Brewers: Is It Time For Keston Hiura To Return to the Majors?

On May 3rd 2021 the Milwaukee Brewers optioned a struggling Keston Hiura to the minor leagues.  After taking some time away from the game, he made his debut with the Nashville Sounds on May 13th and has been on a tear ever since.

In nine minor league games played, Hiura has a .438 batting average, .526 on base percentage, and .906 slugging percentage. Of his 14 hits, six of them have been doubles and three of them home runs. It is hard not to take notice in what he is currently doing offensively.

Prior to being optioned by the Brewers, Hiura was hitting .152 with just one home run and 32 strikeouts. His demeanor on the field showed a player who had lost his confidence and was pressing in every aspect of his game.

Now that it appears Hiura has regained his confidence, is it time for the Brewers to bring him back to the majors?

Daniel Vogelbach has been playing a lot of first base since Hiura’s departure. His bat has not been anything spectacular in a struggling Brewers offense and a confident Keston Hiura certainly would be an improvement.

While it is true that Hiura is still striking out at a higher-than-liked clip in the minor leagues, we know that this is part of his offensive game. When Hiura is confident and at his best, he is able to put his last at bat behind him and focus on his next opportunity at the plate.

The ability to collect hits is what allowed Hiura to advance so quickly through the minor leagues. He has the potential to be a .300 hitter while simultaneously hitting 30 home runs. It would be in the Brewers’ best interest to make sure that when Hiura is hot at the plate that he is doing it at the major league level and not in the minor leagues.

Another factor to consider is pitching matchups. Vogelbach is a left-handed batter whereas Hiura is a right-handed hitter. The Brewers will face the Padres and Nationals this week and could potentially run into three left-handed starters. Having Hiura available for this would be a great benefit.

As of right now, it appears that Hiura is responding well to his assignment in the minor leagues.  Although it has been just a brief nine games, one can easily tell that he has regained his confidence and I do believe that he should return to the Brewers to potentially provide a spark to this teams offense!