Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospects List: #2 SS Brice Turang

With Spring Training underway, we’re wrapping up our Top 15 Milwaukee Brewers Prospects list. We’ve reached the number two spot on the list.

Coming in as the Milwaukee Brewers second best prospect is their 2018 first round draft pick, shortstop Brice Turang.

He’s the top rated shortstop in this Brewers farm system, and the second best hitting prospect they have. With Turang in the fold, the Brewers have continued their run of four straight first round selections being spent on a hitting prospect.

#2. SS Brice Turang

Turang, 19, was selected out of Santiago HS in California. The Brewers signed him for $3.4 million and kept him from his college commitment to LSU.

In the early lead up to the draft, Turang was being talked about as a potential first overall pick in the draft. The Brewers got him with the 21st overall selection. His draft slide was mostly attributed to scouts knowing about how good he was and watching him for so many years, that they kind of got used to seeing him and he didn’t wow them as much. It was a rather odd reason to slide, but the Brewers will reap the benefits.

Turang doesn’t have a true carrying tool, but he’s above-average in four of his five tools. The only tool he’s subpar at is home run power. But some scouts do believe that some more power will come as he physically matures and gets stronger. He’s never going to be a power hitting shortstop, but he’ll hit for a high average.

His speed is graded as his best tool, with a 60-grade on it. He’d make a solid leadoff hitter in the future with his strong hit tool and his great wheels helping him steal bases.

Also, Turang is a good defender at shortstop and has a solid chance to stick at the position in the big leagues.

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Last year in Rookie ball after being drafted, Turang hit .283/.396/.352 with six doubles, one home run, 31 walks, 34 strikeouts, and 14 stolen bases. Seeing a fairly even number of walks and strikeouts is a very positive sign for Turang’s future.

He doesn’t have much power, as evidenced by only one home run in 42 games. But by the time he reaches Miller Park, he’ll have some added strength and hopefully some added power. Turang is also a left-handed hitter, which should benefit him when he reaches Milwaukee.

When Will We See Turang In Milwaukee?

Not for a while. Turang was just drafted out of high school last year and is just 19 years old. He’s not a polished hitter yet.

Turang will likely start 2019 with the Low-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Barring pure domination, he’s likely to spend the entire season with the T-Rats. Turang is not necessarily on the fast track to the big leagues. As a prep draftee, Turang is going to need some time to develop.

Assuming a standard one-level-per-year promotion plan, Turang will reach High-A next year, Double-A in 2021, and Triple-A in 2022. Really once a player reaches Double-A, they’re an injury or a phone call away from the big leagues.

But I wouldn’t expect to see Turang in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform until 2022. He’ll be just 22 years old then and still with a bright future ahead of him at that point.

Perhaps if Turang rakes at the plate this year and next year, he could get himself fast tracked to Milwaukee. Anything can happen down there in the minor leagues. But he should be a key piece in the plan to extend the Brewers championship window beyond its current endpoint around the 2022 season.

Stay tuned for the article covering the Milwaukee Brewers top overall prospect in our list. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise to most.