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 third edition of the Young Brewers Tracker.
IN THE MAJORS
Zach Davies (age 23)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 0-1, 4.91 ERA, 11 IP, 11 H, 6 BB, 8 K, .289 OBA, .400 OBP, .500 SLG, 1.545 WHIP, 151 sOPS+, .345 BAbip,
Season: 4 games (4 starts), 0-3, 6.98 ERA, 19 1/3 IP, 1.996 WHIP, 13.0 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 4.7 BB/9, 6.1 K/9, .364 OBA, .444 OBP, .558 SLG, 62 ERA+, 4.93 FIP, -0.4 WAR
Notable: Had his best start of the season in his last outing, going six innings allowing just two runs on five hits against the Angels on May 3. Lefties have a slash line of 424/500/606 against Davies.
Ramon Flores (age 23)
Last week: 6 games, 17 PA, .214 BA, .353 OBP, .286 SLG, .639 OPS, 82 sOPS+, .300 BAbip
Season: 23 games, 61 PA, .148 BA, .246 OBP, .167 SLG, .413 OPS, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 7 BB, 14 K, .200 BAbip, 13 OPS+, -0.3 WAR.
Notable: Started four games last week and was 3 for 12 in those contests.
Yadiel Rivera (age 24)
Last week: 4 games, 10 PA, .200 BA, .200 OBP, .200 SLG, .400 OPS, 13 sOPS+, .286 BAbip
Season: 14 games, 38 PA, .189 BA, .211 OBP, .270 SLG, .481 OPS, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 R, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 14 K, 25 OPS+, .304 BAbip, -0.3 WAR.
Notable: Recorded first career RBI on May 2 vs. Angels. Also had his only two hits of the week in that game.
Domingo Santana (age 23)
Last week: 4 games, 15 PA, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 8 K, .267 BA, .267 OBP, .333 SLG, .600 OPS, 60 sOPS+, .571 BAbip
Season: 24 games, 100 PA, .247 BA, .330 OBP, .427 SLG, .757 OPS, 7 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 11 R, 11 RBI, 0 SB, 11 BB, 30 K, 99 OPS+, .339 BAbip, -0.5 WAR.
Notable: Shoulder injury limited his play last week.
Jonathan Villar (age 25)
Last week: 6 games, 28 PA, 3 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 3 SB, 4 BB, 8 K, .273 BA, .385 OBP, .409 SLG, 123 sOPS+, .429 BAbip
Season: 25 games, 105 PA, .264 BA, .379 OBP, .379 SLG, .758 OPS, 7 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 13 R, 6 RBI, 8 SB, 15 BB, 26 K, 102 OPS+, .367 BAbip, 0.6 WAR.
Notable: Leads the National League in steals (and is second in the majors) with eight. Has batted first or second in the lineup in each of the last eight games and has a slash line of 300/400/433 with six runs and six steals in that span.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Orlando Arcia (age 21/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 25 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 SB, 0 BB, 3 K, .280 BA.
Season: 23 games, 92 AB, .304 BA, .333 OBP, .435 SLG, .768 OPS, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 12 R, 17 RBI, 4 SB, 5 BB, 11 K.
Notable: Has had a hit in nine of his last 10 games, including five multiple-hit games.
Keon Broxton (age 25/Triple-A)
Last week: 5 games, 23 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K, 2 SB, .261 BA
Season: 14 games, 60 AB, .267 BA, .343 OBP, .483 SLG, .827 OPS, 4 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 11 R, 8 RBI, 6 SB, 7 BB, 17 K.
Notable: Has struck out at least once in seven consecutive games. Was 3 for 6 with a run, RBI and steal on May 2.
Clint Coulter (age 22/Single-A)
Last week: 6 games, 24 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K, .250 BA.
Season: 25 games, 95 AB, .221 BA, .292 OBP, .316 SLG, .608 OPS, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 R, 9 RBI, 0 SB, 8 BB, 22 K.
Notable: Had a pair of two-hit games -- April 30 and May 3 -- homering in each. Coulter had 22 homers in 2014 for Wisconsin in 126 games but fell off to 13 in 137 games for Brevard County last season.
Isan Diaz (age 19/Single-A)
Last week: 7 games, 27 AB, 3 H, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, .111 BA.
Season: 26 games, 93 AB, .204 BA, .308 OBP, .366 SLG, .674 OPS, 6 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 10 R, 12 RBI, 2 SB, 13 BB, 24 K.
Notable: Has slash line of 161/242/232 in 15 home games but 270/400/568 in 11 road contests.
Josh Hader (age 22/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 0.78 ERA.
Season: 5 games (5 starts), 0-0, 0.78 ERA, 23 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 16 H, 0 HR, 9 BB, 32 K, .200 OBA.
Notable: Went a season-high six innings in his last start April 30. Hader's pitch count in his first five starts: 84, 87, 83,87, 89. Still has not surrendered a hit to a lefty (and has walked only one).
Adrian Houser (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 1-1, 9 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 2 BB, 12 K, 11.00 ERA.
Season: 5 games (5 starts), 1-3, 8.63 ERA, 24 IP, 1.54 WHIP, 27 H, 2 HR, 10 BB, 25 K, .287 OBA.
Notable: Picked up his first win on April 28, allowing four runs in five innings. Stuck out nine in just four innings in his next start on May 4, but allowed seven runs.
Jorge Lopez (age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 0-2, 7 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 8 BB, 8 K, 10.29 ERA.
Season: 5 games (5 starts), 0-2, 8.94 ERA, 18 1/3 IP, 2.56 WHIP, 29 H, 1 HR, 18 BB, 20 K, .358 OBA
Notable: Has thrown between 80-87 pitches in all his starts but the longest outing has been 4 2/3 innings (April 15).
Jacob Nottingham (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 5 games, 16 AB, 6 H, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, .375 BA.
Season: 20 games, 69 AB, .188 BA, .273 OBP, .304 SLG, .577 OPS, 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 9 R, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 7 BB, 19 K.
Notable: Has a hit in six consecutive games, including a walk-off single April 30 which would have been extra bases if not for scoring the winning run from third.
Brett Phillips (Age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 6 games, 20 AB, 4 H, 3 R, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K, .200 BA.
Season: 24 games, 82 AB, .244 BA, .361 OBP, .378 SLG, .739 OPS, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13 R, 14 RBI, 1 SB, 14 BB, 31 K.
Notable: Hit his second home run of the season on May 2.
Michael Reed (age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: 5 games, 15 AB, 4 H, 4 R, 1 RBI, 5 BB, 2 K, .267 BA.
Season: 21 games, 74 AB, .270 BA, .407 OBP, .297 SLG, .704 OPS, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 14 R, 6 RBI, 6 SB, 17 BB, 19 K.
Notable: Had a pair of two-hit games on April 29 and May 3. Batting just 174/367/174 at home but 314/426/353 on the road.
Others: First baseman Jake Elmore is batting 365/452/462 with 11 runs and 12 RBI in 16 games for Colorado Springs. He's also stolen four bases. . . . Colorado Spring reliever Jacob Barnes (14th round, 2011) has not allowed a run in 11 innings. He's given up four hits and four walks and struck out 12. . . . Jaye Chapman, who had 10 saves for Biloxi (11 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 H, 0 BB, 15 K) was promoted to Triple-A. . . . Add Biloxi reliever Drew Gagnon (3rd round, 2011) to the 0.00 ERA parade. He hasn't allowed a run in 13 1/3 innings (4 H, 4 BB, 15 K). . . . Reliever Tyler Spurlin (1.69 ERA, 10 2/3 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 9 K) was promoted from Brevard County to Biloxi. . . . OF Johnny Davis (22nd round, 2013) is batting 314/381/392 with 7 SB for Brevard County. . . . Wisconsin SP Jon Perrin (27th round, 2015) has yet to allow a walk in 30 IP. He has a 2.70 ERA with 37 K.
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
