The Milwaukee Brewers' retooling happened quicker than expected, 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 5th edition of the 2018 Young Brewers Tracker.
Corbin Burnes, SP (age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-1, 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Season: 10 games (10 starts), 1-3, 4.96 ERA, 52.2 IP, 56 H, 5 HR, 20 BB, 53 K, .269 OBA, 1.44 WHIP.
Notable: Burnes had one rough inning against Memphis in his lone start last week. With two out in the third, he allowed five hits and a walk to account for all four runs he gave up in the game.
Lucas Erceg, 3B (Age 23/Double-A)
Last week: 6 games, 22 AB, 7 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 2 K, .318 BA.
Season: 48 games, 184 AB, .223 BA, .289 OBP, .326 SLG, .615 OPS, 7 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 18 R, 17 RBI, 1 SB, 16 BB, 28 K.
Notable: Erceg had a hit in four of his last five games, including three two-hit games. On Wednesday he hit his first home run since May 9, ending a 17-game drought.
Keston Hiura, 2B (Age 21/High-A)
Last week: 6 games, 26 AB, 11 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 R, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 1 BB, 5 K, .423 BA.
Season: 49 games, 201 AB, .303 BA, .368 OBP, .488 SLG, .855 OPS, 16 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 35 R, 21 RBI, 4 SB, 14 BB, 47 K.
Notable: Hiura had a hit in all six games for Carolina last week including three multi-hit games. Hiura was batting .264 on May 10. In the 18 games since, he's 27 of 72 (.375) with a .464 on-base percentage and .583 slugging percentage. He has nine-multi hit games in that span. Hiura has played 15 games at second base this season and has yet to commit an error.
Jacob Nottingham, C (Age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: Did not play
Season: 22 games, 79 AB, .354 BA, .427 OBP, .658 SLG, 1.085 OPS, 7 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 20 R, 17 RBI, 1 SB, 6 BB, 24 K.
Notable: Nottingham remains on the disabled list, where he was placed May 7, due to an intercostal strain.
Luis Ortiz, SP (age 22/Double-A)
Last week: 2 games (1 start), 0-1, 1 SV, 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Season: 6 games (3 starts), 1-2, 1 SV, 3.46 ERA, 26 IP, 25 H, 3 HR, 9 BB, 27 K, .253 OBA, 1.31 WHIP.
Notable: Ortiz returned from nearly a month on the disabled list with a hamstring injury and was pounded for five runs on five hits and two walks in just 1 2/3 innings at Mobile on May 24. However, he rebounded with a three innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits while whiffing four, on May 30 at home vs. Mississippi to earn his first save since 2014 (and just the third of his career).
Freddy Peralta, SP (age 21/Triple-A)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 1-0, 9 IP, 7 H, 3 R (2 ER), 6 BB, 13 K
Season: 9 games (9 starts), 6-1, 3.30 ERA, 43.2 IP, 37 H, 1 HR, 23 BB, 59 K, .227 OBA, 1.37 WHIP.
Notable: After making to starts with Milwaukee, Peralta returned to Colorado Springs' rotation and pitched five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts at Nashville on May 24. On Wednesday, he lasted just four innings at home vs. Iowa, giving up four runs (two earned) in four innings, but with five strikeouts.
Brett Phillips, OF (Age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: 7 games, 24 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB, 3 BB, 11 K, .208 BA.
Season: 36 games, 121 AB, .264 BA, .379 OBP, .413 SLG, .793 OPS, 6 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 21 R, 10 RBI, 6 SB, 22 BB, 48 K.
Notable: While Phillips had a rough week, he went 2 for 4 on Wednesday, scoring three times and hitting his second home run of the season. Phillips has an ignominious streak going, having struck out in 16 straight games, which includes 10 multiple K games.
Corey Ray, OF (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: 6 games, 24 AB, 7 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 5 BB, 8 K, .292 BA.
Season: 51 games, 207 AB, .266 BA, .353 OBP, .493 SLG, .846 OPS, 15 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 35 R, 23 RBI, 12 SB, 26 BB, 54 K.
Notable: Ray went 2 for 4 with two steals at Mobile on May 25 and 3 for 4 with a home run on May 30. In 26 games in May, he's slugging .570 and has a .395 on-base percentage.
Others: Colorado 2B Dylan Moore, who was signed as a minor-league free agent in the offseason, hit his first two home runs as a member of the Sky Sox. In 16 games with Colorado he's batting .321/.356/.536. … Colorado C Christian Bethancourt hit .316 with a home run and six RBI in five games last week and now has a slash line of .327/.363/.467 with five home runs. He's also throwing out 38 percent of attempted basestealers. … Biloxi OF Troy Stokes Jr. (4th round, 2014) hit three triples last week (as well as a double and homer). He had hit just one previously this season. … Shuckers 1B Jake Gatewood (1st round comp., 2014) .308/.385/.870 last week with four home runs and eight RBI. He is now tied for the Southern League lead in homers with 10 and third in RBI with 34. Gatewood also was named Southern League Player of the Week on May 29. … Carolina OF Weston Wilson (17th round, 2016) hit .346 with four doubles, two homers, five runs and seven RBI in six games. … Mudcats RHP Braden Webb (3rd round, 2016) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out nine. … Wisconsin OF Zach Clark (19th round, 2016) hit .364/.440/.646 over six games. … RHP Trey Supak was promoted from Single-A Carolina to Double-A Biloxi. He made his Shuckers debut May 27 (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 B, 4 K).
Statistics courtesy milb.com and STATS
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
