The Baseball Effect

Earlier today, the Milwaukee Brewers optioned top prospect, Keston Hiura, to triple-A. This, after he hit .281/.333/.531 with an .865 OPS in 64 at-bats. He hit five homeruns and stole one base in his (surprisingly short) first stint in the majors. Although, this is frustrating for those that already own Hiura, it is exactly the time to target him if you came up on the short end of that stick on May 14th.

The Brewers are claiming that the move is to support the structural integrity of the depth they feel they currently have. As of right now, Travis Shaw has earned the right to return to the 25-man roster. Now, I can respect an organization that is loyal to their veteran players but let’s take a look at what Shaw has done so far in 2019 and see how this will affect fantasy teams everywhere.

Shaw had a tough start to the season hitting under .194 in March and April and was only able to drop that to .163 before landing on the injured list in May. Maybe the injury played a role in the semi-unlucky start to the season, but a 32.5% strikeout rate says otherwise. In Shaw’s first 135 at-bats of 2019, he increased his strikeout rate by 11%. Not a good sign, right? But let’s not be too quick to forget the improvements Travis has made over the last two seasons. From 2017 to 2018, he increased his walk rate by over 3%, while decreasing his strikeout rate by over 3%. That is not something to just take out of the equation. Shaw also increased his already good hard-hit rate to 39.8% from 37.1%; his fourth straight year of improvement. It seems as though the Brewers believe in him after the rough start, so maybe we shouldn’t be too quick to write him off.

 Travis Shaw – Market View:

Because of the rough start, Travis Shaw is as cheap as they come. If he is able to hit .255 with a 30 HR pace the rest of season, he could completely change the layout of any team. Let’s not forget his multi-position eligibility. He is worth a chance if available in your league.

Unfortunately, because Shaw is back, someone else had to go. Just so happens it was Keston Kiura. Again, Hiura came up to the majors and more or less performed just as the Brewers had expected he would. With that said, he is still young and Milwaukee felt it was best to let him simmer a bit longer down in triple-A. One positive from this situation is that Hiura’s stock will most likely plummet over the next day or two. Soon after hearing of the demotion, over 6,000 teams on yahoo had already dropped him. This is the future second baseman for this team, and they even confirmed as much today. This won’t be the last time you see Hiura in 2019, and now is the time to target the future phenom.

Keston Hiura – Market View:

Hiura’s start to his big league career has been exceptional but when you take a closer look he may have had a little bit of luck on his side during his small sample size (69 PAs) in the majors. His current walk rate sits at a measly 4.3%, while his strikeout rate is at 33.3%. However, the Brewers did not bring Hiura up to walk, they brought him up to hit and he did just that. He now has the chance to also improve his plate discipline. So, even with a less than elite walk rate, Hiura has the potential to come back and make a big difference to any fantasy team at some point again this season. This may be the cheapest he will be for the rest of his career.

Target(s) Aquired

I know it doesn’t seem like the smartest idea to target two players that are essentially competing for the same job, but the real weakness in Milwaukee is 1B. Although, Eric Thames has had yet another resurgent start to a season, his past does not suggest that it will continue into September. Travis Shaw is already eligible at first base in a bunch of leagues out there, so why can’t Shaw slot in at first base while Hiura gets comfortable in his future home of second base. Maybe they should even be targeted together? Hiura’s hit tool along with Shaw’s power could make for a very interesting combination in any league and now is the time to have your sights on both of them.