The Milwaukee Brewers are reshaping their franchise with an injection of youth and prospects.
Every Thursday for the rest of the season, FOX Sports Wisconsin will take a closer look at some specific young players -- as well as noting others who might be stepping up -- measuring, highlighting and evaluating their progress. Please note the glossary of advanced stats at the bottom of the story.
This is the 16th edition of the Young Brewers Tracker.
NOTE: With the influx of prospects from trade deadline trades, we needed to mix things up a bit. So while we'll add in recently acquired players, it means it is time to also bid adieu to others (Ramon Flores, Domingo Santana, Jorge Lopez and Michael Reed).
IN THE MAJORS
Orlando Arcia (age 22)
Season (MLB): 2 games, 6 PA, .000 BA, .000 OBP, .000 SLG, .000 OPS, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 2 K, .000 BAbip, -100 OPS+, -0.3 WAR.
Season (Triple-A): 100 games, 404 AB, .267 BA, .320 OBP, .403 SLG, .723 OPS, 19 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 59 R, 53 RBI, 15 SB, 29 BB, 77 K.
Notable: Arcia was recalled and made his major-league debut Aug. 2, two days before his 22nd birthday. In a very small sample size, of course, Arcia has a range factor well above the major-league average. On July 30, his third-to-last minor-league game, he hit a home run.
Zach Davies (age 23)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 2-0, 12 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, .255 OBA, .300 OBP, .298 SLG, 1.25 WHIP
Season: 19 games (19 starts), 9-4, 3.57 ERA, 111 IP, 1.189 WHIP, 8.4 H/9, 1.0 HR/9, 2.4 BB/9, 7.2 K/9, .248 OBA, .301 OBP, .389 SLG, 118 ERA+, 3.83 FIP, 1.8 WAR
Notable: Davies in July: 3-0, 1.71 ERA, 0.987 WHIP, opponent slash line of 229/260/260. In his first August start, he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Jonathan Villar (age 25)
Last week: 6 games, 26 PA, 4 R, 0 RBI, 2 2b, 4 SB, 3 BB, 7 K, .304 BA, .385 OBP, .391 SLG, .776 OPS, 114 sOPS+, .438 BAbip
Season: 102 games, 446 PA, .297 BA, .379 OBP, .434 SLG, .813 OPS, 25 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 55 R, 38 RBI, 40 SB, 52 BB, 116 K, 117 OPS+, .402 BAbip, 2.4 WAR.
Notable: Villar in July: 283/359/446 with 14 runs, 8 RBI, 7 doubles and 12 stolen bases with three caught stealings. Vilar became just the eighth player in Brewers history (including Seattle Pilots) to steal 40 bases in as a season. Overall it has been done 12 times in team annals.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Phil Bickford (age 21/Single-A)
Season: 17 games (17 starts), 5-6, 2.71 ERA, 93 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 70 H, 5 HR, 27 BB, 105 K, .208 OBA.
Notable: Stats listed are from Bickford's time this season with San Jose and Augusta, both Single-A teams in the Giants' organization. Bickford will start with Brevard Country but has yet to pitch since the Aug. 1 trade which brought him to Milwaukee.
Lewis Brinson (age 22/Triple-A)
Season: 2 games, 8 AB, .750 BA, .750 OBP, 1.250 SLG, 2.000 OPS, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 0 BB, 1 K.
Notable: It is hard to imagine a player getting off to a better start with his new organization. In Brinson's first game at Colorado Springs, he went 4-for-4 with three runs and a steal. In his second game, Brinson accounted for all of the SkySox's runs in a 4-1 win with a grand slam.
Notable: Clark missed a few games after being placed on the temporary inactive list. He played just four games in July overall.
Isan Diaz (age 20/Single-A)
Last week: 7 games, 27 AB, 9 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 4 BB, 8 K, .333 BA.
Season: 106 games, 404 AB, .272 BA, .354 OBP, .480 SLG, .835 OPS, 28 2B, 4 3B, 16 HR, 53 R, 65 RBI, 11 SB, 50 BB, 114 K.
Notable: Diaz in July: 28 games with a slash line of 327/413/645. He hit seven home runs and had 17 runs and 23 RBI.
Lucas Erceg (age 21/Single-A)
Last week: 6 games, 23 AB, 6 H, 3 2B, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 2 BB, 3 K, .261 BA.
Season: 13 games, 52 AB, .382 BA, .427 OBP, .554 SLG, .981 OPS, 4 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3 R, 9 RBI, 1 SB, 2 BB, 9 K.
Notable: Erceg hit his first home run at the High-A level on Aug. 2 at Peoria.
Josh Hader (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 0-0, 11 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 17 K
Season (Double-A): 11 games (11 starts), 2-1, 0.95 ERA, 57 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 38 H, 1 HR, 19 BB, 73 K, .194 OBA.
Season (Triple-A): 9 games (9 starts), 0-3, 5.44 ERA, 44 2/3 IP, 1.50 WHIP, 44 H, 3 HR, 23 BB, 57 K, .260 OBA.
Notable: Two strong starts for Hader last week. He allowed two runs on three hits in five innings and whiffed nine on July 29 and then gave up one run in six innings on five hits with eight strikeouts while walking none in a home start Aug. 3. Hader finished July with a 7.71 ERA and 1.71 WHIP.
Gilbert Lara (age 18/Rookie)
Last week: 2 games, 10 AB, 2 H, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 5 K, .200 BA.
Season: 32 games, 126 AB, .198 BA, .261 OBP, .262 SLG, .523 OPS, 5 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 14 R, 10 RBI, 2 SB, 9 BB, 35 K.
Notable: Lara in July: 190/244/291 with five doubles and a home run. He had no extra-base hits in June.
Jacob Nottingham (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 4 games, 16 AB, 3 H, 1 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 8 K, .188 BA.
Season: 89 games, 330 AB, .233 BA, .296 OBP, .327 SLG, .623 OPS, 10 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 37 R, 26 RBI, 5 SB, 24 BB, 105 K.
Notable: Nottingham in July: 24 games, 174/216/196 with just two extra-base hits, both doubles, and 38 strikeouts in 92 at-bats.
Luis Ortiz (age 20/Double-A)
Season (Double-A): 9 games (8 starts), 1-4, 4.08 ERA, 39 2/3 IP, 1.36 WHIP, 47 H, 5 HR, 7 BB, 34 K, .296 OBA.
Season (Single-A): 7 games (6 starts), 3-2, 2.60 ERA, 27 2/3 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 23 H, 4 HR, 6 BB, 28 K, .221 OBA.
Notable: Stats listed are from Ortiz's time this season with Frisco (Double-A) and High Desert (High-A) in Texas' organization. Bickford will start with Biloxi but has yet to pitch since the Aug. 1 trade which brought him to Milwaukee.
Brett Phillips (Age 22/Double-A)
Last week: 7 games, 20 AB, 3 H, 2 R, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 5 BB, 8 K, .150 BA.
Season: 96 games, 344 AB, .221 BA, .320 OBP, .395 SLG, .715 OPS, 14 2B, 5 3B, 12 HR, 48 R, 47 RBI, 8 SB, 48 BB, 127 K.
Notable: In 28 July games, Phillips had a slash line of 144/284/206 with 37 strikeouts in 97 at-bats.
Corey Ray (age 21/Single-A)
Notable: Has a hit in six of his last eight games. Ray's last two hits were doubles.
Wendell Rijo (age 20/Single-A)
Last week: 7 games, 22 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 2 BB, 9 K, .045 BA
Season (Brewers only): 22 games, 86 AB, .151 BA, .215 OBP, .174 SLG, .360 OPS, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 R, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 6 BB, 20 K.
Notable: Has just one hit in his last nine games. Defensively, he has a 6.14 range factor, which is well above his 4.70 career average.
Andrew Susac (age 26/Triple-A)
Season (Brewers only): 1 game, 4 AB, .000 BA, .000 OBP, .000 SLG, .000 OPS, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 1 K.
Notable: At 26, Susac isn't a prospect per se, but since he could be the heir apparent as Milwaukee's catcher, we'll track his progress for a bit. With Sacramento, San Francisco's Triple-A affiliate, Susac had a slash line of 273/343/455 with eight home runs in 58 games.
Others: We bounced Colorado Springs OF Michael Reed (5th round, 2011) out of the Tracker, but he did hit 318/464/500 last week. . . . Biloxi 3B Dustin DeMuth (5th round, 2014) hit .455 (10 for 22) last week and is batting 367/387/433 since being moved up to Double-A. . . . Biloxi RHP Brandon Woodruff (11th round, 2014) continues to sparkle, allowing 1 run over 13 IP with 2 BB and 14 K in 2 starts. Since July 3 he has a 0.49 ERA and 0.773 WHIP over 36.2 IP. . . . Brevard County LHP Zach Hirsch (19th round, 2014) pitched 7 scoreless innings last week with 1 BB and 11 K. . . .. Wisconsin OF Tony Stokes (4th round, 2014) hit .310 (9 for 29) with a .517 SLG% last week. . . . Helena 3B Ronnie Gideon (23rd round, 2016) hit .462 (6 for 13) last week with three home runs (no one else in the Brewers' farm system had more than one HR last week). He has seven HRs on the season.
A glossary of some of the advanced statistics used:
OPS: On base percentage + slugging percentage
OPS+: OPS compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
sOPS+: OPS for the split (in our case the last 7 days) compared to the league's split OPS (100 being average).
BAbip: Batting average on balls in play.
WHIP: Walks plus hits divided by innings pitched.
ERA+: ERA compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
FIP: Fielding Independent Pitching. Measures a pitcher's effectiveness at presenting home runs, walks and hit by pitches while causing strikeouts. The MLB average FIP is the same as the MLB average ERA.
WAR: Wins Above Replacement value. Represents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player would add (we are using WAR from baseball-reference.com).
Statistics courtesy baseball-reference.com and milb.com
Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as 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
