Lucas Erceg

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #8 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Some thought Erceg would breeze through the Brewers' system as an advanced college hitter, but his progress has been slowed by health issues. Already dealing with a bulging disc in his lower back, Erceg was hit in the head with a pitch in April 2018 at Double-A Biloxi and struggled for several weeks to get going at the plate. He improved in the second half, but his overall numbers were still down from previous seasons.
  
  Scouting Report: Erceg has several tools that excite the Brewers, topped by his raw power. He can hit balls out of sight, showing tremendous pull power when pitchers miss their spots. As with most power hitters, he has swing and miss in his game and can get overly aggressive, taking big hacks at suspect pitches and limiting his walk rate and ability to get on base. A good athlete, Erceg has a strong arm but needs to slow down and not rush his throws. He committed a Southern League-leading 23 errors in 2018. He normally has good footwork around the bag and also runs the bases alertly with average speed.
  
  The Future: The tools and work ethic are there for Erceg to be successful, but he must stay healthy and improve his plate discipline to reach the majors. He should see Triple-A San Antonio in 2019.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #8 prospect in 2018
  The Brewers considered Erceg to be a second-round steal in 2016 after he transferred from California to NAIA Menlo College. He put together a strong first pro season in 2016 with an .894 OPS but struggled for much of 2017 at high Class A Carolina. at times looking too eager at the plate and getting himself out by swinging at bad pitches. Erceg shows a broad set of tools, but his raw power probably tops the list. He can hit the ball a long way, with tremendous pull power evident when he crushes mistakes. He would benefit greatly by improving his plate discipline and thus his on-base percentage. He runs well for a third baseman, though stolen bases are not a big part of his game. He has good hands and feet at third base and a cannon for an arm (he pitched a little in college). The athletic Erceg has a strong work ethic, with the potential to be a complete player and difference-maker with the bat. The Brewers have had trouble developing homegrown third basemen, but Erceg has a chance to put an end to that drought. He merely has to learn not to force things and let the game come to him. An assignment to Double-A Biloxi looms in 2018.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #9 prospect in 2017
  The Brewers viewed Erceg as a steal in the second round of the 2016 draft and quickly signed him for $1.15 million. He was firmly on Milwaukee's radar after a strong sophomore season at California, and he remained there even after he became academically ineligible and enrolled at NAIA Menlo College near his home in San Jose. The competition obviously wasn't as strong at Menlo, but the Brewers focused on Erceg's solid offensive and defensive tools. He did not disappoint in pro ball by hitting .400/.452/.552 in 26 games at Rookie-level Helena to earn a promotion to low Class A Wisconsin. He hit for average and power in his debut and should grade as at least average in both departments. Erceg doubled as a reliever in college, even closing at Menlo, and has the arm to show for it, helping his case to remain at third base. He is athletic with good hands. In an organization lacking in blue-chip third-base prospects, Erceg already stands out and is expected to move steadily up the ladder. One scout who saw him compared him with the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter in terms of body type, athleticism and a lefthanded bat with some pop. He will tackle high Class A Brevard County in 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #72 prospect in 2016 draft
  Erceg dazzled as a two-way player in high school and hit and pitched for two years at Cal, though his bat took center stage. He was a first-team All-Pac-12 player as a sophomore, but Erceg ran into academic difficulty in Berkeley and wound up having to transfer to Menlo (Calif.), an NAIA school 25 miles from his home. Erceg had to pass 21 units to be eligible for Menlo, but he made the grades and had a strong spring, tying for fourth in NAIA nationally in home runs. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder didn't hit for as much average as might have been expected, batting .308 at Menlo after hitting .303 at Cal in 2015, but he did swat 20 home runs and slug over .600. Athletic and armed with excellent hand-eye coordination, contact almost comes too easy to Erceg, who struck out just 18 times this spring. He has the power and arm strength to profile well at third base, with tremendous arm strength. He's closed off and on for three years in college, hitting 97 mph at his best and even sitting at 92-94 mph in a seven-inning start in Menlo's final game, a hard-luck loss. The Bears miss Erceg's bat, glove and arm, and Erceg could have been the top-drafted Pac-12 bat; instead, he'll be the first NAIA player off the board, likely in the second round.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Carolina League #15 prospect in 2017
  Like most of the prospects on the stocked Carolina team, Erceg had an inconsistent season. He scuffled offensively in the first half, but really turned it around in the latter portion of the season. The Brewers were impressed enough that they sent him to Triple-A Colorado Springs for that team's playoff run. At his best, Erceg shows a patient approach with a strong, aggressive swing and enough power to profile at third base. The Brewers wanted him to work on taking more pitches and working deeper into counts to force pitchers to throw something in his zone. Defensively, he was one of the best in the league. He had range to both sides and a well above-average arm that allowed him to throw 95 mph off the mound as an amateur. Some managers thought his arm was tied with Potomac's Kelvin Gutierrez as the best they saw all year.
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  Ranked Pioneer League #4 prospect in 2016
  Erceg excelled in two seasons as a two-way player at California, earning all-Pac-12 Conference honors as a sophomore, before poor grades pushed him to NAIA Menlo. The top small-college prospect in the draft, he signed quickly for $1.15 million and dominated the PL, batting .400/.452/.552 before a promotion to the Midwest League. "He was ready for the next level when he showed up," Helena manager Nestor Corredor said. Erceg draws comparisons with the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter for his strong swing from the left side, though he's a more aggressive hitter. He's mostly a gap-to-gap hitter who makes consistent contact, with enough raw power to drive balls over the fence. He's a tick below-average, though instinctual, runner. Erceg has a plus arm at third base and has good range for the position but sometimes tends to be over-aggressive. He needs to improve in fielding balls to his glove side.
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  Ranked Midwest League #20 prospect in 2016
  A two-way star in high school, Erceg pitched in college at California, but his bat took center stage. After being voted all-Pac-12 Conference as a sophomore, he flunked out of Cal and ended up at NAIA Menlo, near his boyhood home of San Jose. The smaller campus helped Erceg focus, and he ranked fourth in the NAIA in homers. Erceg drew first-round interest, but red flags about his background and the lesser pedigree of NAIA competition pushed him to the Brewers in the second round in 2016. He could have drawn interest as a pitcher as well since he hit 97 mph in college, but he prefers to hit. Erceg has the plus arm to play third base or right field and good footwork to stay in the dirt, but he doesn't have the the surest hands. A pro scout who saw him said he expects Erceg to fill out his thin frame, but that he generates above-average power with a loose, whippy swing, and that he ambushes first-pitch fastballs. He's an average runner but has good instincts.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Erceg has struggled more at the plate at the Double-A level than expected, considering his bat-to-ball skills and raw power. He has worked on hitting more line drives and not being so pull conscious, and was making progress after a slow start. An excellent athlete with good footwork and a strong arm, Erceg – who has battled a minor back issue -- has been a bit error prone at times but still profiles as an above-average third baseman. Consistency is his major goal at this stage.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Brewers considered Erceg to be a second-round steal in 2016 after he had transferred from California to tiny Menlo College. He put together a strong first pro season in 2016 (.894 OPS) but struggled for much of 2017 at high Class A Carolina. at times looking too eager at the plate and getting himself out by swinging at bad pitches. Scouting Report: Erceg shows a broad set of tools, but his raw power probably tops the list. He can hit the ball a long way, with tremendous pull power evident when he crushes mistakes. He could benefit by improving his plate discipline and thus his on-base percentage. He runs well for a third baseman, though stolen bases are not a big part of his game. He has good hands and feet at third base and a cannon for an arm (he pitched a little in college). The athletic Erceg has a strong work ethic, with the potential to be a complete player and difference-maker with the bat. The Future: The Brewers have had trouble developing homegrown third basemen, but Erceg should put an end to that drought. He merely has to learn not to force things and let the game come to him. An assignment to Double-A Biloxi looms in 2018.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Brewers viewed Erceg as a steal in the second round of the 2016 draft and quickly signed him for $1.15 million. He was firmly on Milwaukee's radar after a strong sophomore season at California, and he remained there even after he became academically ineligible and enrolled at NAIA Menlo College near his home in San Jose. The competition obviously wasn't as strong at Menlo, but the Brewers focused on Erceg's solid offensive and defensive tools. Scouting Report: Erceg did not disappoint in pro ball by hitting .400/.452/.552 in 26 games at Rookie-level Helena to earn a promotion to low Class A Wisconsin. He hit for average and power in his debut and should grade as at least average in both departments. Erceg doubled as a closer at Menlo and has the arm to show for it, helping his case to remain at third base. He is athletic with good hands. In an organization lacking in blue-chip third-base prospects, Erceg already stands out and is expected to move steadily up the ladder.
  
  The Future: One scout who saw Erceg compared him with the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter in terms of body type, athleticism and a lefthanded bat with some pop. He will tackle high Class A in 2017.