Milwaukee Brewers

Brewers prospects play in minor-league All-Star games

Published Jun. 21, 2018 1:07 p.m. ET

Dave Heller

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 8th edition of the 2018 Young Brewers Tracker.

Corbin Burnes, SP (age 23/Triple-A)

Last week: 1 games (0 starts), 0-0, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Season: 14 games (13 starts), 3-4, 4.82 ERA, 71 IP, 72 H, 5 HR, 30 BB, 74 K, .267 OBA, 1.44 WHIP.

Notable: The Brewers have moved Burnes to the bullpen with an eye on him helping out the big club in 2018.

Lucas Erceg, 3B (Age 23/Double-A)

Last week: 3 games, 12 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 0 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 3 K, .250 BA.

Season: 65 games, 251 AB, .234 BA, .296 OBP, .343 SLG, .639 OPS, 10 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 26 R, 26 RBI, 1 SB, 21 BB, 41 K.

Notable: Erceg entered the Southern League All-Star break with a four-game hit streak and hits in nine of his last 10 games.

Keston Hiura, 2B (Age 21/Double-A)

Last week: 4 games, 15 AB, 6 H, 1 2B, 3 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 3 K, .400 BA.

Season (Double-A): 16 games, 60 AB, .383 BA, .431 OBP, .550 SLG, .961 OPS, 7 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 11 R, 3 RBI, 5 SB, 3 BB, 10 K.

Season (High-A): 50 games, 206 AB, .320 BA, .382 OBP, .529 SLG, .911 OPS, 16 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 38 R, 23 RBI, 4 SB, 14 BB, 47 K.

Notable: Hiura has played 14 games in the field at second base for Biloxi. He had played only 15 games at second for Carolina this season. In his last six starts, Hiura has had multi-hit games (he was hitless as a pinch hitter on June 16).

Jacob Nottingham, C (Age 23/Triple-A)

Last week: 5 games, 23 AB, 7 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 9 BB, 7 K, .304 BA.

Season: 34 games, 125 AB, .304 BA, .370 OBP, .528 SLG, .896 OPS, 9 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 25 R, 20 RBI, 2 SB, 9 BB, 43 K.

Notable: Nottingham had three multi-hit games last week. He went 3 for 5 with a double and triple on June 15 vs. Las Vegas then put up back-to-back two-hit games at home against Salt Lake on June 17-18. Nottingham's two triples this season already ties his career high.

Luis Ortiz, SP (age 22/Double-A)

Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-0, 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K

Season: 8 games (4 starts), 1-2, 2 SV, 2.84 ERA, 38 IP, 31 H, 3 HR, 13 BB, 45 K, .216 OBA, 1.16 WHIP.

Notable: For his sixth straight outing Ortiz pitched no more than four innings. However, this time in his start at Jacksonville he threw 85 pitches, his most since April 22 -- his last appearance before going on the disabled list.

Brett Phillips, OF (Age 24/Triple-A)

Last week: 5 games, 19 AB, 4 H, 1 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 4 BB, 4 K, .211 BA.

Season: 51 games, 181 AB, .249 BA, .347 OBP, .409 SLG, .756 OPS, 7 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 28 R, 18 RBI, 8 SB, 28 BB, 67 K.

Notable: Despite his low batting average for the week, Phillips had a hit in four of his five games -- but he had just one hit in each. He's had at least one hit in seven of his last eight games.

Corey Ray, OF (age 23/Double-A)

Last week: 3 games, 14 AB, 3 H, 0 R, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 31BB, 8 K, .214 BA.

Season: 68 games, 274 AB, .252 BA, .347 OBP, .449 SLG, .796 OPS, 19 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 41 R, 30 RBI, 18 SB, 37 BB, 83 K.

Notable: At the Southern League All-Star Game, Ray led off for the Southern Division team and went 2 for 5 with a double, two runs and two strikeouts.

Others: They aren't prospects, but two players looking to get back in the majors: C Jett Bandy was 6 for 16 (.375) last week with four walks (.500 OBP), three double and a home run, while IF Brad Miller was 5 for 19 (.263) with a homer at Triple-A Colorado Springs. … Sky Sox OF Tyrone Taylor (2nd round, 2012) hit .348/.400/.826 with three homers and seven RBI. … Colorado Spring UT Nate Orf slashed .429/.538/1.000 with three home runs, two steals, nine runs and seven RBI. … … Other Biloxi players at the Southern League All-Star Game: RHP Zack Brown (1 H), SS Jake Hager (1-for-5), RHP Nate Griep (1 IP), RHP Thomas Jankins (1 IP, 1 H), RHP Jon Olczak (.2 IP, 2 H), OF Troy Stokes Jr. (0-2) and LHP Quintin Torres-Costa (W, 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K). … Brown (5th round, 2016) nearly threw a no-hitter last week, losing it in the ninth and having to settle for a complete-game 1-hitter with no walks and eight strikeouts. … Carolina players at the Carolina League All-Star Game: RHP Marcos Diplan (1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K), C Max McDowell (1-2, run), 2b Tucker Niehaus (0-4) and LHP Cameron Roegner (1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB). … Wisconsin players at the Midwest League All-Star Game: RHP Dylan File (.2 IP, 1 K), C Payton Henry (1-10 and OF Demi Orimoloye (1-2). … Helena opened its season. Some first-week standouts included OF Leugim Castillo (17th round, 2017), 7 for 16 (.436), RHP Max Lazar (11th round, 2017), who allowed one hit and one walk in six scoreless innings, and 3B Chad McClanahan (11th round, 2016) at .368/.476/.737.

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