Brewers' 2017 First-Round Pick, in Minors, Named Pacific Coast League Player of Week

In six games against the Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco Giants affiliate), Hiura batted cleanup and finished 9-for-22 with three doubles, a triple, three home runs and five RBIs. He also had four consecutive multihit games while leading the PCL in total bases (23), slugging percentage (1.045) and OPS (1.564).

The Milwaukee experience

By 2019, Baseball Prospectus ranked Hiura as the game’s No. 6 prospect, with Baseball America and MLB Pipeline both putting him in their Top 20.

And when Hiura reached the majors that season and became their starting second baseman at age 22, he impressed. With a .303 batting average and a .938 OPS, he was set to be a franchise cornerstone.

Until he wasn’t. He appeared in just 200 games over the next three seasons and averaged .218. In his first season, he hit 20 homers and drove in 49. In this final season in Milwaukee in 2022, the numbers dropped to 14 and 32 in 80 games, respectively, as he split his time with Triple-A.

He spent 2023 in the minors, became a free agent after the season and signed with the Detroit Tigers the following February. Detroit released him on June 3, 2024, without Hiura playing in the majors, and the Los Angeles Angels signed him eight days later. He appeared in just 10 games with the Angels.

A free agent again after the 2024 campaign, Hiura signed with the Colorado Rockies and played just eight games with the franchise, which sent him to the Triple-A Isotopes.

Majors disappointment, minors stardom

Across his career, however, Kiura has been spectacular at the Triple-A Level. In 535 games, Kiura has a career slash line of .299/.382/.545/.927 with 601 hits, 114 home runs and 357 RBIs.

Contrast that with his 302 games in the majors: .235/.314/.442/.755 with 231 hits, 50 homers and 134 RBIs.

His numbers this season in Triple-A: .266/.380/.500/.880, 15 home runs and 48 runs driven in over 75 games.

If Hiura could harness that Triple-A productivity at the major league level, he would have no trouble holding on to a starting spot in the majors, just as he did many seasons ago with the Brewers.