Brice Turang Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Hitting: 60. Power: 40. Running: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Turang became well known in scouting circles early in his high school years, playing for USA Baseball’s 15U National Team in 2014. He put himself in the conversation among the top prep hitters in the country, winning a gold medal for Team USA and making the all-tournament team at the U-18 World Cup in 2017. Turang didn’t quite meet the high expectations scouts had for him as a senior and slid down the first round to the Brewers, who drafted him 21st overall and signed him for $3.411 million. In his first full season in 2019, Turang hit well in the low Class A Midwest League, though he struggled after a promotion to high Class A Carolina as a 19-year-old. With the 2020 season wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic, Turang reported to the team’s alternate training site in Appleton, Wis., where he was the Brewers’ best hitter and started to drive the ball with more impact.

SCOUTING REPORT: Turang consistently puts together quality at-bats with his sharp eye for the strike zone and sweet lefthanded swing. He’s a patient hitter who doesn’t chase much off the plate and drew walks 15% of the time in 2019. He has a calm, balanced swing with good bat-to-ball skills and stays through the ball, leading to an all-fields, line-drive approach. The knock on Turang coming into 2020 was his well below-average power, which got exposed once the Brewers promoted him to the Carolina League. Turang did a better job of driving the ball with more authority in Appleton. The Brewers kept an internal “barrel” board of hitters with exit velocities of 95 mph or better at the alternate site, and Turang was consistently among the leaders throughout the summer. Turang didn’t change his swing, but he added strength and adjusted his approach in favorable counts to drive the ball for more damage. He still doesn’t project as a big power threat, but optimistic evaluators now think 15-20 home runs in his prime is feasible. Turang is a plus runner who has shown good instincts on the basepaths. He has a solid chance to stay at shortstop, where his hands and feet work well. He’s adept at charging in on the ball and ranging toward second base, and he has worked to improve his throws from the hole with his average arm strength.

THE FUTURE: If Turang can continue to show the uptick in his hard-hit rate, he has the components to be an on-base threat who can hit toward the top of a lineup. After what he showed at the alternate training site, he should be ready to jump to Double-A in 2021.