Luis Urias

Urias never got any traction in his previous three major-league seasons (.635 OPS) consisting of just over 400 plate appearances. In 2021 he came out firing with improvements across the board. His walk rate was a career best at 11.1%. His strikeout rate dropped from 26.7% to 20.4%. His power profile was unrecognizable with his groundball rate dropping from 63.2% to 41.4%. At the same time his Statcast hard-hit rate went from 27.3% to 40.2%. In the end, his ISO jumped to .196 from .055 the year before. The strikeout gains also helped him post a career-best batting average. Finally, he hasn't been a void in stolen bases with five steals last season while being caught only once. He did all that while playing over 20 games at second, shortstop and third base. He's the epitome of a breakout candidate with his entire game on the upswing. The question is if he has a third gear to keep heading upward.

Urias was a top-25 prospect in some circles as recently as two years ago, and the Brewers thought enough of his potential to exchange Trent Grisham for him as part of a deal with the Padres in November of 2019. Urias was expected to compete for a starting spot, but his preparation was paused due to a wrist injury that required surgery, and he was put behind the eight ball again after testing positive for COVID-19 in July and did not make his season debut until mid-August. He played fairly regularly after that, rotating between the three infield spots left of first base, but he never regained his swing and finished with an OPS barely above .600. Urias' hit tool carried him to the top of prospect lists, and with him now a year removed from the wrist procedure, he will have the chance to bounce back. He could contribute in the ratio departments if he does, but don't expect much in terms of power or speed.

Urias spent most of April with the Padres and appeared overmatched, collecting only two hits in 24 at-bats. After a productive three-month sojourn in the minors, the 22-year-old returned to the big club in mid-July but continued to scuffle at the plate. Things finally clicked for Urias in September; he hit .300 for the month and produced a nine-game hitting streak during which he went 14-for-35. While his 22.5 K% was the highest of his career at any level, it was balanced by a 10.0 BB% that yielded a palatable 0.45 BB/K. It remains to be seen whether Urias' 19 homers in 295 minor-league at-bats last season will translate to a power stroke in the majors, but a boost in park factors following a November trade to Milwaukee should help in that regard. He has demonstrated the necessary hitting tools to be an on-base machine for years to come. Look for him to be the Opening Day shortstop for the Brewers.

It was a year of adjustments for the youngest qualified hitter in the Pacific Coast League. Urias finally struck out more (20.5 K%) than he walked (12.6 BB%), but also finally started getting to notable pop (career-high .151 ISO). He made a concerted effort to get the ball in the air more, logging a career-high 29.4 FB% and a career-low 49.1 GB%. There is nothing to suggest he won’t always hit for a high average -- the 21-year-old middle infielder still used the whole field (33.5 Oppo%) and had a top-20 AVG in the PCL. However, instead of having to assume power would eventually come, there is now tangible evidence he is trending in that direction. He suffered a significant hamstring strain on Sept. 11, which ended his season and limited him to an insignificant amount of MLB at-bats. The Padres could keep Urias at Triple-A for the first month in order to gain an extra year of control, but if they field their best team, he could be the Opening Day leadoff hitter.

It is easy to look at Urias and complain about what he can't do. He can't hit for much power, at least not as a 20-year-old hitting non-juiced baseballs. He won't offer more than a handful of steals per year. That said, here are the middle-infield prospects who are better bets to hit .300 in the majors: Bo Bichette and Gleyber Torres. That's the list. For the second year in a row, Urias walked more than he struck out while being the youngest hitter in his league. Don't be fooled by his listed 5-foot-9, 160-pound frame. Nobody is knocking the bat out of his hands. Urias is strong where it counts, in his wrists and forearms. He covers the whole plate and hits the ball to all fields. Much like Jose Altuve, his size actually works in his favor, as his smaller strike zone forces pitchers to come to him. The Padres acquired Freddy Galvis to play shortstop in 2018, so while Urias has been groomed at both middle infield spots, he will likely debut at second base, possibly as early as this summer.

Signed out of Mexico in late 2013, Urias has been an above-average hitter at every stop as a professional, but 2016 served as his coming out party. He was the youngest player in the California League, but was arguably the league's best hitter despite not turning 19 until June 3. Urias is on the right track to be an above-average contributor in the power department, showing excellent barrel control and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. It's very difficult to find past players who match his age, position and level, but consider that Rougned Odor, who is also similar to Urias from a physical standpoint, hit five home runs as a 19-year-old at High-A in 2013. The key here is the age, the hit tool and the approach, all of which are huge marks in his favor. If he handles Double-A the same way he handled High-A, he'll be in the big leagues before his 21st birthday.