Milwaukee Brewers former top pick Keston Hiura does not make club

Keston Hiura’s career with the Milwaukee Brewers got off to a promising start but it ends in disappointment. The Brewers let their 2017 first-round draft pick know he will not make the big league club.

Hiura is out of minor-league options, so this news signals his run with the organization will likely end. Brewers’ general manager Matt Arnold will try to trade Hiura. If he cannot find a trading partner for Keston, then Hiura will most likely be waived.

There is a chance he could stay in the Brewers’ organization and play in the minors if he clears waivers.

Hiura showed a ton of promise in 2019 when he hit .303 with 19 home runs and 49 RBI in 314 at-bats. He also had a .368 on-base percentage with a .570 slugging percentage and a .938 OPS.

He could never replicate that production in the following pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His average plummeted to .212 in 59 games although he did hit 13 home runs. It did not get better the next year.

2021 was miserable for the former top-10 prospect. He hit .168 with four home runs and a 53 wRC+. He went from a potential cornerstone piece of the lineup to being bounced back and forth between Triple-A Nashville and Milwaukee.

Last season, he improved a little bit at the plate with a .226/.316/.449 slash line. He did post a 115 wRC+ in 2022.

He was limited defensively, and injuries also played a role in Hiura not living up to his immense potential with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Huira was moved to first base and DH in 2021 but faced an uphill battle to make the roster heading into spring training.

Owen Miller was added in the offseason to compete for a backup spot behind Rowdy Tellez. Miller is having a great spring while Huira struggled.

Keston Huira is just the latest first-round pick that did not pan out for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Reliever Jeremy Jeffress is the last top pick (2006 first round) to make an All-Star team while with the Crew. Jeffress had to come back to the Brewers because he was traded to the Kansas Royals after his rookie season in 2010 (along with 2008 first-round pick, Jake Odorizzi).

You would have to go back to Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder for the most recent Brewers’ first-round picks who had a great career in a Milwaukee uniform.

First-round picks in baseball always have a high potential to turn out to be busts. A farm system’s success is based more on how the whole draft class produces and gets to the big leagues than just a top pick.

The Brewers’ last five first-round picks are currently rated among their top 15 prospects. Garrett Mitchell is expected to be the Opening Day starter in center field. Sal Frelick is getting close to making it to the Majors. Pitcher Ethan Small is being counted on to be a big piece of the rotation down the road.

Still, seeing a young player flame out so soon is never good.

With not many at-bats available at first or at DH, the Milwaukee Brewers had no choice but to pull the plug on Hiura contributing to the team in the Majors.