Call to the pen
Fansided

Milwaukee Brewers: Cultivating the League’s Next Great Infield Duo

By Paul Willems

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: The Brewers logo on a jersey of a player during a MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 13, 2019 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 13: The Brewers logo on a jersey of a player during a MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 13, 2019 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Milwaukee Brewers, Keston Hiura
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

A Thought on Keston Hiura

Hiura dominated the high school ranks before moving on to the University of California-Irvine, where he continued his stellar play in each of his three college seasons, culminating in a junior season which saw him hit .442 with 24 doubles, 8 home runs and driving in 42 runs.

Formerly undrafted out of high school, the Milwaukee Brewers took Hiura, seen by some as the best pure hitter in the draft, with the 9th pick in the 2017 draft. He then proceeded to impress throughout his ascent through the team’s minor league ranks, highlighted by stints in A-Advanced Carolina (.320/7 HR/23 RBI in 50 games in 2018) and AAA San Antonio (.345/12 HR/29 RBI in 40 games in 2019) prior to his aforementioned call-up on May 14 of this year.

He made a name for himself in his new home quickly, recording two hits in his first appearance playing at Philadelphia. While he would follow that performance up with two 0/4 games as well as an 0/5 over his next four outings, there was still plenty to be excited about for Brewers fans, seeing his raw talent with the bat.

He would hit his first home run in the final game of his first Major League road trip, against fellow National League contender Atlanta. A rocket off the bat that managed to find its way over the fence, it landed right in the friendly confines of the Brewers’ bullpen, making it an easy souvenir for Hiura to get back.

Gathering two hits in his home debut in Milwaukee and his first home run there the next day, it was on the following road trip that Hiura began to truly show what he was made of. Over the course of five of his final six games in Milwaukee (for now), Hiura would hit three home runs while driving in seven runs and hitting at a .381 rate along with a stellar .435 on-base percentage. While he would end up being sent down for Travis Shaw upon his return, Hiura showed that he has what it takes to stay around Milwaukee for many years to come.

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