It hasn't been an easy road for Luis Lara since entering the majors, but it feels like the 21-year-old right fielder is finally settling into his role and getting comfortable for the Brewers. After signing a seven-year deal worth $31 million to play for Milwaukee, he was bound to crack the rotation for the Brew Crew sooner or later, and a few key injuries opened the door for him to carve out a role that he might not relinquish if he keeps up at this pace.
Granted, his numbers are inflated due to a limited workload, but he's up to 3rd place among active Brewers in batting average (.276) and second in OBP (.389) while showing off the defensive talent and raw athleticism that earned him the Minor League Baseball Rawlings Gold Glove Award last year.
The full range of his ability was on display in Milwaukee's 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night, when Lara posted two hits, two runs and three RBI along with some sharp defensive plays to keep the Rockies at bay throughout the night. He nearly hit one out of the park to right field on his first at-bat of the night, which was ultimately a sacrifice fly to get Jake Bauers across home plate for a score. He also hit a double to get two more runners home in the sixth, which helped decide the game.
If his performance in that outing was any indication, it's going to be hard for manager Pat Murphy to keep him out of the rotation as we enter the home stretch of the season.
Luis Lara is making a case for a regular spot in the Milwaukee Brewers rotation.
Lara has a little bit of everything that you need out of a compelling starter at this level. While he still has plenty to prove, the Venezuelan sensation could prove himself to be too impactful to be reassigned to the minor leagues — especially with the incumbent right fielder, Sal Frelick, on the IL and left fielder Brandon Lockridge on a rehab assignment in Nashville. For what it's worth, Lara's OPS through 12 games is already higher than both of theirs.
He's also distinctively grabbing Murphy's attention. During his postgame press conference, the Brewers' leader likened Lara to a young Jackson Chourio, in the sense that they are both young, talented players who needed to prove to both themselves and their teams that even though they're still early in their careers, they belong here.
If he's going to build that level of confidence, it's going to become impossible for Murphy to keep him out of the rotation, which could pose some difficult but worthwhile conversations about the future of the outfield. But for now, we can enjoy the emergence of a talented young player who will likely be part of this ballclub for years to come.
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