Keston Hiura [Promoted to AA 5/31/18]

[adambr2]

I think he has a chance to be quite a good hitter, but until the Brewers get him the surgery they’ll never truly know what they have. Plus his defensive development will continue to lag behind. Let’s put KH under the knife and give him a real chance! I was listening to a podcast the other day and the pundit, who was being serious, said that TJ surgery is basically a rite of passage. It’s just something that needs to be done and then the progress an begin.

 

"Hey Hader, Knebel, we've got you guys scheduled for TJ surgery. What's that? No, you don't need it but we need to just get this done for you and find out what we really have in you guys."

[hurricanecrush]

I think he has a chance to be quite a good hitter, but until the Brewers get him the surgery they’ll never truly know what they have. Plus his defensive development will continue to lag behind. Let’s put KH under the knife and give him a real chance! I was listening to a podcast the other day and the pundit, who was being serious, said that TJ surgery is basically a rite of passage. It’s just something that needs to be done and then the progress an begin.

Wow, you should probably call the Brewers and tell them, I’m sure their specialists must have missed that podcast. They probably would consider firing their medical staff and hiring the pundit.

[yfinn6]

I think he has a chance to be quite a good hitter, but until the Brewers get him the surgery they’ll never truly know what they have. Plus his defensive development will continue to lag behind. Let’s put KH under the knife and give him a real chance! I was listening to a podcast the other day and the pundit, who was being serious, said that TJ surgery is basically a rite of passage. It’s just something that needs to be done and then the progress an begin.

 

Yeeaah... I'm going to have to go ahead and sort of.. disagree.. with you there.

[pacopete4]

Clemente this might be one of the worst takes I’ve seen in awhile. Why would you require a surgery that he may not need? Doesn’t add up.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Players who need tj surgery don't play in the field every day...I am astonished at how dumb a post that is.

[paul253]

Moving on......

 

I think Hiura might be the best bat this organization has seen since Ryan Braun. He doesn’t have quite the power but man can that dude hit. He could realistically have an impact on the Brewers this year if they need him to. He might be moving towards “untouchable” territory for me. Hopefully he can at least provide adequate defense so it doesn’t diminish his overall value.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Moving on......

 

I think Hiura might be the best bat this organization has seen since Ryan Braun. He doesn’t have quite the power but man can that dude hit. He could realistically have an impact on the Brewers this year if they need him to. He might be moving towards “untouchable” territory for me. Hopefully he can at least provide adequate defense so it doesn’t diminish his overall value.

 

I agree, and he is already in untouchable territory for me - if not for the questions about his arm last year at draft time, no way hiura would have still been on the board by the time the brewers picked last year. In a weird way, Hiura's arm troubles were a blessing to the brewers, since that's the only reason he is in this organization and not tearing it up with one of the teams that picked in front the brewers last year. Again, scouts' main concern was that they had limited info on what hiura was as a defender since his arm kept him off the field - it's not like there was a significant body of defensive work that was dreadful prior to his elbow troubles.

[Greenleaf1]

Obviously Hiura has been terrific this year, but probably the most exciting thing I've seen from him this year is how he battled through his slump at the start of the year. In interviews he was very candid about how he was pressing and just needing to get back to feeling comfortable. I'm sure most people here thought very highly of his bat and that he would mow down High-A on his way to Biloxi, and Hiura probably thought the same thing.

 

I know his elbow probably contributed a lot to that slump, but nevertheless it's been impressive to watch his year progress after a slow start at a level that I'm sure he expected to crush right away. It's important to see guys overcome the hard times, because Hiura's great but he's not going to get 2 hits in every game he plays (although he's certainly trying hard right now).

 

Seems like he's handling 2B pretty well and playing every day now, really hoping all goes well, he can get an August call-up to AAA and then we'll see him in Milwaukee late spring 2019!

[mattyo]

Moving on......

 

I think Hiura might be the best bat this organization has seen since Ryan Braun. He doesn’t have quite the power but man can that dude hit. He could realistically have an impact on the Brewers this year if they need him to. He might be moving towards “untouchable” territory for me. Hopefully he can at least provide adequate defense so it doesn’t diminish his overall value.

 

He has also made his way into "untouchable" territory in my mind. A second baseman that can hit like that..

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Moving on......

 

I think Hiura might be the best bat this organization has seen since Ryan Braun. He doesn’t have quite the power but man can that dude hit. He could realistically have an impact on the Brewers this year if they need him to. He might be moving towards “untouchable” territory for me. Hopefully he can at least provide adequate defense so it doesn’t diminish his overall value.

 

He has also made his way into "untouchable" territory in my mind. A second baseman that can hit like that..

 

If there's one thing he has done this year, it's certify himself as a legit centerpiece in a big trade. I think he's a legit Top 15 guy at this point, and dangling him will put the Brewers in position to acquire pretty much whichever big name they may possibly want at the deadline.

[buckybrewer232]

There was an ESPN Insider article today on top prospects who could deliver right away on promotion. Hiura was listed which included his MLB ZiPS projection for the rest of this season which is .271/.325/.435 with 7 HRs. Not bad for a guy who hasn't even played professional baseball for a year, yet.

 

He's pretty much untouchable, IMO, unless he's the main piece for someone like DeGrom. It would still be painful to even pull the trigger on that.

[cmow]

Worked for the Red Sox with Benintendi. Why not Hiura?

[Eye Black]

I don't think Hiura is going to get a September call-up this year. If I had to guess his MLB debut (assuming good health) will be sometime next May or June.

 

Unless they trade a bunch of prospects this deadline, the Brewers are facing a significant 40-man roster crunch this year and adding Hiura to the 40-man potentially exposes one more good prospect to the Rule 5 draft.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Moving on......

 

I think Hiura might be the best bat this organization has seen since Ryan Braun. He doesn’t have quite the power but man can that dude hit. He could realistically have an impact on the Brewers this year if they need him to. He might be moving towards “untouchable” territory for me. Hopefully he can at least provide adequate defense so it doesn’t diminish his overall value.

 

He has also made his way into "untouchable" territory in my mind. A second baseman that can hit like that..

 

If there's one thing he has done this year, it's certify himself as a legit centerpiece in a big trade. I think he's a legit Top 15 guy at this point, and dangling him will put the Brewers in position to acquire pretty much whichever big name they may possibly want at the deadline.

 

Legit top 15 guys with no positional logjam in front of them at the MLB level shouldn't be dangled by small market clubs in trades - they become organizational cornerstones.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

Legit top 15 guys with no positional logjam in front of them at the MLB level shouldn't be dangled by small market clubs in trades - they become organizational cornerstones.

 

There is always good 2B options available. They got Walker for peanuts last year, and he was just fine. Villar has been fine this year, and he's only 27. I'm not saying that Hiura won't be tough to get, but if I can get a controllable TOR starter or someone like Realmuto, bye-bye Keston.

[OnTheBlack]

 

Legit top 15 guys with no positional logjam in front of them at the MLB level shouldn't be dangled by small market clubs in trades - they become organizational cornerstones.

 

 

I agree 9 times out of 10.....and I share everyone's opinion of him. He looks like he could be a guy who hits .300, walks, hits some power. That's incredible at 2nd base. But if the Brewers could get Degrom and then sign him? I know he was looking at an extension a few years ago with the Mets and they passed, but he won't be a FA until he's 30. He came up at 26, so he's in an Arrietta type situation. If they could add two years at a relatively team friendly price?

 

And to be fair, Brinson didn't really have an organizational logjam in front of him either. He had Broxton. They created one when they made the moves they did. They traded the type of player you're talking about for a guy who was already proven and under team control for 5 more years. Now Brinson was both a more boom or bust type guy as well as a guy that most people knew(or at least thought) would struggle early in his career and take some time to adjust to the big leagues and I don't think the same is true with Hiura....still, this team is awfully good and really close. One of the Mets aces and Jimmy Nelson coming back could really give this team a lot more horsepower to match up.

 

Not saying I'd trade him....glad I don't have to make that decision...just playing devils advocate.

[OnTheBlack]

 

Legit top 15 guys with no positional logjam in front of them at the MLB level shouldn't be dangled by small market clubs in trades - they become organizational cornerstones.

 

There is always good 2B options available. They got Walker for peanuts last year, and he was just fine. Villar has been fine this year, and he's only 27. I'm not saying that Hiura won't be tough to get, but if I can get a controllable TOR starter or someone like Realmuto, bye-bye Keston.

 

 

There aren't always good 2nd base options available and we're not talking about good. We're talking about a middle of the order hitter who plays 2nd base. That's not just "fine" like Villar has been, that's the type of talent that changes the direction of an organization. I'm not trading him for Realmuto. I like Pina and think he'll hit more and love his defense too much to include him in that trade. Like I said though, if we could get Thor or Degrom(provided the prior proves healthy)....we'd have to think about it.

[FVBrewerFan]

We have become obsessed with this TOR starter concept. The game has changed, and a 2B capable of hitting .900 OPS for 6 years is more valuable than a TOR starter for 2 1/2.

 

I much rather get steady starts out of a bunch of #2 type SP, great BP, and as many above avg bats as possible. Hiura is one of them.

[StearnsFTW]

 

Legit top 15 guys with no positional logjam in front of them at the MLB level shouldn't be dangled by small market clubs in trades - they become organizational cornerstones.

 

There is always good 2B options available. They got Walker for peanuts last year, and he was just fine. Villar has been fine this year, and he's only 27. I'm not saying that Hiura won't be tough to get, but if I can get a controllable TOR starter or someone like Realmuto, bye-bye Keston.

 

No chance I'd trade him for Realmuto.

 

DeGrom? Yep.

[reillymcshane]

 

I agree 9 times out of 10.....and I share everyone's opinion of him. He looks like he could be a guy who hits .300, walks, hits some power. That's incredible at 2nd base. But if the Brewers could get Degrom and then sign him? I know he was looking at an extension a few years ago with the Mets and they passed, but he won't be a FA until he's 30. He came up at 26, so he's in an Arrietta type situation. If they could add two years at a relatively team friendly price?

As a note, deGrom turned 30 just yesterday. When he hits free agency, he'll be entering his age 33 season.

 

Not a huge deal. On one hand, deGrom might be amenable to an extension now - lock in another couple of years in the off season. I mean, look at Josh Donaldson. He's 32, and based upon his injuries (and lack of production this year) - and barring a big turnaround in 2018 - will not get anything close to what he could have if he had signed a 2-3 year extension a couple of years ago. 33 year old pitchers aren't exactly the safest investment. He might want to lock in on a big money extension this off season while his stock is high. Of course, do you want to extend a guy for big bucks for his 33+ age seasons is another matter.

 

Or deGrom might hold the line, hope he keeps pitching well, and cash in big in free agency the one chance he's going to get. As a Super 2 guy, he's making $7.4M this year in his second year of arby. I'm guessing he can double that - or come close - if he keeps pitching the way he is doing - meaning he's probably a lock to get another $30-35+M over the next two years. That's not bad money. He might bet on himself and say, hey, I'm still gonna have $40M in earnings. Even if I get hurt or whatever, I'm set for life. I'll roll the dice and see if I can do well the next 2.5 years and clean up with a $100M+ deal.

 

No one really knows. Just speculating.

[TigerUppercut]

We have become obsessed with this TOR starter concept. The game has changed, and a 2B capable of hitting .900 OPS for 6 years is more valuable than a TOR starter for 2 1/2.

 

I much rather get steady starts out of a bunch of #2 type SP, great BP, and as many above avg bats as possible. Hiura is one of them.

 

This is correct...in the regular season. Also, assuming Hiura is a .900 OPS guy at the MLB level is a gigantic leap of faith. I know what DeGrom is. He's a guy in his last 7 starts that's gone at least 7 every time out and given up more than one run once. A guy like that helps our pen play up that much more. In my opinion, we've become obsessed with the game changing to a bullpen game. That's fine in May and June but let's see where things land in August and September when the inning counts are approaching all time records.

 

As far as Hiura goes, many a prospect has tore up high A and AA and failed at the MLB level. We still don't know who or what Hiura is and likely won't for a few years. At the end of the day, just like every other prospect, he's still a gamble.

[brewmann04]

It would not suprise me to see Hiura a September call up

[FVBrewerFan]

We have become obsessed with this TOR starter concept. The game has changed, and a 2B capable of hitting .900 OPS for 6 years is more valuable than a TOR starter for 2 1/2.

 

I much rather get steady starts out of a bunch of #2 type SP, great BP, and as many above avg bats as possible. Hiura is one of them.

 

This is correct...in the regular season. Also, assuming Hiura is a .900 OPS guy at the MLB level is a gigantic leap of faith. I know what DeGrom is. He's a guy in his last 7 starts that's gone at least 7 every time out and given up more than one run once. A guy like that helps our pen play up that much more. In my opinion, we've become obsessed with the game changing to a bullpen game. That's fine in May and June but let's see where things land in August and September when the inning counts are approaching all time records.

 

As far as Hiura goes, many a prospect has tore up high A and AA and failed at the MLB level. We still don't know who or what Hiura is and likely won't for a few years. At the end of the day, just like every other prospect, he's still a gamble.

 

Agreed. But everything is a gamble. Hiura is the first bat in years I would go all-in on. Not sure where you're getting all time innings records. The main guys have been used very carefully. As a whole? Doesn't matter when those bullpen innings are being eaten up by like 17 different relievers.

[Eye Black]

It would not suprise me to see Hiura a September call up

I will be very surprised if the Brewers call up Keston Hiura this September.

 

It would start his service time clock potentially risking one less year of team control if he sticks in the majors the following season.

 

It would also force the Brewers to unnecessarily add Hiura to the 40-man roster which is already facing many tough decisions about which players to either add or risk losing in the upcoming Rule 5 draft including... Jake Gatewood, Troy Stokes Jr., Luis Ortiz, Trey Supak, Bubba Derby, Kodi Medeiros, Cody Ponce, Phil Bickford, Nate Kirby, Quintin Torres-Costa, Jon Olczak, Jon Perrin, Nate Griep, Devin Williams, Nate Orf, Gilbert Lara, etc. Some of those players will inevitably be traded this deadline, but still some tough decisions likely ahead.

[Mass Haas]

We have become obsessed with this TOR starter concept.

 

You mean A.J. Happ?

 

A while back, it took me a lot longer than it should have to recognize "TOR" as top-of-rotation.

 

It's an acronym that is never stated out loud, only in print.