2018 Brew Crew Ball community top prospects in review: Keston Hiura

We’re continuing our look back at the Brew Crew Ball community top Milwaukee Brewers prospects. Next up is likely #1 in 2019, Keston Hiura.

Keston Hiura, 2B

A + Carolina Mudcats: 228 PA, .320/.382/.529, 7 HR, 4 SB
AA Biloxi Shuckers: 307 PA, .272/.339/.416, 6 HR, 11 SB

The Brew Crew Ball community made Hiura #3 on the list. While he was #3 on our list, he was #1 on almost every other ranking and a consensus top-100 prospect.

Hiura proved to meet and exceed all expectations during the 2018 season. The second baseman started with the Mudcats, where he hit for a 156 wRC+. The only challenge came at getting Hiura healthy enough to take the field. During the preseason, Hiura’s elbow injury flared up and he went on a rehab program. He started the season as a DH before being worked back into the field.

Once Keston was ready to man second regularly, he was sent to Biloxi. There, Hiura slashed .326/.380/.511 in his first 24 games. After that, he injured his hand and played through the injury but struggled compared to his previous production. In the next 49 games, he slashed .246/.319/.369, likely due in part to that hand injury.

In the field, Hiura had nine errors over 557.2 innings, good for a .964 fielding percentage. That’s anything but spectacular but Hiura’s did become more reliable as he knocked the rust off. This was some of his first significant time in the field in roughly three years.

If the Brewers’ top prospect continues raking in San Antonio, it’s hard to imagine him spending much more time in the minors. He could help solve some of the Milwaukee Nine’s issues against left handers over the season, while being a reliable presence at second.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs