Brice Turang? Joey Ortiz? The Brewers have plenty of young options at second base in 2024
PHOENIX – Youth is going to reign again at second base for the Milwaukee Brewers.
But who, exactly, is going to earn the lion’s share of playing time as the double-play partner for shortstop Willy Adames?
The incumbent is Brice Turang, the 2018 first-round draft pick who broke into the major leagues last season and started 103 games. He played well defensively, struggled offensively and still is a long way from reaching his ceiling.
The hot young newcomer is Joey Ortiz, fresh to the organization after coming over from the Baltimore Orioles in the Corbin Burnes trade. His major-league experience is slim but his reputation as a slick fielder well-known. Like Turang, Ortiz still has work to do with the bat.
Andruw Monasterio burst onto the scene last year with a surprising rookie season. He played mostly third base out of need but is more of a natural second baseman and shortstop and is going to be in the thick of the competition as well.
Owen Miller is back after carrying the Brewers’ offense last May and then fading into the background.
Depth options such as Jahmai Jones and Oliver Dunn, members of the 40-man roster, come next followed by non-roster invitees Vinny Capra and Yonny Hernández, both of whom have had previous cups of coffee in the majors.
Heck, even Sal Frelick has entered the fray as the Brewers seek to deploy players who have shown the aptitude at other spots to expand their versatility.
“We’ve got some nice options there,” manager Pat Murphy said of the group in general.
Brewers' hopes remain high for Brice Turang
One of the signature moments of last spring was the video the Brewers got of Turang, at the end of camp, being informed by then-manager Craig Counsell that he’d made his first opening-day roster. Turang teared up and then FaceTimed his parents and sisters to share the exciting news.
Turang was in the lineup when the Brewers took on the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field and legged out an infield single in his first at-bat, and then slugged a memorable first career homer – a grand slam – to help beat the New York Mets at American Family Field several days later.
After that, the offensive highlights were few and far between and in early June Turang was demoted to Class AAA Nashville in an attempt to help him regain his confidence.
He returned to the Brewers three weeks later and showed some improvement, but the overall numbers at the end of the season – .218 average, .585 OPS – left a lot to be desired. He did hit six homers and drive in 34 runs, and his 26 stolen bases made him the sixth rookie in club history with at least 25.
“I think we go to that a lot,” Murphy said when asked about Turang’s uneven 2023 at the plate. “He’ll mature. He’s a year more confident. That’s how I see it. Offense is the last thing that comes a lot of times.
“He’s got to keep making adjustments or he could be in a situation where there’s days he doesn’t play. I think he can hit.”
The Brewers were, and continue to be, a team built around defense, and Turang’s efforts with the glove allowed him to remain a positive force as he made 103 starts at second base and an additional 10 at shortstop, which is considered his natural position.
Turang accounted for two outs above average according to Baseball Savant, MLB’s official stats portal, and an impressive 12 defensive runs saved in his 917 total innings at second. His arm strength according to Baseball Savant ranked 48th among all players who made at least 100 throws from second.
“I think that kid’s got a huge upside,” Murphy said. “Huge upside. Love the kid. Love the player. But he’s also a major-league defender. We brought him over here to be a major-league player.”
Nobody saw this coming with Sal Frelick
Murphy confirmed to reporters on Sunday that the Brewers’ young prospect is going to be given a shot in Cactus League games at both second and third base, in addition to playing his usual outfield spots.
“For sure,” he said. “It’s going to happen.”
What was the genesis of such an idea? After all, Frelick hadn’t played any infield at all since high school.
As it turns out it was Murphy himself who brought it up, got the green light from general manager Matt Arnold and then hooked Frelick up with Dustin Pedroia, whom Murphy coached at Arizona State and Frelick watched play for the Red Sox growing up in the Boston area. The two got together in the offseason for informal workouts.
“It’s who he is,” Murphy said when asked what made him think Frelick could potentially make the switch. “There's not too many guys on any of the major-league rosters that could make that change. He can because of who he is. He's just that guy. He's got that ‘it’ factor that everybody loves. And he embraced this.
“He wanted to do it, he embraced it. I think he can help his career. I think it can help the Brewers.”
Murphy was clear, however, that any potential switch remains a work in progress.
“He’s got the arm. He’s got the instincts. He’s a ballplayer,” Murphy said. “Now, let’s not get carried away. He hasn’t played the infield since he was in high school. You can't expect him to go into a major-league game (in the regular season, at this point). Let's keep the expectations under control. But what an option this would be. And he's not going to forget how to play the outfield.”
Where does Owen Miller fit?
The Mequon native and Ozaukee High School graduate was a great story as Milwaukee acquired him from Cleveland via trade in December 2022 and he went on to become the 11th Wisconsin-born player to take the field for the Brewers.
Miller’s May was incredible, as he batted .363 with four homers, 12 RBI and a .995 OPS in 23 games. But he tailed off badly from there and was demoted to Nashville on Aug. 1, spending a month there before returning for a short stint in early September.
All told Miller hit .261/5/27/.674 with 13 stolen bases with 29 of his 73 starts coming at second base, where he graded out slightly below average defensively. Overall, though, Miller accounted for eight defensive runs saved as he also saw time at first and third base and in both left and right field.
Working in the Brewers’ favor is the fact Miller has one minor-league option remaining, allowing them to again bring him back and forth from Nashville if need be.
“I think most likely he will be that guy you know will wear a lot of hats,” Murphy said. “We trust him. I trust him. You can't erase from your memory what he did for us in those May games. He hit third, he hit fourth, and he got big hits. And he made the plays (defensively).
“I think that's who he is. There might be a quantum leap in there somewhere where he turns into an everyday guy. But I think what we're looking at the start is that if it turns into something bigger, great. But he's got to earn it.”
Joey Ortiz will finally get his chance
Ortiz was blocked in Baltimore, which is rolling in top-shelf infield talent.
With Milwaukee, Ortiz would appear to be a good bet to be in the lineup most days. Where is the question, with second base and third base both the top possibilities.
Ortiz is a natural shortstop and undoubtedly he’ll get his chances there on the rare days Adames isn’t in the lineup. Otherwise, he’s most experienced at second with six starts in the majors and 48 in the minors compared to two and 15 at third.
“He’s earned a reputation of having great defensive skills,” Murphy said. “His hands are what people mention the most. The ball just goes in his glove. Then smooth transition, smooth transfer. He can play any of the three (second, shortstop, third) for sure.
“We’re not excited about losing Corbin. But the guys down here on the ground level are excited (about Ortiz’s potential).”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz lead Milwaukee Brewers second base options
