Turang for sale??

[clancyphile]

He has a very good hit tool. He has always lacked pop, but as Eye Black aptly points out, he’s considerably young for AA and has room to get stronger and drive the ball into gaps more. He also bats left handed and plays a premium position. He has more than plus speed. He carries himself with confidence that instills belief in him. You put that all together and he’s an attractive prospect. He’s going to hit, get on base, run, play middle infield, bring a lefthanded bat. Those are a lot of positive factors that outweigh any concern over his slugging. Not many prospects have that long of a list of attributes. I think you’re talking about a guy who will play every day in the middle infield, get on base, and run. With all the player control he carries, he fits the profile of a guy Stearns will want to keep unless he gets controllable talent back. If he’s dealt for somebody with less than two years of control (i.e., a rental or a semi-rental), it would be for an impact player. I couldn’t disagree more that he lacks value and I am confident Stearns and Arnold wouldn’t disagree with anything I just said. IMO.

 

I think Turang is a good-defense, high-contact SS/2B. What has set off alarm bells for me is the drop in his walk rate. Even when he struggled in A+ in 2019, he drew LOTS of walks. Right now, he could be "sold" high. Honestly, I think the Brewers would have been better off dealing HIM for Escobar instead of Hummel, given their need for a long-term solution at first (and Ernesto Martinez is in Low-A).

[titletownking]

He has a very good hit tool. He has always lacked pop, but as Eye Black aptly points out, he’s considerably young for AA and has room to get stronger and drive the ball into gaps more. He also bats left handed and plays a premium position. He has more than plus speed. He carries himself with confidence that instills belief in him. You put that all together and he’s an attractive prospect. He’s going to hit, get on base, run, play middle infield, bring a lefthanded bat. Those are a lot of positive factors that outweigh any concern over his slugging. Not many prospects have that long of a list of attributes. I think you’re talking about a guy who will play every day in the middle infield, get on base, and run. With all the player control he carries, he fits the profile of a guy Stearns will want to keep unless he gets controllable talent back. If he’s dealt for somebody with less than two years of control (i.e., a rental or a semi-rental), it would be for an impact player. I couldn’t disagree more that he lacks value and I am confident Stearns and Arnold wouldn’t disagree with anything I just said. IMO.

 

I think Turang is a good-defense, high-contact SS/2B. What has set off alarm bells for me is the drop in his walk rate. Even when he struggled in A+ in 2019, he drew LOTS of walks. Right now, he could be "sold" high. Honestly, I think the Brewers would have been better off dealing HIM for Escobar instead of Hummel, given their need for a long-term solution at first (and Ernesto Martinez is in Low-A).

 

You think Hummel and Turang have the same value? Ugh, what?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

He has a very good hit tool. He has always lacked pop, but as Eye Black aptly points out, he’s considerably young for AA and has room to get stronger and drive the ball into gaps more. He also bats left handed and plays a premium position. He has more than plus speed. He carries himself with confidence that instills belief in him. You put that all together and he’s an attractive prospect. He’s going to hit, get on base, run, play middle infield, bring a lefthanded bat. Those are a lot of positive factors that outweigh any concern over his slugging. Not many prospects have that long of a list of attributes. I think you’re talking about a guy who will play every day in the middle infield, get on base, and run. With all the player control he carries, he fits the profile of a guy Stearns will want to keep unless he gets controllable talent back. If he’s dealt for somebody with less than two years of control (i.e., a rental or a semi-rental), it would be for an impact player. I couldn’t disagree more that he lacks value and I am confident Stearns and Arnold wouldn’t disagree with anything I just said. IMO.

 

I think Turang is a good-defense, high-contact SS/2B. What has set off alarm bells for me is the drop in his walk rate. Even when he struggled in A+ in 2019, he drew LOTS of walks. Right now, he could be "sold" high. Honestly, I think the Brewers would have been better off dealing HIM for Escobar instead of Hummel, given their need for a long-term solution at first (and Ernesto Martinez is in Low-A).

 

You think Hummel and Turang have the same value? Ugh, what?

 

Right ... that one is a tad over the top, even for clancy.

[sveumrules]

Honestly, I think the Brewers would have been better off dealing HIM for Escobar instead of Hummel, given their need for a long-term solution at first (and Ernesto Martinez is in Low-A).

 

Rowdy has looked pretty good at 1B so far & is under team control for three more seasons.

[brooks_quichenick]

He has a very good hit tool. He has always lacked pop, but as Eye Black aptly points out, he’s considerably young for AA and has room to get stronger and drive the ball into gaps more. He also bats left handed and plays a premium position. He has more than plus speed. He carries himself with confidence that instills belief in him. You put that all together and he’s an attractive prospect. He’s going to hit, get on base, run, play middle infield, bring a lefthanded bat. Those are a lot of positive factors that outweigh any concern over his slugging. Not many prospects have that long of a list of attributes. I think you’re talking about a guy who will play every day in the middle infield, get on base, and run. With all the player control he carries, he fits the profile of a guy Stearns will want to keep unless he gets controllable talent back. If he’s dealt for somebody with less than two years of control (i.e., a rental or a semi-rental), it would be for an impact player. I couldn’t disagree more that he lacks value and I am confident Stearns and Arnold wouldn’t disagree with anything I just said. IMO.

 

I think Turang is a good-defense, high-contact SS/2B. What has set off alarm bells for me is the drop in his walk rate. Even when he struggled in A+ in 2019, he drew LOTS of walks. Right now, he could be "sold" high. Honestly, I think the Brewers would have been better off dealing HIM for Escobar instead of Hummel, given their need for a long-term solution at first (and Ernesto Martinez is in Low-A).

 

I know you really, really love 26-year old Hummel a great deal, but to say that the Brewers should've traded Brice Turang for a few months of Eduardo Escobar sounds like sour grapes. Brice is a 21 year old 1st round pick who's rated by almost all prospect evaluators around the game as a top 3 prospect in the Brewers system, and is currently #74 in MLB Pipeline's Top 100. He's hitting .272 in Double A while he's ~3.5 years younger than his competition, and while his walk rate has dropped a bit, it's still good. You didn't bother to mention that his strikeout rate has also dropped significantly, and his ISO is at a career high. Again, he's very young for the level he is performing pretty well at.

 

If the Brewers deal Turang, it will be as part of a package for a controllable player coming back, because his value is almost infinitely higher than a 26 year old guy without a real position who hasn't tasted the big leagues yet.

[jonescm128]

Turang still with the club and he just got promoted to AAA today. Excited to see what he can do there but hard to see a path to the majors for him.

[Austin Tatious]

Turang still with the club and he just got promoted to AAA today. Excited to see what he can do there but hard to see a path to the majors for him.

 

I think it's pretty obvious the Brewers legitimately like him. Actions speak loudly. Also, look at the quotes by Counsell. He's high on him.

 

As for his track to Milwaukee, I expect him to marinate at AAA for awhile. Beyond that, he could potentially come up initially in a utility role to get acclimated to at bats in the big show. Beyond that, Wong is on a 2/3 year deal that times up well for Turang to take over 2b. Or, possibly, Adames goes to third and Turang goes to SS. There are scenarios and these things always work out. If someone produces (in any job), there will be opportunities provided.

[jonescm128]

Turang still with the club and he just got promoted to AAA today. Excited to see what he can do there but hard to see a path to the majors for him.

 

I think it's pretty obvious the Brewers legitimately like him. Actions speak loudly. Also, look at the quotes by Counsell. He's high on him.

 

As for his track to Milwaukee, I expect him to marinate at AAA for awhile. Beyond that, he could potentially come up initially in a utility role to get acclimated to at bats in the big show. Beyond that, Wong is on a 2/3 year deal that times up well for Turang to take over 2b. Or, possibly, Adames goes to third and Turang goes to SS. There are scenarios and these things always work out. If someone produces (in any job), there will be opportunities provided.

 

Hell, with all the Covid cases popping up on this team he might get an opportunity this year.

[Lathund]

Turang still with the club and he just got promoted to AAA today. Excited to see what he can do there but hard to see a path to the majors for him.

 

If he fulfills the potential the Brewers think he has, then there's always a path to the majors. Or the Brewers create one for him. Add a position besides 2B/SS to his repertoire (CF or 3B probably makes the most sense) to give him the ability to take a utility spot. Or add one to another player. If he looks truly great then you can trade one of the starters for a haul. But really, the simple truth is that you need more than 8 starters, if he's good enough then there is a roster spot for him in 2022 even if Adames and Wong keep playing as well as they have. There will always be injuries, need for rest days and so on. Having too many good players is never a real problem, especially not someone who can be optioned if need be.

 

With everyone controllable through at least 2023, I quite like the potential of Urias, Adames, Wong and Turang to man 2B/SS/3B. Urias can play all 3 (Though should mainly be 3B/2B), Turang 2B/SS. Add 3B to Turang or Adames and you have a strong group to mix and match with, while giving everyone plenty of playing time. Simply having a second true SS on the roster is big, and I always feel it's a bit risky whenever the Brewers don't have that, usually due to the demands on a 4-man bench.

 

Again, all this is if he shows himself MLB-ready sooner rather than later. He might never. Or it might take a bit longer, he's only 21 still after all. But I don't really understand so much of the skepticism around here. He's been aggressively promoted, very young for his level at every step of the way. Even when he "struggled" at A+ he was still almost 4 years young for the level. And that was still an 88 wRC+, with great plate discipline (16% walk rate) but an unusually low BABIP for such a fast spray hitter. And this is for a guy who is an elite defender and great baserunner. Being a league average hitter at that age, with that skillset and contributing greatly while not at the plate is why he's rightly one of our top prospects. Grisham was another one who was only average to slightly above average at the plate in the minors, was always very young for his level and got pushed fast. And so many on here saw him as a bust before his 2019 breakout. Which isn't to say Turang takes the same path, there are also Orlando Arcias out there. I just feel he's a guy you hold on to and see what you get.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think the knock on Turang will always be that he doesn't hit for enough power....while he'll never be a 30HR MLBer, he simply doesn't need to be at the defensive positions he plays, and I think there will be enough pop from him during his prime years once he fills out a bit more and fully develops. He can fly, is a plus defender at SS and 2B, and isn't a strikeout machine at the plate.

 

There's a reason he was initially viewed as a potential #1 overall pick the summer before his senior year in high school - his stock fell a bit that allowed him to slip to #21 for the Brewers to nab him, but he's shown that he's a MLB-caliber talent throughout his minor league career to date. Reaching AAA before his 22nd birthday is pretty impressive.

[jonescm128]

I think the knock on Turang will always be that he doesn't hit for enough power....while he'll never be a 30HR MLBer, he simply doesn't need to be at the defensive positions he plays, and I think there will be enough pop from him during his prime years once he fills out a bit more and fully develops. He can fly, is a plus defender at SS and 2B, and isn't a strikeout machine at the plate.

 

There's a reason he was initially viewed as a potential #1 overall pick the summer before his senior year in high school - his stock fell a bit that allowed him to slip to #21 for the Brewers to nab him, but he's shown that he's a MLB-caliber talent throughout his minor league career to date. Reaching AAA before his 22nd birthday is pretty impressive.

 

Definitely. He is 5.7 years younger than the average position player in AAA.

[Roderick]

I think the knock on Turang will always be that he doesn't hit for enough power....while he'll never be a 30HR MLBer, he simply doesn't need to be at the defensive positions he plays, and I think there will be enough pop from him during his prime years once he fills out a bit more and fully develops. He can fly, is a plus defender at SS and 2B, and isn't a strikeout machine at the plate.

 

There's a reason he was initially viewed as a potential #1 overall pick the summer before his senior year in high school - his stock fell a bit that allowed him to slip to #21 for the Brewers to nab him, but he's shown that he's a MLB-caliber talent throughout his minor league career to date. Reaching AAA before his 22nd birthday is pretty impressive.

 

Definitely. He is 5.7 years younger than the average position player in AAA.

 

You can't use average age for comparison in AAA. The other minors sure. But when you have players like Tim Dillard in AAA, it doesn't make sense to even use that stat.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think the knock on Turang will always be that he doesn't hit for enough power....while he'll never be a 30HR MLBer, he simply doesn't need to be at the defensive positions he plays, and I think there will be enough pop from him during his prime years once he fills out a bit more and fully develops. He can fly, is a plus defender at SS and 2B, and isn't a strikeout machine at the plate.

 

There's a reason he was initially viewed as a potential #1 overall pick the summer before his senior year in high school - his stock fell a bit that allowed him to slip to #21 for the Brewers to nab him, but he's shown that he's a MLB-caliber talent throughout his minor league career to date. Reaching AAA before his 22nd birthday is pretty impressive.

 

Definitely. He is 5.7 years younger than the average position player in AAA.

 

You can't use average age for comparison in AAA. The other minors sure. But when you have players like Tim Dillard in AAA, it doesn't make sense to even use that stat.

 

Splitting hairs, but Turang reaching AAA in what really isn't even his 3rd full minor league season is pretty impressive, particularly given the fact he was a H.S. draftee. There was no season in 2020 due to COVID, and 2018 was just a partial year right after he was drafted.

[SRB]

I think the knock on Turang will always be that he doesn't hit for enough power....while he'll never be a 30HR MLBer,

 

I believe this was the consensus on Luis Urias coming up as well, and he definitely looks now like a guy who could hit 30 HR at some point in his career.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think the knock on Turang will always be that he doesn't hit for enough power....while he'll never be a 30HR MLBer,

 

I believe this was the consensus on Luis Urias coming up as well, and he definitely looks now like a guy who could hit 30 HR at some point in his career.

 

Sure, but Turang has 10 HR spread across about 1000 minor league at bats, while Urias hit 36 minor league home runs at equivalent ages, including 19HR in AAA as a 22 yr old in only 340 at bats. Granted, Urias' power explosion in AAA came at launching pad El Paso.

 

I have a hard time seeing Turang's power potential going from a 5-10HR MLB player to 30 in the next few years, especially because that 5-10HR amount is still projecting him to find more slugging than what he currently has. Because of his speed and defensive ability, Brice doesn't have to hit for huge power to be a very good MLB player, though.

[sveumrules]

Yeah, even if you sort the leaderboard by lowest ISO there are still some pretty valuable players there despite the paucity of power.

 

Nicky Lopez (9.3 BB% | 13.7 K% | .072 ISO) has put up 3.5 WAR on account of +8.2 BSR & +10.4 DEF to go with a 292/363/363 (103 wRC+) batting line.

 

Myles Straw (10.1 BB% | 19.3 K% | .080 ISO) has put up 2.9 WAR on account of +4.5 BSR & +8.6 DEF to go with a 267/342/347 (97 wRC+) batting line.

 

I feel like Turang has gotten the JP Crawford comp before with JP currently at 8.1 BB% | 17.5 K% | .092 ISO shaking out to 1.9 WAR with +5.7 DEF and a 263/327/355 (95 wRC+) batting line.

[MrTPlush]

I think the knock on Turang will always be that he doesn't hit for enough power....while he'll never be a 30HR MLBer,

 

I believe this was the consensus on Luis Urias coming up as well, and he definitely looks now like a guy who could hit 30 HR at some point in his career.

 

Sure, but Turang has 10 HR spread across about 1000 minor league at bats, while Urias hit 36 minor league home runs at equivalent ages, including 19HR in AAA as a 22 yr old in only 340 at bats. Granted, Urias' power explosion in AAA came at launching pad El Paso.

 

I have a hard time seeing Turang's power potential going from a 5-10HR MLB player to 30 in the next few years, especially because that 5-10HR amount is still projecting him to find more slugging than what he currently has. Because of his speed and defensive ability, Brice doesn't have to hit for huge power to be a very good MLB player, though.

 

Why are you comparing equivalent age instead of ABs or PAs? Luis Urias got to start at the age of 17 and didn't lose an entire year to COVID. Comparing them based on what they did through their 21 year old season is incredibly misleading. Even then your numbers are wrong. Urias hit 19 homers, by my count, through his age 21 season.

 

Turang has 10 HRs in 998 ABs (first three years of pro ball). Luis Urias had 9 HRs in 1,306 ABs (first four years of pro ball).

 

I don't expect Turang to really ever have power, but I didn't expect Urias to find so much this season either. His track record in the minors and his MLB time pointed at a very low HR output in the future. Of course I wouldn't be shocked if Urias never hits 18+ homers in a season again.