Keston Hiura Stats & Scouting Report College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Scouting Report: Hiura has a compact, powerful stroke with tremendous bat speed and the hand-eye coordination to barrel pitches consistently. With so few moving parts in his swing, he should be able to avoid long droughts. Though not a power hitter per se, he has explosive hands and enough pop to project to be above-average

Track Record: The Brewers considered Hiura the top college hitter in the 2017 draft and did not hesitate to take him with the ninth overall pick, despite a problematic elbow that relegated him to DH as a junior at UC Irvine. He signed for a below-slot $4 million and was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona League to undergo a throwing program. The Brewers' confidence in Hiura's offensive ability has already been rewarded. He soared from high Class A to Double-A in his first full season and earned a Futures Game selection in 2018. Hiura's elbow also held up and allowed him to play second base regularly starting in June, easing fears that he might need Tommy John surgery. To work further on his defense, he was assigned to the Arizona Fall League, where he continued to open eyes with his offensive prowess. Including an impressive stint at big league camp in 2018, Hiura has exuded confidence in his ability to hit, and it's easy to see why. The Brewers have not had a hitter with this kind of upside since Ryan Braun, the fifth overall pick in 2005.

Scouting Report: Hiura has a compact, powerful stroke with tremendous bat speed and the hand-eye coordination to barrel pitches consistently. With so few moving parts in his swing, he should be able to avoid long droughts. Though not a power hitter per se, he has explosive hands and enough pop to project to be above-average in that department, with an approach of hitting to all fields. Hiura projects to hit for a high average with good power for the position. Though not a threat to steal bases, he is an average runner and shows good instincts and awareness on the basepaths and has shown the ability to take a bag when opponents aren't paying attention. Hiura merely will have to hold his own in the field, where he has shown improvement since turning pro, with decent footwork and range. His calling card is his bat, and it's a good one.

The Future: It's up to the Brewers to decide whether to push Hiura to Triple-A to begin 2019, or with an in-season promotion. One thing is certain: Hiura will be the Brewers' starting second baseman and middle-of-the-order hitter sometime in the near future. Teams already have tried to pry Hiura away in trade proposals, but the Brewers have no intention of trading a young hitter with this kind of potential.

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