Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospects List: #4 3B Lucas Erceg

It’s that time of year for everyone to re-do their organization’s top prospects list. Here at Reviewing the Brew, we’re going to rank our top 15 Milwaukee Brewers prospects.

We’re nearing the end of our list. Next up on our Milwaukee Brewers Top 15 Prospects list is 3rd baseman Lucas Erceg, who comes in at the No. 4 spot.

Erceg, the Brewers 2nd Round pick in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft will join the major league club at Spring Training this offseason as a non-roster invitee.

#4. 3B Lucas Erceg

After being selected in the 2016 draft, Erceg erupted on the scene with a .327/.376/.518 slash in 68 games with Helena and Wisconsin. In 2017 he spent the entire season in High-A Carolina, hitting .256/.307/.417 in 127 games. He had 15 home runs, 81 RBIs and 33 doubles while collecting a team high 127 hits. Erceg was promoted up to Triple A in September and played in three games, going 4-10 with two doubles in just 10 at-bats.

At the end of the 2017 season, Erceg was invited to come to the Arizona Fall League, where in 14 games he hit .250/.278/.404 with three doubles, a triple and a home run.

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Erceg, just 23, spent all of 2018 in Double A Biloxi, alongside a number of other highly regarded prospects in the Brewers farm system. He hit .248/.306/.382 in 508 plate appearances. Erceg also hit 13 home runs and drove in 51 runs. Erceg also did well drawing walks, collecting a career high 37, while also reducing his strikeouts from 96 in 2017 to 82 in 2018.

Erceg’s defense has never been a question. He has a 92.5% fielding percentage in 718 chances, with only 54 total errors in his career. Erceg also has a cannon for an arm, which has earned a 70-grade, that’s his highest tool.

His numbers however are just not yet where they need to be for an everyday 3rd baseman at the major league level. The good news though, Lucas is just 23 years old, not turning 24 until May. He has some time to get his power stroke back and become more consistent at the plate.

When could we see Erceg in Milwaukee?

Erceg is blocked at 3rd base currently by Travis Shaw, who has two more years of arbitration before free agency. Currently the Brewers are not working on a long-term deal with Shaw, although that could change between now and when he is closer to free agency. That could play a lot into what Erceg’s future with the club could be, as written earlier this off-season.

Barring an injury or poor play this spring, Erceg is projected to be on the Triple A roster with the San Antonio Missions and he will most likely spend all of 2019 in San Antonio. But he’ll be ready to compete for a major league job in 2020.

If both Erceg and Shaw stay in the organization, someone is going to have to move off their natural position. Erceg is going to be here soon.