The infielder (infielder) Luis Urias has had a shocking second half season 2021 of the Big leagues that not only has helped the Milwuakee Brewers escape in the first place of the Central Division of the National League, but has also put the hops to think about the present and future of both the team and the Aztec player.
Change
Urías was acquired in the winter of 2019-20 as part of the trade that sent Trent Grisham to the San Diego Padres. At first, that seemed like an uncommon misstep for the Brewers, as Grisham was a 2020 All-Star, Urías posted a 63 OPS + and Eric Lauer, also part of the trade, entered just four games due to an injury in the shoulder. Lauer has been a valued member of the rotation in 2021, but Urías didn’t do enough for the first two months and lost his job when Adames arrived on May 21, 2021 as well instead.
Additionally, the Brewers traded Orlando Arcia, who was the starting shortstop for the Atlanta Braves early in the season, to put Urías at shortstop.
To third base
Urías was moved to third base, and more recently back to shortstop, as Adames has been out with a quadriceps injury, and his bat has taken off. On May 21, Urías had a .688 OPS in 2021 and a .648 mark in his major league career. Since then? .264 / .343 / .472 with .816 OPS. This is as good a place as any to start.
Extrabases
Suddenly, Urías has developed some long hitting skills where none had been present before, to the point that after 21 extra-base hits in 422 plate appearances in his first three seasons, he now has 46 of them in 514 plate appearances this year. .
How?
As is often the case with young players, decisions to swing. Urías, for much of his early career, was passive pitching in the strike zone. That changed, well, almost exactly when Adames arrived, coincidentally or not.
They don’t see it as shorstop, but …
He’s not a long-term shortstop, both because fielding metrics don’t see him kindly and because Adames has clearly taken over the role in Milwaukee. But for a time there, his future seemed to be on the bench, or in the minors. He is still only 24 years old. You are young enough to change those perceptions, and you have begun to do so.
With some of the information from MLB.com (Mike Petriello).