Brewers' top pick Turang finishes first pro season with a flurry
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 19th edition of the 2018 Young Brewers Tracker.
Lucas Erceg, 3B (Age 23/Double-A)
Last week: DNP
Season: 123 games, 463 AB, .248 BA, .306 OBP, .382 SLG, .688 OPS, 21 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 52 R, 51 RBI, 3 SB, 37 BB, 82 K
Notable: Erceg finished the regular season on the disabled list but returned for the playoffs and hit a home run in Biloxi's 5-3 win over Pensacola in Game 1 of their series.
Keston Hiura, 2B (Age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 5 games, 18 AB, 6 H, 1 2B, 3 R, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 4 BB, 3 K, .333 BA
Season (Double-A): 73 games, 279 AB, .272 BA, .339 OBP, .416 SLG, .755 OPS, 18 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 36 R, 20 RBI, 11 SB, 22 BB, 56 K.
Season (High-A): 50 games, 206 AB, .320 BA, .382 OBP, .529 SLG, .911 OPS, 16 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 38 R, 23 RBI, 4 SB, 14 BB, 47 K.
Notable: After hitting just .207/.263/.348 in August, Hiura finished off the regular season with a pair of two-hit games.
Corey Ray, OF (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: 5 games, 19 AB, 6 H, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 3 BB, 6 K, .316 BA.
Season: 135 games, 532 AB, .239 BA, .323 OBP, .477 SLG, .801 OPS, 32 2B, 7 3B, 27 HR, 86 R, 74 RBI, 37 SB, 60 BB, 176 K.
Notable: Ray had a lousy August -- batting just .146 -- but ended the regular season on a four-game hit streak, including 4 for 11 (.364) in three September games. Ray led the Southern League in home runs (by five) and steals (by three), was tied for first in doubles, second in runs and slugging percentage and fourth in RBI and triples.
Trey Supak, SP (age 22/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Season (Double-A): 16 games (16 starts), 6-6, 2.91 ERA, 86.2 IP, 74 H, 4 HR, 28 BB, 75 K, .232 OBA, 1.18 WHIP.
Season (Single-A): 9 games (9 starts), 2-1, 1.76 ERA, 51 IP, 37 H, 2 HR, 16 BB, 48 K, .208 OBA, 1.04 WHIP.
Notable: Supak allowed no earned runs for the third straight start and fourth time in his last five. He posted a 0.93 ERA in August and September -- five runs (three earned) in 29 innings -- over five starts.
Brice Turang, SS (age 18/Rookie)
Last week (Pioneer): 7 games, 27 AB, 10 H, 1 3B, 1 HR, 7 R, 5 RBI, 4 SB, 4 BB, 8 K, .370 BA.
Season (Pioneer): 28 games, 109 AB, .275 BA, .389 OBP, .358 SLG, .747 OPS, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 26 R, 11 RBI, 6 SB, 21 BB, 27 K.
Season (Arizona): 13 games, 47 AB, .319 BA, .421 OBP, .362 SLG, .783 OPS, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 11 R, 7 RBI, 8 SB, 9 BB, 6 K.
Notable: Turang hit his first professional home run on Aug. 31 and the next day knocked his first triple. It was all part of a three-game stretch in which he had seven hits, five runs, four RBI and four steals. In eight games from Aug. 26-Sept. 5, Turang hit .355. (Note: Helena finished up its season with a night game Sept. 6.)
Other notes: Colorado Springs OF Tyrone Taylor continued his hot stretch, hitting .318 with a double, triple and two home runs. Taylor finished with 20 home runs, including seven in August-September. He slugged .604 in August and .733 in four September games. … Biloxi RHP Braden Webb (3rd round, 2016) allowed one hit and struck out 10 in six scoreless innings in his regular-season finale on Aug. 31 vs. Birmingham. He allowed four runs in 20 innings with 24 K in four games with the Shuckers. … Biloxi 2B Blake Allemand (5th round, 2015) was 9 for 19 (.421) with two homers. … Carolina OF Cooper Hummel (18th round, 2016) hit .357/.524/.714 over the Mudcats' final five games. … Wisconsin LHP Clayton Andrews (17th round, 2018) whiffed eight in 5 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run. In August and September, Andrews allowed four runs (two earned) in 16 2/3 innings with 25 K. … Timber Rattlers 2B Kenny Corey (36th round, 2017) was 7 for 14 (.500). … Helena OF Je'Von Ward (12th round, 2017) batted .381/.435/.619 in five games with four of his eight hits going for extra bases.
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
