The Brewers second baseman took a “quantum leap” in year two, largely due to his defense and baserunning
We’re continuing our rankings of the Brewers’ 10 most valuable players in 2024 with second baseman Brice Turang. Turang finished the season with 4.7 bWAR and 2.5 fWAR, good for second and sixth on the team, respectively.
After a disappointing rookie season (.218/.285/.300 line with six homers, 34 RBIs, 46 runs, and 26 steals across 137 games), Turang took a huge step forward in his sophomore season. He hit .254/.316/.349 (85 OPS+) with seven homers, 24 doubles, four triples, 57 RBIs, 72 runs, and 50 steals across 155 games while providing plus-plus defense.
While he may not be the flashiest hitter, his base-stealing prowess and defense more than make up for it in terms of value.
Among second baseman, Turang led the NL in putouts (240), assists (379), and total zone runs (12). He also led the entire league with 2.7 defensive WAR, leading to his first Gold Glove Award and the NL Platinum Glove Award, guiding the Brewers to their second consecutive Team Gold Glove Award.
After a hot start at the plate, Turang cooled off in the middle of the season before finding success again late in the year. He especially succeeded in making contact, using his speed to get on base as he ranked in the 97th percentile in whiff rate (13.8%) and the 78th percentile in strikeout rate (17%).
He also had a solid postseason, picking up five hits across 11 at-bats, including three doubles, for a .455/.500/.727 line against the Mets.
Per Baseball Savant, Turang’s xBA was in the 73rd percentile at .261, and he was also near the top of the league in squared-up rate at 29.2% (85th percentile). As mentioned above, his fielding and baserunning were where the value really showed, however, as he ranked in the 90th percentile with six outs above average and in the 94th percentile in sprint speed.
Turang’s success in 2025 will largely depend on his bat-to-ball approach, which he capitalized on in a big way both early and late in the season. If Turang can carry that approach into 2025, he’ll remain a valuable piece on Milwaukee’s roster when paired with his baserunning and defense.
We’ll continue our rankings of the 10 most valuable Brewers each Monday and Wednesday into early December. Come back on Monday to see who we have at No. 4.