Brewers prospect Dubon riding a long hitting streak
The Milwaukee Brewers' retooling happened quicker than expected, 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 inaugural edition of the 2018 Young Brewers Tracker.
Corbin Burnes (age 23/Triple-A)
Season: 5 games (5 starts), 1-0, 5.47 ERA, 24.2 IP, 28 H, 2 HR, 10 BB, 21 K, .292 OBA, 1.54 WHIP.
Notable: Last year's Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year is in Triple-A for the first time, meaning he has to pitch in Colorado Springs. In three home starts, Burnes has a 10.22 ERA, .377 opponent batting average and 2.27 WHIP. Meanwhile, in two road starts, he's allowed eight hits and one run in 12 1/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.
Mauricio Dubon (Age 23/Triple-A)
Season: 24 games, 97 AB, .320 BA, .320 OBP, .567 SLG, .887 OPS, 8 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 16 R, 17 RBI, 3 SB, 1 BB, 16 K.
Notable: After starting the season 2 for 9 in his first three games, Dubon is currently riding a 20-game hitting streak. Included in that streak are seven two-hit games and one with three hits. Dubon's four home runs are already halfway to his career high of eight, accomplished last year between two levels. After splitting time between second base and shortstop last year, Dubon has made 20 of his 24 appearances in 2018 at short.
Lucas Erceg (Age 23/Double-A)
Season: 23 games, 89 AB, .333 BA, .360 OBP, .360 SLG, .693 OPS, 5 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 10 R, 9 RBI, 1 SB, 7 BB, 17 K.
Notable: Already has a four-hit game and two with three hits. However, he's gone eight games without an extra-base hit. His slugging percentage was .500 on April 20.
Keston Hiura (Age 21/High-A)
Season: 23 games, 93 AB, .237 BA, .294 OBP, .355 SLG, .649 OPS, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 10 R, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 5 BB, 25 K.
Notable: After crushing it in his brief minor-league stint last season after being drafted in the first round -- batting a combined .371/.422/.611 at rookie ball and Low-A -- Hiura has struggled some at Carolina. However, he hit .357/.400/.538 last week and already has three three-hit games on the season.
Jacob Nottingham (Age 23/Triple-A)
Season: 15 games, 56 AB, .375 BA, .417 OBP, .732 SLG, 1.149 OPS, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 14 R, 13 RBI, 1 SB, 3 BB, 16 K.
Notable: In his first year in Triple-A, Nottingham is flourishing so far in games played in Colorado Springs. In 15 home games he's batting .383 with a .766 slugging percentage with all four of his home runs being hit there. He's only played in three road games, but that's partly because he was with the Brewers for a spell. Following his demotion, this past week Nottingham was 13 for 29 with seven-extra base hits, nine runs and nine RBI in seven games.
Luis Ortiz (age 22/Double-A)
Season: 4 games (2 starts), 1-1, 4.01 ERA, 21.1 IP, 18 H, 0 HR, 7 BB, 22 K, .225 OBA, 1.17 WHIP.
Notable: Ortiz has been shelved since April 26 due to hamstring tightness. He allowed two runs or less in each of his first three appearances of the season. On April 17, he allowed just three hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings while striking out a career-high 10. While Ortiz made two relief appearances, they were both in games started by Wade Miley, who was on a rehab assignment.
Freddy Peralta (age 21/Triple-A)
Season: 6 games (6 starts), 4-1, 4.25 ERA, 29.2 IP, 28 H, 1 HR, 14 BB, 38 K, .246 OBA, 1.42 WHIP.
Notable: Making his debut at Triple-A, Peralta has had one bad start -- allowing nine runs (eight earned) in 3 2/3 innings at home vs. Omaha on April 26. He's allowed three or fewer runs in each of his other five starts.
Corey Ray (age 23/Double-A)
Season: 26 games, 110 AB, .245 BA, .308 OBP, .409 SLG, .717 OPS, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 17 R, 9 RBI, 6 SB, 9 BB, 30 K.
Notable: Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2016 is making his first foray at the Double-A level. He's had eight multi-hit games and his three triples are already one off his career high, set last year. Entering this season with a 68.0 percent steal success rate, Ray has yet to be caught stealing in 2018.
Others: Odd-man out in Milwaukee's outfield picture, Keon Broxton is batting .277/.327/.500 at Triple-A Colorado Springs with four homers and seven steals. … Sky Sox utility man Nate Orf was 14 for 26 (.538) last week with 10 runs and nine RBI. On the season he's batting .373/.460/.494. … OF Tyrone Taylor (2nd round, 2012) is off the DL and batting .345/.381/.569 in 16 games at Triple-A. … 3B Jake Gatewood (1st round comp, 2014) has four home runs at Double-A Biloxi but is batting just .172 with 30 K in 87 AB. … Carolina RHP Trey Supak, who was acquired from Pittsburgh along with Keon Broxton for Jason Rogers, has a 1.78 ERA, 1.98 OBA, 1.07 WHIP and 26 K in 25 1/3 IP over five starts. … Wisconsin CF Tristen Lutz (1st round comp. 2017) is batting just .167/.244/.282 while teammate C K.J. Harrison (3rd round, 2017) is at .161/.278/.242.
Statistics courtesy milb.com and STATS
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
