Provided by the Brewers
Minor Leagues Brice Turang Spring Training 2019 in Phoenix AZ. Scott Paulus/Brewers
The 2019 MLB Draft starts on Monday, but the Brewers’ top selection will have some big shoes to fill.
Not many Brewers minor leaguers have accomplished more in the past season than 2018 top pick Brice Turang, who won’t turn 20 until November but has already experienced a great deal of success across three levels in the organization. Turang collected four hits on Sunday to close in on the Midwest League lead with 62 and has a .413 on-base percentage despite being over two years younger than his average opponent. Consistency is one of his strongest assets: Until this weekend he had never gone back-to-back games without reaching base as a professional.
Turang has also demonstrated the ability to be a plus defender at both shortstop and second base, he has stolen 13 bases in 16 attempts and is on pace to draw more walks than any Timber Rattler has in the last four seasons. He’s a near-lock to be named a Midwest League All Star when those teams are named in the days ahead, and he is a likely candidate to be promoted another step up the organizational ladder for the third time in less than 12 months.
As the Brewers and their fans look ahead to this week’s draft and a new wave of prospects, we talked to Turang about his early professional experience.
You’re now one year out from getting drafted and joining this organization. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned in that year?
Brice Turang: Control the controllables. Do what I can. Also, I learned how to just trust the process, play the game as hard as I can, compete every pitch and enjoy it.
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How does professional life compare to what you expected?
BT: From an outside perspective looking in, when I was in high school, you don’t see the little things. But so far, it’s been pretty spot on, with the bus rides and the playing every day. I kind of expected those. I expected to play and yeah, man, it’s been pretty spot on from what I expected.
You had to make a decision that a lot of players will make in the weeks ahead as a high schooler, to either go to college or turn professional. Obviously this decision has worked out pretty well for you, but do you ever think about what your life would have been like if you had gone the other way?
BT: Always. I’m always thinking about what the college experience is like. Not so much even playing, I’m happy with where I’m at and I don’t regret anything I’ve done, but just the college experience, hanging out, meeting new people in college and being there, you know? That’s kind of what you have to give up when you sign out of high school. But other than that, I don’t regret it at all.
In the next few weeks, the Brewers will add dozens more players to the organization, maybe including some new teammates for you. If you could give them one piece of advice, what would it be?
BT: If I could give them one piece of advice, it’s to keep working. Trust the process, that’s the biggest thing. Control what you can control, because there’s only a little bit that you can control and you can’t let it affect you on the field. You’ve just got to keep going.
After a year as a professional player, are you satisfied with your performance so far?
BT: Never. I’m never satisfied. I want to get better. I want to keep doing it, keep playing, stay healthy and just get better every pitch, every play and every day, whether it’s on or off the field. Just get better as a player and a person.
