Brewers prospect Dubon racking up the hits in Triple-A
The Milwaukee Brewers have positioned themselves as a World Series contender, 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 2019 Young Brewers Tracker.
Zack Brown, SP (age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 1-0, 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Season: 14 games (14 starts), 2-4, 5.22 ERA, 70.2 IP, 80 H, 8 HR, 40 BB, 52 K, .287 OBA, 1.70 WHIP.
Notable: Brown threw 97 pitches in his last start on June 17 vs. Reno. It marked his fourth straight start with 92+ pitches.
Mauricio Dubon, 2B/SS (Age 24/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 31 AB, 14 H, 4 2B, 2 HR, 5 R, 9 RBI, 1 SB, 0 BB, 5 K, .452 BA
Season: 67 games, 272 AB, .309 BA, .345 OBP, .474 SLG, .819 OPS, 15 2B, 0 3B, 10 HR, 36 R, 36 RBI, 6 SB, 11 BB, 39 K.
Notable: Dubon is on a 10-game hitting streak, but even more impressive is that from June 13-17 he had five straight multi-hit games, including three consecutive three-hit games. Dubon had an extra-base hit in four of his six games last week, including a double and a home run on June 13 and June 17. So far in 16 June games, Dubon is slashing .373/.379/.627 with four homers, 12 runs and 14 RBI. His 10 home runs this year is already a career high.
Keston Hiura, 2B (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 26 AB, 6 H, 3 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 3 BB, 7 K, .231 BA
Season (Triple-A): 50 games, 184 AB, .315 BA, .392 OBP, .663 SLG, 1.055 OPS, 14 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 37 R, 39 RBI, 7 SB, 20 BB, 53 K.
Notable: Hiura hit two home runs and drove in five runs on June 13 then had two hits and another homer the next day. On June 18, Hiura was 1-for-3 with two talks and three runs. Hiura is third in the Pacific Coast League in slugging percentage, but the two ahead of him are both currently in the majors (Arizona’s Kevin Cron and Houston’s Yordan Alvarez).
Tristan Lutz, OF (age 20/High-A)
Last week: 4 games, 14 AB, 1 H, 1 2B, 0 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 2 BB, 4 K, .071 BA
Season:
60 games, 227 AB, .242 BA, .324 OBP, .423 SLG, .747 OPS, 15 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 38 R, 29 RBI, 2 SB, 24 BB, 77 K.
Notable: Tough week for Lutz, who only had one hit. But it was a three-run double in the eighth inning vs. Winston-Salem on June 15 which propelled Carolina to a 4-2 win.
Trey Supak, SP (age 23/Double-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-0, 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Season: 14 games (14 starts), 8-2, 1.91 ERA, 85IP, 55 H, 2 HR, 17 BB, 59 K, .186 OBA, 0.85 WHIP.
Notable: For the seventh time this season – and third in his last four starts, Supak allowed two or fewer hits, this time one hit over five innings at Jacksonville on June 14. He’s also given up one or no runs in five of his last six outings. Supak started the Southern League All-Star Game and took the loss, giving up one run on a hit and a walk in one inning.
Brice Turang, SS (age 19/Low-A)
Last week: 4 games, 11 AB, 1 H, 2 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 4 BB, 0 K, .091 BA
Season: 65 games, 241 AB, .295 BA, .399 OBP, .369 SLG, .769 OPS, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 42 R, 26 RBI, 15 SB, 43 BB, 45 K.
Notable: Turang started in the Midwest League All-Star Game and led off, going 1-for-2 before being subbed out.
Other notes: San Antonio C Jacob Nottingham went 7-for-19 last week with a double, home run and six RBI. … Biloxi RHP Bowden Francis (7th round, 2017) pitched seven shutout innings at Jacksonville on June16, walking none and striking out 10. He whiffed 12 in his previous start. … At the Southern League All-Star Game, OF Trent Grisham (1st round, 2015) started and batted second. He went 0-for-2 with a walk, stolen base and run before being subbed out. Shuckers 3B Weston Wilson (17th round, 2016) started and batted eighth, going 0-for-3. SS Luis Aviles Jr. (30th round, 2013) started and batted ninth, finishing 1-for-3. OF Dillon Thomas pinch hit and was 0-for-1. RHP Johan Belisario pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out one. RHP Luke Barker faced two batters, allowing a hit but striking out the other. RHP Nate Griep (8th round, 2015) went 2/3 of an inning, giving up a hit. … RHP Aaron Ashby (4th round, 2018) was promoted to Carolina and in his High-A debut allowed one hit and no walks with eight strikeouts in seven scoreless innings. … Mudcats RHP Clayton Andrews has been playing some center field this season (seven games) and on June 16 he went 3-for-5 with his first career RBI. Overall he’s 7-for-23 (.304) with no extra-base hits a walk and two whiffs. … At the Carolina League All-Star Game, Mudcats C Mario Feliciano (comp. Rd. B, 2016) started at DH (and also caught). Batting third, he went 1-for-4 with a run and walk. Carolina C Payton Henry (6th round, 2016) started an batted ninth, going 1-for-2 with two RBI before being subbed out. RHP Noah Zavolas (acquired in Domingo Santana deal) pitched a scoreless inning, allowing two hits and a walk. RHP Rodrigo Benoit allowed one run on three hits in 1 1/3 innings, fanning three. RHHP Matt Hardy is listed in the box score, but did not throw a pitch. … At the Midwest League All-Star Game, C David Fry (7th round, 2018) started and batted fifth, going 0-for-2 before being subbed out. OF Jesus Lujano subbed in and went 0-for-2. RHP Logan Gillaspie struck out both hitters he faced. RHP Adam Hill (acquired in Keon Broxton trade) faced two batters, recording an out and walking the other. … Among Milwaukee’s 2019 draftees starting their pro careers with the Brewers Gold of the Arizona Rookie League this week was 15th-rounder SS Cam Devanney (3-for-8, 2 runs, RBI, 2 SB) and 29th-rounder 2B Jackie Urbaez (3-for-6, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 3 BB).
Statistics courtesy milb.com and baseball-reference.com
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