Milwaukee Brewers Prospects: Checking in on Lucas Erceg

The Milwaukee Brewers have a solid hitting prospect in third baseman Lucas Erceg. He has moved up the ranks over the last few years and is currently playing in Double A Biloxi.

Currently, Lucas Erceg is the third best prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization according to MLB Pipeline. He is also in the top ten prospects at the third base position. The 23 year old has a 70 grade arm that helps on defense, and above average power on offense.

Last season, Erceg hit .256 with Carolina, adding 15 homers to his line. At the end of the year, he was called up to Colorado Springs, where he accumulated four hits in ten at bats. For this season, he split the difference to wind up in Biloxi.

The 2018 Season

His numbers this season do not exactly jump off the page, with a batting average in the low .200s, and a wRC+ of 74. That being said Erceg’s strikeout rate is down by about five percent and his walk rate is up slightly.

It looks like Erceg is on the rise in his last few games. He is hitting .342 over his last ten games, and recently broke a 20 game streak without a home run. This could just be a hot streak, or it could be the young prospect coming out of his shell.

The Future For Erceg

MLB Pipeline lists his ETA as 2019. So it is likely we will not see him this season. Though, if he can catch fire there is no reason he will not see Colorado Springs again this year. If he can prove that he can hit the ball well over the next couple of years, the Milwaukee Brewers will have a decision to make.

Travis Shaw is approaching his first year of arbitration after this season, so he will be around for awhile longer. Once Erceg is developed and ready, Shaw may slide over to first or be traded. It depends on how the organization sees Erceg.

Trade Deadline 2018

With the way things are going, it would not be crazy to think the Brewers use Erceg as trade bait to get a starter. If they are competing for the division, David Stearns will do what he thinks he needs to in order to push the team into the postseason, while also preserving the future. Regardless, it is a great time to be the Milwaukee Brewers.

Next: Leading the NL Central because of depth

Whatever direction they decide to go, the development of Erceg should be fun to watch. He is a talented player, and it looks like he is turning a corner for Biloxi. There are a few years left until a real decision has to be made, but I would not be surprised to see Erceg traded. Though I truly hope that does not happen.