Brewers top 2019 picks Small, Kelly lights out to start pro careers
The Milwaukee Brewers have positioned themselves as a playoff 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 15th edition of the 2019 Young Brewers Tracker.
Antoine Kelly, SP (age 19/Rookie)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-0, 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Season: 7 games (7 starts), 0-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 15 H, 0 HR, 4 BB, 29 K, .200 OBA, 0.90 WHIP.
Notable: We’ve added this year’s second-round pick to the capsules as he’s off to a pretty good start to his pro career. Pitching for the Brewers’ Blue team in the Arizona rookie league, he’s allowed runs in just two of his first seven outings. Last week he threw a season-high 65 pitches and achieved his personal best with eight strikeouts.
Tristan Lutz, OF (age 20/High-A)
Last week: 7 games, 27 AB, 8 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 7 K, .296 BA
Season: 110 games, 413 AB, .254 BA, .335 OBP, .416 SLG, .751 OPS, 22 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 61 R, 53 RBI, 3 SB, 45 BB, 134 K.
Notable: Lutz homered in back-to-back games Aug. 8-9 and had two multiple-hit games, going 3-for-4 in the first game of an Aug. 8 doubleheader and 2-for-4 on Aug. 13. Lutz has matched his career high in home runs, set last year at Wisconsin in 119 games and 444 AB.
Corey Ray, OF (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 5 games, 19 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 0 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 10 K, .158 BA
Season (Triple-A): 36 games, 142 AB, .169 BA, .248 OBP, .282 SLG, .530 OPS, 4 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 14 R, 11 RBI, 3 SB, 14 BB, 68 K.
Season (Double-A): 11 games, 40 AB, .250 BA, .348 OBP, .325 SLG, .673 OPS, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 5 R, 0 RBI, 3 SB, 6 BB, 14 K.
Notable: Ray had a two-hit game on Aug. 10, but then was 0-for-9 with six strikeouts in his next two contests. He’s whiffed in eight straight games, with 2+ in five of those.
Ethan Small, SP (age 22/Low-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-0, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Season (Low-A): 2 games (2 starts), 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 HR, 1 BB, 8 K, .158 OBA, 0.67 WHIP.
Season (Rookie): 2 games (2 starts), 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 BB, 5 K, .000 OBA, 0.00 WHIP.
Notable: Coming off an outing in which he threw 49 pitches in three innings, Small was more efficient in his second game with Wisconsin, needing only 39 pitches in three perfect frames. All three hits Small has allowed in his brief pro career have come with the bases empty.
Trey Supak, SP (age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: 2 games (2 start), 0-1, 6 1/3 IP, 13 H, 15 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Season (Triple-A): 4 games (4 starts), 1-1, 9.50 ERA, 18 IP, 23 H, 3 HR, 6 BB, 15 K, .303 OBA, 1.61 WHIP.
Season (Double-A): 20 games (20 starts), 11-4, 2.20 ERA, 122.2 IP, 84 H, 6 HR, 23 BB, 91 K, .192 OBA, 0.87 WHIP.
Notable: Saying Supak did not have a good week would be an understatement. He was charged with seven runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings on Aug. 8 then on Aug. 13 didn’t make it past the first inning, allowing three hits and three walks with two hit batters – all of whom scored.
Brice Turang, SS (age 19/High-A)
Last week: 6 games, 23 AB, 2 H, 1 2B, 2 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 6 K, .087 BA
Season (High-A): 31 games, 117 AB, .179 BA, .304 OBP, .265 SLG, .569 OPS, 3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 15 R, 4 RBI, 6 SB, 20 BB, 29 K.
Season (Low-A): 82 games, 303 AB, .287 BA, .384 OBP, .376 SLG, .760 OPS, 13 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 57 R, 31 RBI, 21 SB, 49 BB, 54 K.
Notable: A tough week for Turang, who went hitless in four of his last five games, including three in a row.
Other notes: San Antonio 3B Lucas Erceg (2nd round, 2016) went 8-for-22 (.364) with a double and a homer last week. He has an eight-game hitting streak, with multiple hits in six of those contests. … Biloxi RHP Bowden Francis (7th round, 2017) pitched five scoreless innings on Aug. 13, allowing just one hit while striking out 11, the fourth time he’s reached double figures this season. … Shuckers 1B Jake Gatewood (competitive balance round A, 2014) has three straight two-hit games. In four games last week he was 6-for-17 (.353) with a double, triple, homer and six runs. … Shuckers OF Cooper Hummel (18th round, 2016) hit three homers last week and now has 17 on the season, tied for fourth in the Southern League. … Carolina C Mario Feliciano (competitive balance round B, 2016) went 6-for-17 (.353) with a double and two home runs. Feliciano leads the Carolina League in home runs with 19, four more than the nearest competitor. … Mudcats RHP Aaron Ashby (4th round, 2018) was placed on the injured list on Aug. 8, retroactive to Aug. 5. … Rocky Mountain RHP Brady Schanuel (27th round, 2018) whiffed 13 batters five scoreless innings over two outings. … Vibes OF Carlos Rodriguez, who won’t turn 19 until December, was 13-for-24 (.542) last week. Since being moved up to Rocky Mountain he’s 27-for-67 (.403).
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
