and first step quickness. This will help him make some more gains defensively, particular in terms of range and moving around the infield.”
Four players from the Journal Sentinel’s original top 10 prospects list no longer qualify. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who was ranked second, and righthander Freddy Peralta, who was ranked ninth, both lost rookie status.
Right-hander Luis Ortiz, who was ranked fourth, was traded to Baltimore as part of a deal for second baseman Jonathan Schoop, while outfielder Brett Phillips, who was ranked fifth, was traded to Kansas City as part of the Mike Moustakas deal.
Following is the rest of the updated top 10, as determined by Journal Sentinel beat writers Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak:
2. Corbin Burnes, RHP
Burnes, who turns 24 on Oct. 22, was off to a solid start at Class AAA Colorado Springs with a 3-4 record, 4.96 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 69 innings over 13 starts before the Brewers switched him to the bullpen in mid-June in an effort to get him to the major leagues faster.
He made just six relief appearances for the Sky Sox before joining the Brewers and he has been nothing short of outstanding since with a 5-0 record, 2.87 earned run average and WHIP of 1.09 in 24 appearances (311⁄3 innings) in the major leagues.
The Brewers have made it clear they intend to return Burnes to starting next season, but for now he’ll continue to fill valuable innings later in games as the team continues its playoff push.
3. Corey Ray, OF
Finally completely recovered from the knee surgery he underwent in the fall of 2016, just months after the Brewers drafted him fifth overall out of the University of Louisville, Ray lived up to the hype that comes with such high draft status.
The 23-year-old was named the Southern League’s player of the year and the Brewers’ minor-league player of the year after hitting 27 homers and driving in 74 runs while playing primarily center field in 135 games at Class AA Biloxi.
His .239 average and 176 strikeouts definitely need improvement, but Ray turned a major corner and could find himself on the cusp of the majors if he’s able to produce again next season after being bumped up to the final rung on the minor-league ladder.
4. Brice Turang, SS
Turang, 18, was drafted 21st overall by the Brewers, and negotiations between the two sides went down to the wire before an above-slot signing bonus of $3,013,600 convinced him to sign rather than fulfill his scholarship to LSU.
He got to work quickly after signing and played a total of 42 games in his first professional season, finishing with 29 for Helena in the rookie Pioneer League. He acquitted himself well there, hitting .268 and compiling a .368 on-base percentage thanks in part to 22 walks.
Turang has tons of upside, and his first full season in 2019 will prove valuable.
5. Lucas Erceg, 3B
The 23-year old, drafted in the second round out of Menlo College in 2016, was hit in the head by a pitch on April 23. He returned to action quickly, missing only two games, but it wasn’t until the second half that Erceg finally got going at the plate.
He finished at .248 with 13 homers and 51 RBI while also committing a team-high 23 errors. The expectations are high for Erceg due to his left-handed power bat, tremendous throwing arm and gamer mentality.
6. Zack Brown, RHP
Brown, 23, was drafted in the fifth round out of the University of Kentucky in 2016 and has gotten progressively better in each of his three professional seasons.
This year Brown broke out, being named the Southern League’s pitcher of the year as well as the Brewers’ minorleague pitcher of the year after going 9-1 with a 2.44 ERA, WHIP of 1.04 and 116 strikeouts in 1252⁄3 innings.
Brown suffered an ankle sprain that sidelined him for a period late in the season, but after a bump up to Class AAA next year he’ll join the Brewers’ evergrowing pool of talented arms that could impact the major-league level.
7. Tristen Lutz, OF
A strapping 6-3, 210-pounder, Lutz was taken 34th overall in 2017 and given a way-over-slot signing bonus of $2,352,000 to forego a scholarship offer to the University of Texas.
So far, Lutz has lived up to the billing. Despite not turning 20 until Aug. 22, Lutz had a very solid campaign for Class A Wisconsin in his first full professional season. He set team highs in games played with 119, homers with 13 and RBI with 63 while hitting .245 with a .742 OPS.
Lutz also played all three outfield positions.
8. Joe Gray, OF
The Brewers made the 18-year-old Gray the 60th overall pick out of Hattiesburg (Miss.) High School in June and gave him a signing bonus of $1,113,500.
Checking in at 6-1 and weighing 195 pounds, Gray is a classic size-speed prospect who the Brewers believe has the ability to stay in center field for the long term. He played the majority of his 24 games in the Arizona Rookie League there while finishing with a .182 average, two homers and nine RBI.
Gray also drew 25 walks to finish with a respectable .347 on-base percentage.
9. Mauricio Dubon, SS
The 24-year-old was off to a tremendous start at Colorado Springs, hitting .343 with four homers and 18 RBI through 27 games when he tore the ACL in his left knee during a rundown on the bases. He was also in the midst of a 23-game hitting streak when he was injured.
There’s never a good time to get hurt but the timing was especially bad for Dubon, who might well have earned his first major-league call-up in late May after the Brewers demoted Orlando Arcia and Tyler Saladino went to the disabled list with an ankle injury.
10. Jacob Nottingham, C
It’s been a tumultuous season for Nottingham, 23, who made his major-league debut in April, collected his first majorleague hit in July and is now in his third stint with the Brewers as the team’s No. 3 catcher for the final month of the regular season.
He spent the majority of the year at Colorado Springs, where he hit .281 with 10 homers and 36 RBI in 50 games. But Nottingham missed nearly two months with an oblique strain and a chip fracture in his right wrist.
Overall, he took a big step forward from his previous couple seasons in Biloxi, but there’s still a long ways to go before he can be considered a viable candidate to become the Brewers’ everyday catcher.