Milwaukee Brewers 2018 minor league awards
The Milwaukee Brewers finished one game away from the World Series in 2018. Could their minor league system help them take the next step in 2019?
As part of our continuing coverage at Call to the Pen of the minor leagues, we will be covering each organization’s top players for 2018. The coverage will go in reverse order of record. Today, we will look at the Milwaukee Brewers.
We are going to review the system’s leaders for each organization statistically, then choose one hitter and one pitcher to honor for every team. This will be primarily based on statistical performance, though some “age relative to level” could come into play, so a very impressive season from a 28-year-old in AA will rank below a nearly as impressive season from a 20-year-old at the same level.
After we review each organization’s hitter and pitcher of the year, we will close out October with Call To The Pen’s Minor League team of the year. That will lead into November starting our team top 10 prospect lists. In other words, there will be plenty of minor league content on the way at CTTP, so keep coming back for more each day this offseason!!
Milwaukee Brewers minor leagues
After an offseason with a number of big moves, the Milwaukee Brewers made it all the way to the NLCS, finishing one game away from the World Series. Though they traded away much of their vaunted farm system coming into the 2017-2018 offseason to make that work.
With a lessened farm system, will they have the pieces necessary to make a long playoff run again in 2019?
Before we offer up awards on the season, let’s take a look at the system’s statistical leaders:
Organization Leaders (min. 150 PA, 50 IP)
BA: Eddie Silva .335
OBP: Ji-Man Choi .436
SLG: David Fry .550
OPS: David Fry .950
R: Corey Ray 86
H: Keston Hiura 142
2B: Keston Hiura 34
3B: Three with 9
HR: Corey Ray 27
RBI: Tyrone Taylor 80
SB: Corey Ray 37
TB: Corey Ray 254
W: Nick Ramirez 11
G: Tristan Archer 52
GS: Nelson Hernandez 28
IP: Christian Taugner 149 1/3
SV: Nate Griep 34
K: Braden Webb 128
ERA: Quintin Torres-Costa 1.31
WHIP: Quintin Torres-Costa 0.95
K/9: Miguel Sanchez 13.3
K/BB: Michael Brady 5.11
Let’s look at the award winners…
Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Hitter of the Year: Corey Ray
Level(s): AA Biloxi
Stats: .239/.323/.477, 135 G, 600 PA, 32 2B, 7 3B, 27 HR, 37 SB, 60/176 BB/K
After struggling at multiple levels, Corey Ray finally was able to show his power and speed both in 2018. The #5 overall pick in 2016, Ray came into pro ball with concerns about his contact and swing and miss, and those still exist.
He was able to maximize his power and utilize his speed at AA, and he’s getting close to the major leagues, but he will need to shorten up his swing to have success with the Milwaukee Brewers in the future.
Runners-up
Considered the best pure hitter in the 2017 draft, the Milwaukee Brewers drafted Keston Hiura in spite of recovery from Tommy John surgery that would leave his defensive position in question until his first full season. That was 2018, and he split his time between DH and second base as he worked between high-A and AA, hitting .293/.357/.464 with 34 doubles, 5 triples, 13 home runs, and 15 steals. He still has work to do in controlling the strike zone, but that may be his last thing to conquer at the plate before being ready to tackle the majors.
Grabbed off of waivers in the offseason, Dylan Moore was a revelation for the Milwaukee Brewers this season between AA and AAA, hitting .299/.363/.522 with 31 doubles, 9 triples, 14 home runs, and 23 stolen bases. Moore does not strike out a ton, but he does not have the defensive chops at any one position in the infield to take over one long-term. He could have a future off the bench as a utility guy, however.
A 28-year-old minor league veteran, Nate Orf earned his major league debut this season by playing around the infield and even playing corner outfield while handling the bat well. He hit .298/.397/.426 with 27 doubles, 6 home runs, and 22 steals for AAA Colorado Springs. He struggled in the majors, hitting under .100, but he did get his major league shot.
Originally a 4th round selection out of high school in 2014 by the Milwaukee Brewers, Troy Stokes has worked his way up the farm system one step at a time. His 2018 season was spent with AA Biloxi, and while his contact rate wasn’t great, he was able to exhibit his power and speed, hitting .233/.343/.430 with 23 doubles, 6 triples, 19 home runs, and 19 steals.