Former Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospect Keston Hiura Signs with Colorado Rockies
Former top prospect Keston Hiura has inked a deal with the Colorado Rockies. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, it's a minor league pact with an invitation to major league spring training.
Hiura split the 2024 season mostly between the Triple-A affiliates of the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels. After signing with the Tigers late last offseason, he almost made the Opening Day roster but was sent down and hit .232 in 49 games. After being let go, he caught fire with the Angels system. In Salt Lake, he hit .354 over 37 games. He also had 20 homers in those 37 games. Though he was called up to the Angels for a cup of coffee, he hit just .148 in 27 major league at-bats.
Hiura was let go by the Brewers at the outset of last offseason, which was a disappointing end to his tenure in the organization. He was at one point ranked the No. 20 overall prospect in baseball (2019) by MLB.com.
He appeared in games each year for the Brewers from 2019-2022 before being outrighted off the 40-man roster for 2023.
Unfortunately, he regressed nearly every year of his big league tenure. He came up in 2019, playing in 84 games and popping 19 home runs. In the COVID 2020 season, he hit 13 home runs in 59 games. Then in 2021, his offense cratered: He hit four home runs in 61 games and struggled to a .168 batting average. In 2022, he played in 80 games and hit 14 homers, but still batted just .226.
Still just 28 years old, there is still time for Hiura to rectify his career, though that time is running out. However, there may be no better place to rediscover his hit tool than Coors Field, which is the most hitter-friendly environment in the sport.
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