Keston Hiura Could Be Intriguing Option For Mets to Consider

As Spring Training dwindles down, teams are nailing down what their rosters will look like on Opening Day.

This leads to some tough decisions, such as the Milwaukee Brewers informing former top prospect Keston Hiura that he won't break camp and head to Wisconsin with the club.

For Hiura, however, it might benefit him to see a change of scenery. For the New York Mets, it could also be worth it to take a flyer on the infielder.

Hiura, 26, was originally selected No. 9 overall in the 2017 MLB draft by the Brewers and debuted two years later.

The infielder burst on the scene, as he logged 2.4 fWAR and clubbed 19 home runs in 84 games.

But the California native was never quite able to build off his rookie year success, as since then he's been worth just 0.5 total fWAR. 

Hiura did rebound a bit with Milwaukee in 2022, as he hit 14 home runs, had a 115 wRC+ and .334 wOBA, and played particularly well against right-handed pitchers. 

Eleven of his 14 long balls came against righties and he had a .866 OPS against them. The big knock on Hiura as a whole, however, is that he whiffs a ton. In 2022, he had a career-high 41.7 strikeout percentage.

While it's looking more and more like Hiura won't live up to his once high expectations, there are still some aspects of his game that the Mets could work with.

Hiura has some pop in his bat, and if used correctly, could give the Mets some power off the bench and late in the game.

At 26-years-old, it would be worth it to see if Hiura still has some untapped potential. If not star power, having him as a backup could still be productive.

The team, at the current moment, seems inclined to give Darin Ruf a roster spot, but New York hasn't made any final decisions yet. In the long term, having Hiura get some reps on the active roster could prove to be more beneficial than rostering Ruf.

Regardless, Milwaukee is going to have to make a decision on whether to trade Hiura or waive him in the coming day or so, and the Mets should at least keep him on their radar.

Read More:

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- Mets Owner Steve Cohen Talks Edwin Diaz Replacement Plan

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