All-Star Keston Hiura continues to produce in Triple-A
The Milwaukee Brewers have positioned themselves as a World Series contender, but the team still has a number of promising prospects.
Every Thursday for the rest of the season, FOX Sports Wisconsin will take a closer look at some specific young players in Milwaukee's farm system -- as well as noting others who might be stepping up -- measuring, highlighting and evaluating their progress.
This is the 9th edition of the 2019 Young Brewers Tracker.
(note: The Young Brewers Tracker will return in two weeks.)
Zack Brown, SP (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-0, 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Season: 15 games (15 starts), 2-4, 5.73 ERA, 75.1 IP, 89 H, 10 HR, 42 BB, 56 K, .297 OBA, 1.74 WHIP.
Notable: Brown had one of his worst starts of the year at Omaha on June 23, allowing nine hits (two homers) and seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. Last year’s minor league pitcher of the Brewers has allowed at least three runs in six of his last seven starts and made it past the fifth inning just three of those times.
Mauricio Dubon, 2B/SS (Age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 7 games, 33 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 7 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 3 BB, 6 K, .333 BA
Season: 74 games, 305 AB, .311 BA, .350 OBP, .469 SLG, .819 OPS, 15 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 43 R, 39 RBI, 7 SB, 14 BB, 45 K.
Notable: Dubon has extended his hitting streak to 17 games. He had three straight multi-hit games from June 23-25, including going 3-for-5 with a home run in the last of those.
Keston Hiura, 2B (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 7 games, 29 AB, 12 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 11 K, .414 BA
Season (Triple-A): 57 games, 213 AB, .329 BA, .407 OBP, .681 SLG, 1.088 OPS, 16 2B, 1 3B, 19 HR, 44 R, 46 RBI, 7 SB, 23 BB, 64 K.
Notable: Maybe the 2017 first-round pick has outgrown Triple-A? Certainly, a number of Brewers fans think so. Hiura is riding an eight-game hitting streak and hit three home runs in a span of four games from June 22-25. He had three multi-hit games last week, including a pair of three-hit games. Hiura is now third in the Pacific Coast League in slugging percentage and OPS, tied for seventh in home runs and ninth in batting average. Also, Hiura was one of four San Antonio players named a PCL All-Star.
Tristan Lutz, OF (age 20/High-A)
Last week: 7 games, 25 AB, 6 H, 1 3B, 5 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 5 BB, 9 K, .240 BA
Season: 67 games, 252 AB, .242 BA, .328 OBP, .413 SLG, .740 OPS, 15 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 43 R, 32 RBI, 2 SB, 29 BB, 86 K.
Notable: Lutz finished the week with hits in his last three games and in four of five. He went 2-for-4 with a triple on June 22 and 2-for-4 on June 26.
Trey Supak, SP (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-1, 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Season: 15 games (15 starts), 8-3, 2.27 ERA, 91 IP, 62 H, 4 HR, 18 BB, 64 K, .194 OBA, 0.88 WHIP.
Notable: Supak allowed his most earned runs in any game (5) in his last start, June 23 vs. Mississippi. He allowed two homers in that game after serving up just two total in his first 14 starts.
Brice Turang, SS (age 19/Low-A)
Last week: 6 games, 24 AB, 7 H, 2 2B, 4 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB, 0 BB, 4 K, .292 BA
Season: 71 games, 265 AB, .294 BA, .391 OBP, .370 SLG, .761 OPS, 11 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 46 R, 27 RBI, 17 SB, 43 BB, 49 K.
Notable: Turang had three two-hit games last week, giving him 23 multi-hit games on the season. He’s also now tied for tied for fifth in the Midwest League in stolen bases.
Other notes: Besides Hiura, other San Antonio players named to the PCL All-Star Game are RHP Jay Jackson, C David Freitas and IF Tyler Saladino. … OF Trent Grisham (1st round, 2015) was promoted from Biloxi to San Antonio on June 20. In his first five Triple-A games, Grisham had seven hits, including two doubles and three homers, for a .350/.400/.900 slash line, with six runs, seven RBI and a steal. … Biloxi RHP Dylan File (21st round, 2017) allowed one run in six innings with no walks and six strikeouts in his second start for the Shuckers. He’s allowed one run in 11 innings since being promoted. … Carolina C Payton Henry (6th round, 2016) was 9-for-28 (.321) with four doubles last week. … Mudcats RHP Noah Zavolas tossed his first career complete game on June 23, tossing a shutout at Potomac, allowing just two hits with no walks and 11 strikeouts. … Wisconsin C David Fry (7th round, 2018) had two doubles and three homers last week. Fry leads the Midwest League in doubles by a wide margin (he has 29, next highest is 21) and is now and fourth in HR (11). … 33rd-round pick Kevin Hardin is off to a nice start with the Brewers Blue team in the Arizona Rookie League. In his first seven games, Hardin is 9-for-23 with three doubles, a homer and four walks, a .391/.517/.652 slash line. … Brewers Blue SS Cam Devanney (15th round, 2019) is 11-for-36 (.306) with four steals in his first eight pro games.
Statistics courtesy milb.com and baseball-reference.com
Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
