Young Brewers Tracker: Top pick Corey Ray makes pro debut
The Milwaukee Brewers are reshaping their franchise with an injection of youth and prospects.
Every Thursday for the rest of the season, FOX Sports Wisconsin will take a closer look at some specific young players -- as well as noting others who might be stepping up -- measuring, highlighting and evaluating their progress. Please note the glossary of advanced stats at the bottom of the story.
This is the 12th edition of the Young Brewers Tracker.
Note: Three players were dropped from the Tracker this week: Keon Broxton, Clint Coulter and Luis Rivera while we added this year's top draft choice Corey Ray. Last week we added Gilbert Lara and Lucas Erceg, the latter a 2016 second-round pick.
IN THE MAJORS
Zach Davies (age 23)
Last week: 2 games (2 starts), 1-1, 6.55 ERA, 11 IP, 17 H, 3 BB, 6 K, .354 OBA, .392 OBP, .563 SLG, 1.818 WHIP, .359 BAbip,
Season: 15 games (15 starts), 6-4, 4.10 ERA, 85 2/3 IP, 1.261 WHIP, 8.8 H/9, 1.3 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 7.5 K/9, .258 OBA, .315 OBP, .431 SLG, 104 ERA+, 4.32 FIP, 0.7 WAR
Notable: Got pounded by the Dodgers in his last start of June but still finished the month with a 3-1 record, 2.89 ERA and 0.964 WHIP. Was sent to Triple-A, but that was more of a procedural move during the All-Star break. He is not expected to pitch for Colorado Springs.
Ramon Flores (age 23)
Last week: 6 games, 21 PA, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 2 BB, 3 K, .263 BA, .333 OBP, .316 SLG, .649 OPS, 74 sOPS+, .313 BAbip
Season: 76 games, 219 PA, .233 BA, .310 OBP, .286 SLG, .596 OPS, 7 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 15 R, 17 RBI, 3 SB, 23 BB, 48 K, .298 BAbip, 61 OPS+, -0.4 WAR.
Notable: Played in 24 games in June with 18 starts with a slash line of 246/311/292.
Domingo Santana (age 23)
Last week: n/a
Season: 40 games, 150 PA, .234 BA, .347 OBP, .391 SLG, .737 OPS, 8 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 19 R, 13 RBI, 0 SB, 21 BB, 52 K, 98 OPS+, .361 BAbip, -0.5 WAR.
Notable: Placed on the disabled list June 9 due to right elbow soreness. Not expected back until after the All-Star break.
Jonathan Villar (age 25)
Last week: 6 games, 27 PA, 2 R, 0 RBI, 2 2B, 2 SB, 5 BB, 10 K, .227 BA, .370 OBP, .318 SLG, .689 OPS, 86 sOPS+, .417 BAbip
Season: 81 games, 356 PA, .294 BA, .380 OBP, .422 SLG, .801 OPS, 19 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 42 R, 30 RBI, 28 SB, 43 BB, 96 K, 113 OPS+, .406 BAbip, 2.2 WAR.
Notable: Played in 25 games in June, all starts, with a slash line of 284/313/441 and four homers and seven steals.
DOWN ON THE FARM
Orlando Arcia (age 21/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 24 AB, 5 H, 6 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 3 BB, 7 K, .208 BA.
Season: 79 games, 321 AB, .265 BA, .316 OBP, .393 SLG, .709 OPS, 10 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 51 R, 39 RBI, 12 SB, 24 BB, 58 K.
Notable: Played 30 games in June and had a slash line of 235/313/365.
Trent Clark (age 19/Single-A)
Last week: n/a
Season: 27 games, 97 AB, .237 BA, .359 OBP, .412 SLG, .771 OPS, 8 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 14 R, 10 RBI, 1 SB, 20 BB, 30 K.
Notable: Placed on the disabled list on June 26 with a hamstring injury. Batted 232/328/411 in 15 June games.
Isan Diaz (age 19/Single-A)
Last week: 7 games, 27 AB, 10 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 5 BB, 9 K, .370 BA.
Season: 81 games, 306 AB, .258 BA, .339 OBP, .444 SLG, .784 OPS, 22 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 37 R, 46 RBI, 7 SB, 38 BB, 83 K.
Notable: Has four straight two-hit games. Diaz hit three homers in two games, which included two in a July 6 game. After hitting 218/277/282 in May, Diaz was 316/383/579 with five home runs and 20 RBI in June.
Lucas Erceg (age 21/Single-A)
Last week: 6 games, 24 AB, 6 H, 1 2B, 3 R, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 3 BB, 4 K, .250 BA.
Season: 15 games, 62 AB, .387 BA, .449 OBP, .532 SLG, .982 OPS, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 R, 13 RBI, 3 SB, 5 BB, 9 K.
Notable: Had a three-hit game on July 1 and two-hit games on July 4 and 6. Also knocked in three runs on both July 1 and 4.
Josh Hader (age 22/Triple-A)
Last week: 1 game (1 start), 0-0, 4 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 15.75 ERA.
Season (combined Double-A & Triple-A): 16 games (16 starts), 2-3, 2.56 ERA, 81 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 65 H, 3 HR, 33 BB, 104 K, .226 OBA.
Notable: Hader's start last week was at Colorado Springs. In three home Triple-A starts, Hader has pitched 13 innings and allowed 16 runs (15 earned) on 23 hits.
Last week: n/a
Season: 13 games (13 starts), 3-7, 5.25 ERA, 70 1/3 IP, 1.39 WHIP, 76 H, 5 HR, 22 BB, 56 K, .279 OBA.
Notable: Placed on the disabled list retroactive to July 4 with a forearm strain.
Gilbert Lara (age 18/Single-A)
Last week: 5 games, 19 AB, 4 H, 1 R, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 2 BB, 8 K, .211 BA.
Season: 16 games, 62 AB, .210 BA, .290 OBP, .210 SLG, .500 OPS, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 8 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB, 5 BB, 19 K.
Notable: Has a hit in six of his last seven games.
Jorge Lopez (age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: 1 games (1 start), 0-1, 4 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 13.50 ERA.
Season: 15 games (14 starts), 1-6, 6.40 ERA, 70 1/3 IP, 1.92 WHIP, 85 H, 4 HR, 50 BB, 58 K, .300 OBA
Notable: Had a 5.48 ERA and .266 opponent batting average in June. Actually has a higher ERA in road games (6.51) than at home (6.27) at Colorado Springs.
Jacob Nottingham (age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 6 games, 27 AB, 5 H, 1 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 1 BB, 10 K, .185 BA.
Season: 69 games, 258 AB, .248 BA, .312 OBP, .360 SLG, .673 OPS, 8 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 31 R, 26 RBI, 5 SB, 20 BB, 75 K.
Notable: In 22 games in June hit 272/351/420.
Brett Phillips (Age 21/Double-A)
Last week: 7 games, 27 AB, 5 H, 2 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI, 0 SB, 5 BB, 10 K, .185 BA.
Season: 71 games, 263 AB, .243 BA, .332 OBP, .449 SLG, .781 OPS, 13 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 42 R, 44 RBI, 5 SB, 33 BB, 96 K.
Notable: In 25 June games batted 237/327/495 with four homers and 16 RBI.
Corey Ray (age 21/Single-A)
Season: 3 games, 12 AB, .167 BA, .154 OBP, .167 SLG, .321 OPS, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB, 3 K.
Notable: Milwaukee's first-round pick in the 2016 draft (No. 5 overall) made his professional debut last week. Ray is playing for Brevard County.
Michael Reed (age 23/Triple-A)
Last week: 6 games, 22 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 5 R, 2 RBI, 3 SB, 4 BB, 10 K, .136 BA
Season: 73 games, 251 AB, .251 BA, .375 OBP, .343 SLG, .718 OPS, 12 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 44 R, 31 RBI, 16 SB, 48 BB, 71 K.
Notable: In 30 June games, hit 304/410/392 with 19 runs, 16 RBI and seven steals.
Others: Colorado Springs SS Orlando Arcia, C Manny Pina and RHP Damien Magnifico were named PCL All-Stars. . . . Colorado Springs OF Shane Peterson might be out for the season. . . . Colorado Springs OF Kyle Wren is batting .400 in 28 games and also has 6 SB. . . . Biloxi 3B Garrett Cooper (6th round, 2013) hit .373 in June and is now batting 317/376/465. . . . RHP Tyler Spurlin is has a combined 1.85 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and .205 OBA between Brevard County (9 games) and Biloxi (27 games). . . . Wisconsin 2B Blake Allemand hit .302 in June and is batting 306/372/426. . . . Helena OF Demi Orimoloye has 7 SB in 15 games.
A glossary of some of the advanced statistics used:
OPS: On base percentage + slugging percentage
OPS+: OPS compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
sOPS+: OPS for the split (in our case the last 7 days) compared to the league's split OPS (100 being average).
BAbip: Batting average on balls in play.
WHIP: Walks plus hits divided by innings pitched.
ERA+: ERA compared to league average of 100, adjusted to the player's ballpark
FIP: Fielding Independent Pitching. Measures a pitcher's effectiveness at presenting home runs, walks and hit by pitches while causing strikeouts. The MLB average FIP is the same as the MLB average ERA.
WAR: Wins Above Replacement value. Represents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player would add (we are using WAR from baseball-reference.com).
Statistics courtesy baseball-reference.com and milb.com
Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as Facing Ted Williams Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
