Milwaukee Brewers: 4 hitters who could break out in 2019

Tristen Lutz

Top prospect Corey Ray broke out in 2018, but 2019 could be the year of Tristen Lutz.

Lutz is currently rated as a top-three prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers system by just about every online scouting service. However, he needs to put together a true break out season to strap a rocket to his career.

Lutz spent all of 2018 in Low-A and posted a .245/.321/.421 slash line in 119 games. He blasted 13 homers, stole nine bases, and flashed plus tools in just about every facet of his game.

He’s rated with 70-grade raw power, but it needs to start showing up more often in games. He also needs to further develop his plate discipline. He did manage a 9.1% walk-rate in 2018, but it also came with a 27.6% strikeout rate. Lutz needs to see the walk rate stay up around nine-percent or higher, and start to cut down on the strikeouts.

Lutz will likely start the 2019 season in High-A with the Carolina Mudcats. He’ll probably stay there for the entire season even if he absolutely slays High-A pitching. Lutz won’t turn 21 years old until late August. He has plenty of time to develop, and the early returns are very positive for a guy who went from High School to professional baseball. However, a true break out in High-A would show that the work he’s put in to date is starting to pay off, and that he has a future in the Majors.

Players like Trent Grisham, Je’Von Ward, and Tyrone Taylor probably need a break out more than Lutz does, but Lutz is more likely to see a spike in production as he develops. A solid season in High-A would see Lutz start to creep into the top-100 lists, and the hype train would really start rolling.