Former U.C.Irvine alumni, 1B Keston Hiura, gets a second chance in MLB with the Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers signed infielder Keston Hiura to a minor league contract. The former Brewers’ first-round draft pick (9th overall) in the 2017 MLB Draft elected free agency after spending the entire 2023 season in the minor leagues.

In Triple-A Nashville, Hiura hit .308 with a .395 on-base percentage and a .565 slugging percentage, recording 23 home runs and 79 RBIs in 85 games. He primarily split his time between designated hitter and first baseman duties, although he initially came up as a second baseman.

His best season with the Milwaukee Brewers was in 2019, when he posted a .303 batting average, a .368 on-base percentage, and a .570 slugging percentage, along with 19 home runs and 49 RBIs. Despite his power numbers, Hiura’s career has been marked by high strikeout rates, with percentages consistently over 30%.

Where does he fit on the minor league roster with the Detroit Tigers?

Hiura is likely to start the season with the Toledo Mud Hens, where he could join Quincy Nieporte, who sat out the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. It’s possible that Hiura could split time at first base, DH, or second, but seeing how Detroit loves to move around players, he will likely be used across the diamond.

 Keston Hiura, who played four seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, to a minor-league contract with an invitation to MLB spring training, according to multiple sources.

The 27-year-old will earn $2 million if he makes the majors, with the chance for more in bonuses. He spent all of last season in Triple-A Nashville with the Brewers.

He plays first base and left field.

Before signing Hiura, the Tigers didn’t have a true first baseman in big-league spring training besides Spencer Torkelson. Outfielder Mark Canha is considered the backup first baseman.

The first full-squad workout is scheduled for Monday.

Hiura played 284 games with the Brewers from 2019-22, hitting .238 with 50 home runs, 78 walks (7.4% walk rate) and 380 strikeouts (36% strikeout rate). His strikeout rate got worse each season, from 30.7% in 2019 to 41.7% in 2022. Too many strikeouts and whiffs led to his downfall, but he still posted an above-average 104 OPS+ in those four seasons because of his home-run power.

When Hiura isn’t striking out, he hits the ball extremely hard and finds the barrel of the bat. He had an average exit velocity of 91.7 mph and a 15.3% barrel rate with the Brewers in 2022.

Hiura, a right-handed hitter, has a .253 batting average with an .840 OPS in his MLB career against right-handed pitchers, compared to a .201 batting average with a .606 OPS against lefties.

Hiura hit .308 with 23 home runs, 31 walks (8.4% walk rate) and 90 strikeouts (24.5% strikeout rate) in 85 games last season with Triple-A Nashville. He played some second base early on, but by the end of the season, he was strictly a first baseman and left fielder.

The Brewers selected Hiura with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 draft out of UC Irvine, nine picks before the Tigers drafted right-hander Alex Faedo. He hit .303 with 19 home runs across 84 games in his 2019 rookie season.

Source: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2024/02/16/detroit-tigers-sign-1b-keston-hiura-to-minor-league-contract/72634512007/

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