Is Keston Hiura Ready for His Dramatic Comeback? Part II

With a player and team who have been through as much together as the Brewers and Keston Hiura have, there are bound to be complications when considering giving things another try. In his case, there are two distinct questions to ask: What boxes does he still need to check in order to earn another chance, and what other move would open a place for him on both the 26- and 40-man rosters?

Reasons for Caution

Hiura produced an OPS of 1.181 last season in Nashville, across an admittedly small sample of 59 plate appearances. There, his strikeout rate was a viable 25.4 percent. Yet, he couldn’t translate that success to the majors. Part of this is down to the inconsistency of jumping around, not finding regular playing time, as well as what’s very likely a slight mental block at this stage.
As such, the last thing you want to do with a promising bat in what is likely a last chance would be to bring him up and not use him, or react adversely to small sample results. Hiura needs to feel the confidence within the club, and confidence within himself having made this journey several times before.

There is one other statistic that stands out, though again, a small sample. In late innings of close games, Hiura has 12 at bats, with just two hits and six strikeouts, implying that he perhaps needs to show his improvements off under pressure a little more before he can cope with the demands of playing in the midst of a big-league pennant race again. He has an .868 OPS with runners in scoring position and two outs–again, slightly below his current production, and something to keep an eye on as the season progresses. The more confidence he develops in himself and his approach, the more these stats will increase.

How Does He Fit?

DFA Jesse Winker

Winker is currently occupying the DH slot for the Brewers, predominantly against right-handers, with William Contreras or others splitting the role when facing left-handed pitchers. He is expected to get some limited time in the outfield, and has shown good plate discipline but a total lack of power in the batter’s box. The Brewers are likely to give him a little more time to turn things around and regain the power stroke that made him such a fearsome hitter in Cincinnati, which would allow Hiura more time in the minors to solidify his base, increase the level of comfort in his approach, and make sure that he’s fully ready when he does come up again. As Matt Trueblood said though, time may be running short for Winker.

Hiura can fulfill all the roles Jesse Winker currently performs and more, given just how awful Winker is in the outfield grass. He would get regular playing time in this position on the roster, mostly against right-handers but occasionally against left-handed pitching, giving him a real chance to thrive. One thing most people agree on is that Hiura needs regular playing time and opportunities.

DFA Luke Voit

This roster decision seems like it may be coming sooner rather than later, with Voit scuffling horribly against left-handed pitching, and showing a serious lack of power. He has made some very agile plays at first base, but in reality, his bat hasn’t performed quite the way the Brewers would have hoped, and he could be traded or cut by the end of the month.

This may come a little too quickly for Hiura, as well as resigning him to far fewer plate appearances, and solely against left-handers (when they sit Rowdy Tellez). Tellez is struggling significantly in his few at-bats off southpaws so far, so the Brewers need someone who can hit left-handers, but to throw this burden on Hiura after last season may be a touch presumptuous, particularly if you want long-term success from him.

DFA Mike Brosseau

As is the case with Voit, Brosseau is in the lineup to hit lefties, but his inability to field balls makes him a liability at both first and third base, resulting in him playing as the DH against left-handed starters and getting just five at-bats in May so far. Again, Hiura shouldn’t be brought up in this case (he needs regular playing time), but Brosseau’s time in Milwaukee may be coming to an end in the short term. The most likely point of time is when Luis Urias returns from the 60-day injured list at the end of the month, making it even less likely that Hiura will be taking his place on the 40-man roster.

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Hiura provides a power bat that can carry an offense and punish pitchers in a way the Brewers aren’t managing to do consistently. If they want someone as an everyday DH, that hitter needs to be a serious slugger, posting an OPS of .800 or more, and they’re just not getting that level of production at the moment. It seems a matter of time before Hiura makes the big-league roster again, and when he does, prepare for fireworks.