Keston Hiura’s Offseason of New Beginnings: A Hometown Return, Hall of Fame Honors, and a Shot with the Dodgers
For Keston Hiura, the past few months have been nothing short of a whirlwind-and in the best possible way. The former Milwaukee Brewers first-round pick has stacked up personal milestones, career recognition, and now, a shot at redemption with one of baseball’s most storied franchises.
Let’s start with the headline: Hiura has signed a minor-league deal with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. It comes with an invitation to spring training, giving the 29-year-old infielder a chance to prove he still has something to offer at the big-league level. For a player who’s spent most of the past two seasons grinding it out in the minors, this is more than just a contract-it’s an opportunity.
But that’s just one chapter in what’s been a feel-good offseason for Hiura.
He recently returned to his hometown in California, where he was inducted into the Valencia High School Baseball Hall of Fame. That honor was followed by another: induction into the UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame, a nod to a dominant college career that included a national batting title and a laundry list of accolades.
Hiura will be officially enshrined on Feb. 13.
Oh, and he got married-on the beach, no less. Life off the field is clearly trending up.
A Promising Start, Then a Tough Road
Hiura’s story is one baseball fans know well: a top-10 draft pick who burst onto the scene with a bat that looked ready to anchor a lineup for years. Drafted ninth overall by the Brewers in 2017, he rocketed through the minors and made his MLB debut in May 2019.
That rookie campaign was electric-he slashed .303/.368/.570 with 19 home runs and 49 RBIs in just 84 games. His .938 OPS remains the highest of his career.
But as quickly as he rose, the struggles followed. Hiura’s defensive issues at second base-he led all second basemen in errors in both 2019 and 2020-prompted the Brewers to bring in Kolten Wong for the 2021 season. That move pushed Hiura to first base, where he never quite found a rhythm.
At the plate, things didn’t get easier. His strikeout rate ballooned, leading the league during the shortened 2020 season.
And while he continued to flash power, his batting average and on-base numbers steadily declined. After making the Opening Day roster three straight years from 2020 to 2022, Hiura spent the entire 2023 season in Triple-A Nashville.
By the end of that year, Milwaukee and Hiura parted ways. Since then, he’s bounced between the Tigers, Angels, and Rockies organizations, logging only 18 major-league games over the past two seasons. Most of his time has been spent in the minors, working to recapture the swing that once made him one of baseball’s most promising young hitters.
A New Chapter with the Dodgers
Now comes a shot with the Dodgers-a team that has a track record of extracting value from players looking for a second (or third) chance. It’s a minor-league deal, yes, but it’s also a clean slate. And for Hiura, it’s a chance to play in his home state, not far from where he first made a name for himself.
His college resume speaks for itself. In 2017, Hiura led the nation with a .442 batting average and was named Big West Field Player of the Year.
He was a three-time first-team All-Big West selection, Big West Freshman Player of the Year, and earned multiple All-American honors. That kind of bat doesn’t just disappear-it just needs the right setting to resurface.
By the Numbers
Here’s a look at Hiura’s major league production to date:
With the Brewers:
- Games: 284
- Plate appearances: 1,057
- Runs: 131
- Hits: 223
- Home Runs: 50
- RBIs: 132
- Batting Average: .238
- On-Base Percentage: .318
- Slugging Percentage: .453
- OPS: .771
- WAR: 1.5
Career Totals:
- Games: 302
- Plate appearances: 1,105
- Runs: 135
- Hits: 231
- Home Runs: 50
- RBIs: 134
- Batting Average: .235
- On-Base Percentage: .314
- Slugging Percentage: .442
- OPS: .755
- WAR: 0.9
What Comes Next
Hiura’s path back to the majors won’t be easy. The Dodgers are deep, and competition for roster spots will be fierce. But if he can find consistency at the plate and continue refining his defense-whether at first base, DH, or as a utility option-there’s a real chance he could carve out a role.
And if nothing else, this offseason has already been a win for Hiura. Hall of Fame inductions, a wedding, and a shot with the Dodgers? That’s a pretty strong lineup.
Now it’s time to see if he can add one more chapter to what’s already been a memorable journey.