Brice Turang says Brewers letting him face southpaws has fueled career best 17-homer season

Turang did not really go off until last month, but the sample size now exceeds 120 plate appearances. The sheer magnitude of his production, along with adjusted swing mechanics, suggest that it is anything but a fluke.

Boosting the transformation is much improved at-bats against lefties. He still isn’t tagging them for power, but he has his average up to .295 in 156 at-bats. Compare that to last season, when he hit .237/.289/.297. 

Simply seeing them more often is a factor. “Yeah, for sure,” Turang said of getting more opportunities. “Being able to play everyday, make adjustments in-game. Just the experience of facing left-handed, right-handed, just the experience in general is so big. So yeah, that’s for sure helped.”

It’s worth noting that his lefty-righty splits remain significant: a .728 OPS against southpaws compared to .844 versus right-handers. Last season, those splits were .586 vs .686. Also worth noting are the two obvious differences driving Turang’s breakout year at the plate: 1) he’s now crushing the opposite side and 2) he’s hitting left-handers better in 2025 than he did righties last year.

This growth is a big deal because it provides a solid floor for his overall numbers and keeps him in the lineup more often. With his speed on the bases and Platinum Glove defense, that’s worth a lot already.

The way he’s swinging lately, the Brewers don’t have to worry about calling in a pinch-hitter in every big situation, although Pat Murphy still has that option. Typically, with Rhys Hoskins still in rehab, the Brewers don’t have a righty threat off the bench unless a starter is out of the lineup and available to bat. Turang holding his own helps to make that concern less urgent.