Dodgers Take a Flier on Former Top Prospect Keston Hiura with Minor League Deal
The Dodgers are taking a low-risk, high-upside swing by bringing in former Brewers top prospect Keston Hiura on a minor league deal, complete with an invite to big league Spring Training. At 29, Hiura is looking for a fresh start, and L.A. is giving him one more shot to recapture the promise that once made him one of baseball’s most exciting young bats.
Hiura spent last season in the Rockies organization, getting a brief look in the majors during a two-week stint in June. But most of his year was spent in Triple-A Albuquerque, where he turned in a solid campaign: a .272 average and 21 home runs over 100 games. The power’s still there, but in limited MLB action with Colorado, he went just 3-for-18.
It’s been a winding road for Hiura since the Brewers took him ninth overall in the 2017 draft. He tore through the minors early on, quickly climbing prospect rankings thanks to a bat that looked big-league ready from day one. By the end of 2018, he was Milwaukee’s crown jewel in the farm system.
When Hiura got the call in May 2019, he didn’t disappoint. As a 22-year-old rookie, he slashed his way to a 139 wRC+ with 19 homers in just 84 games. His quick hands, raw power, and aggressive approach made him look like a foundational piece in the Brewers’ lineup.
But then came the swing-and-miss. In the shortened 2020 season, Hiura’s strikeout rate spiked from an already concerning 30.7% to 34.6%, leading the league in strikeouts. He still showed pop with 13 home runs and a .410 slugging percentage, but the contact issues were beginning to overshadow the power.
By 2021, the struggles became impossible to ignore. Hiura’s strikeout rate ballooned to 39.1%, and his batting average cratered to .168.
He spent much of the year bouncing between Milwaukee and Triple-A Nashville, unable to find consistent footing. The following season brought more of the same: flashes of power (14 homers, 115 wRC+ in 80 games) but an eye-popping 41.7% strikeout rate that made it hard to keep him in the lineup.
In 2023, he spent the full season in Triple-A, and since then, the Tigers, Angels, and Rockies have all taken a chance on him. And to his credit, Hiura has continued to produce in the minors - the bat still plays when he’s not facing top-tier pitching. But in the big leagues, the numbers tell a different story: over the last two seasons, he’s played just 18 MLB games, tallying eight hits and 17 strikeouts.
Now, the Dodgers - a team known for finding value in overlooked talent - are giving Hiura another opportunity. Realistically, he’s a long shot to crack a loaded L.A. roster.
But if there’s any organization that might help him unlock a more consistent version of his game, it’s this one. The contact issues are still the elephant in the room, but the raw tools haven’t disappeared.
For Hiura, this is a chance to prove there’s still something left in the tank. And for the Dodgers, it’s a no-risk bet on a player who once looked like a future star.