Turang committed to LSU before his senior year (2018) at Santiago High School in Corona California.

Brice has a long track record of high performance against top competition—he was the best player on Team USA’s 18U club in 2016 and was second in hitting for the 2017 team.

Turang has four older sisters: Brianna, Carissa, Cabria, and Bailee.

Brice is the son of former big leaguer Brian Turang, a member Mariners organization from 1989-1995 and the Blue Jays in 1996.

“When he was growing up, I was coaching travel softball,” Brian said. “So whenever we would go out to practice on the field, he would always go out and practice with them. My daughters played at a competitive level, so he was joining a group of girls who knew the game. Strategically, physically, they knew how to play.

“When we’d go to practice, he would beg me, ‘Hey dad, you’re scrimmaging today. Can I play?’ And I’m like, ‘Brice you’re only 8 years old. These girls are 14.’ He goes, ‘I don’t care. I want to play.’ And he would get in there and play. It was crazy.”

Each of his sisters went on to play college athletics, and each of them helped kickstart Brice’s path to becoming one of the top players in the 2018 draft class. Brianna is the quick-twitch speedster of the family who won a national championship in softball at Oklahoma, in addition to playing four years of soccer. Carissa played at Cal State Fullerton and Oklahoma City University. Cabria stuck to soccer, playing four years at Utah. Bailee is the athletic freak of the bunch as a 5-foot-8 outside hitter on the Southern Nazarene volleyball team in Oklahoma.

In a sense, Brice has adopted something from each of his sisters. He has Brianna’s speed, in the form of above-average run times out of the lefthanded batter’s box and range at shortstop. His defensive actions have a grace similar to Carissa. His footwork around the second-base bag is sound, as Cabria’s must be on the soccer pitch. And like Bailee, Brice is also a “freak” in his own way. He struck out only once as a junior in California’s Division I Southern Section—one of the most competitive high school leagues in the nation.

That’s not the full story of the Turang family, though.

“A lot of people don’t know about my mom,” Brice said. “My mom played in the World Series of softball (for Long Beach State). People just think, ‘Oh my dad’s the athlete.’ You’re totally wrong.”

Brian credits the athletic talents of his children to his wife Carrie.

“When I retired, we played a little bit of slow-pitch softball,” Brian said. “And it was so funny, man. She would play the outfield because she was a center fielder. And guys—you know guys—they’re going, ‘Oh, a girl’s got the ball. We’re going to run.’

“She would hose people. It was so funny. It was great.” (Carlos Collazo - Baseball America - 8/04/2017)

Brian now runs a baseball and softball training facility in Covina, California called Turnin 2. The facility is focused on handing down instruction from trainers who have experience playing at the highest level and providing a positive atmosphere that attempts to help athletes reach their goals in the sport. Brice hits balls every day at the facility. Maybe just a small bucket for a few minutes if he’s feeling good. When he’s struggling, he’ll ask his father to throw a few more.

For Brian, this is a way for him to provide the next generation with something he didn’t have. Brian grew up in a household where sports were on the periphery. No games were ever on TV, and after driving home from youth baseball games in which Brian performed poorly, his parents would compliment his efforts without knowing any better.

“I didn’t really come from an athletic background where sports was everything,” Brian said. “I’m a self-taught baseball player. We didn’t have instruction and stuff back then. I basically just went through the school of hard knocks. If this didn’t work, then I tried something different.

“We didn’t talk about mechanics . . . I never had to worry about that. All I had to worry about was, ‘How can I hit the ball hard consistently?’ I didn’t know anything else.”

So that’s what he teaches at Turnin 2, and that’s what he has taught Brice. Brian thinks about it in the same way that he thinks about learning how to walk. Once you figure out how to put one foot in front of the other and avoid tripping and falling over, not a lot of thought is needed. It’s natural. Simple. Basic. Easy.

“After you’re walking, you’re fine,” Brian said. “How long have you been swinging a bat? Almost as long as you’ve been walking. So why are we working on these simple, easy mechanics if it’s not working?”

Players begin to realize that hitting mechanics aren’t as important as results.

“At the end of the day, if I’m not barreling up the ball, I don’t care how good my mechanics are,” Brian said.

That simple approach has served Brice well. Scouts have already started comparing him with Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson while raving about his poise in the batter’s box.

“He’s a really advanced guy,” said a scout with an American League club. “He looks the part. He has that kind of body. He’s got the look to him . . . Just always stays cool and controlled.” (Collazo - BA - 8/04/2017)

The athletic background of the Turangs has naturally created a highly competitive family dynamic.

“It’s crazy, this family,” Brian said. “And shoot, I’m very competitive, but this family is ridiculously competitive. They hate losing more than they like winning. It’s unbelievable.”

Take, for example, a family cruise. Brian, along with Brianna’s husband Tress Way, a punter for the  Washington Redskins, started playing cornhole on the ship. Eventually, Brice and Brianna joined them. A few games turns into a few hours, and four players turned into every other person on the ship.

“We wound up challenging the whole boat,” Brian said. “My wife was just staring at us like, ‘OK, you’ve been playing cornhole for the last three and a half hours. We’re on family vacation here.’

“But me and Tress are running the boat.” (Collazo - BA - 8/04/2017)

One of Brice's favorite hobbies is bowling.

“When I’m not playing baseball, I bowl,” Brice said. “I’m like a 190, but I average about a 150. I love bowling.”

When Brice bowls, he tries to figure out how to hit his mark. He looks at the oil patterns on the floor and tries to figure out when the ball is going to break. Should he move a little to the left? A little to the right? His bowling approach is much more analytical than his approach at the plate, which is almost the exact opposite. He just steps in the box and hits.

When Brice steps into the batter’s box, he doesn’t think about much. He doesn’t guess which pitch is coming next or think about what happened in his last at-bat.

“I’m going to crush this pitch right back up the middle, that’s what I’m thinking,” he said. (Carlos Collazo - Baseball America - 8/04/2017)

During the 2018 high school season, Turang was under a high level of security as dozens of scouts flocked to his Corona, California games until the June draft.

“They are just people,” Turang said of the scouts. “They have to watch the game, too. And I can’t control what they think about me other than play my game. That’s it. That’s all I can do. . .

“I tell everyone, ‘I’m more nervous when my family comes and watches me than when scouts are here.’ ”

His coach, Ty De Trinidad, says the scrutiny had been going on for a few years.

Shortstop Brice Turang has to meet the lofty expectations he set years ago because SoCal area scouts have such a long history with him. 

Brice has a chance to be the rare lefthanded hitting high school shortstop to be drafted in the top 10 picks. The last to come off the board that early was Nick Gordon, whom the Twins took No. 5 overall in 2014.

Not much seems to faze Santiago High shortstop Brice Turang. Not the stiffest competition in one of the deepest baseball hotbeds in the country (Southern California), not international competition with USA Baseball’s 18U team (he hit .353 to rank second on the team last summer), and certainly not the high level of scrutiny he faces every game this spring as dozens of scouts flock to his Corona, Calif., high school to watch his every move just two months shy of the draft.

But the pressure on Turang this year is more intense than it’s ever been. Turang has played varsity for head coach Ty De Trinidad four straight years and has been a standout on the showcase circuit for much of that time.

Turang has been seen by pro teams as much as any high school player in this draft class, and he constantly has to try and reach the high bar that he set for himself during all those looks.

“I think there are times where he’s trying to do too much because there’s a lot of pressure on him,” De Trinidad said after Santiago lost a 2-1 game in the Boras Classic South tournament’s consolation bracket. “This year’s (tournament) group probably isn’t as talented as the years before. I think sometimes he feels he has to do everything. 

“I think for the most part he does a good job. But he’s still a kid and it bothers him, absolutely. Because he wants to do a good job, he wants to please. At the end of the day I think he stays pretty level-headed—probably sometimes better than I take it. He stays calm even after a mistake.”

Turang has to stay calm. The number of looks he has received from the scouting community is both a blessing and a curse.

It’s a blessing because since Turang’s junior year in 2016, when he made the 18U team as an underclassman, scouts saw that he was one of the most talented players on the field. And that field included the first two picks in the 2017 draft: shortstop Royce Lewis and righthander Hunter Greene.

The scrutiny is a curse because on days when he doesn’t look like that player—like the shortstop with plus-plus running ability, a polished hit tool, smooth defensive actions and impeccable strike-zone discipline—evaluators walk away from the field wanting more.

“The problem is he’s been on varsity for four years,” De Trinidad said. “And I think at times (scouts) just start to pick at him and look for flaws in his game . . . looking for reasons to fault him.”

Fortunately, Turang brings a calm demeanor to the field that allows him to brush aside the criticism and the nitpicking. You won’t see him get too high or too low. After a bad at-bat or a mistake on the bases or in the field, Turang moves on. He has a mentality that—similar to his play on the field—is mature beyond his 18 years.

“It’s a game of failure. You’re going to fail in this game,” Turang said, after a game in the Boras Classic where he uncharacteristically made a pair of errors in one inning. “Even the best players make errors. Even the best players strike out. And it’s just, ‘Why be upset and let it control my whole game?’ Yeah, I was frustrated after those errors . . . but I can’t let it affect my whole day.” (Carlos Colazzo - Baseball America - 5/18/2018)

June 2018: Turang was the Brewers #1 pick (#21 overall), out of Santiago High School in Corona, California. The scout was Wynn Pelzer. 

July 5, 2018: The Brewers officially signed Brice, via scout Wynn Pelzer. The two sides had until 4:00 p.m. CT on the July 6 to come to terms on a contract.  Turang, an LSU commit and California native, traded the chance to play college baseball to join the Brewers' organization.

"This was a tough decision," Turang said in a tweet. "It was an honor to be a part of the 2018 Draft, and I appreciate the Brewers for taking their chance on me!"  (Cohn - mlb.com - 7/5/18)

Not flashy but instinctual on the field, Turang possesses at least solid-average tools across the board.

“He’s a good ballplayer that wants to get better,” Brewers' rookie league manager Rafael Neda said after the 2018 season. “From the time he got to Arizona he made the adjustments … he has the ability to make adjustments with the bat and the glove.”

In 2019, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Brice as the 4th-best prospect in the Brewers' organization. He moved up to the #1 Brewer prospect in the winter before 2020 spring training. And he stayed at #1 in the spring of 2021. But he dropped to #2 in the off-season before 2022 spring training, behind only Aaron Ashby. And he was at #3 in the spring of 2023.

Turang has a chip on his shoulder after sliding down the draft.

Managers and coaches rave about Brice's character and makeup. He plays the game hard and is something of a baseball gym rat. He has a solid pedigree as the son of former Mariners outfielder Brian Turang.

“One of Brice’s strengths is he plays with an aura of confidence,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s swag, is what it is.

“Sometimes, that can be seen as cocky for our generation of older people, but it’s not cocky. He just carries himself with the right amount of confidence.”

The coronavirus pandemic robbed Turang of an official 2020 season, but the Brewers made sure he remained on a player development track at the alternate training site in Appleton, Wis. Turang separated himself from others and even showed budding power not previously displayed.

“It was awesome, learning from all those guys, being able to find new routines, making adjustments, all that,” Turang said. “I just treated it like baseball and played and competed every day.

“I’m always competitive in anything I do. Those pitchers were all so good. It was tough every day; there were no easy games. Baseball is baseball. You’ve got to step on the field ready to play, no matter how young or old you are.” (T. Haudricourt - BA- June 2021)

2021 Season: He had a solid, if unspectacular, season split between Double-A and Triple-A — a .258/.347/.362 slash in 496 plate appearances, with six home runs and 20 steals.

Scouts are still split on his power potential; Turang has a slender build and hasn’t shown much in-game pop in the minors. He has good bat speed and pitch recognition skills to help him make frequent contact, but without more consistent power he looks more like a second-division starter or utilityman. Turang is a plus athlete and BA scouts say his greatest development has come on defense, where he should be able to stick at shortstop for the long term.  (Kyle Lesniewski@Kyle_Lesniewski - Dec 14, 2021)

March 22, 2022: There are athletic families, and then there is the veritable Olympic team that is the Turang clan of Corona, Calif. 

The patriarch, Brian, is a one-time Brewers Draft pick who made it to the Major Leagues as a Mariners utility man in the early 1990s. The matriarch, Carrie, played in the NCAA softball championship for Long Beach State.

Their four daughters all played college athletics. Brianna won a national championship in softball at Oklahoma and played four years of soccer. Carissa played softball at Southern Miss and Cal State Fullerton. Cabria played four years of soccer at Utah. And Bailee was an all-conference outside hitter for the Southern Nazarene (Okla.) University volleyball team. Among the sisters’ spouses is a college pole vaulter and an NFL player. Brianna’s husband, Tress Way, is the punter for the Washington Commanders.

The youngest of the bunch is 22-year-old Brice, the Brewers’ third-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. He played baseball, basketball and football in high school and had a baseball scholarship waiting at LSU before the Brewers made him their first-round Draft pick in 2018, starting Turang on a career that’s seen him play young at every level. When he made it to Triple-A Nashville last year at 21, Turang was 5 1/2 years younger than the league’s average position player, per Baseball-Reference.

Dad has a hunch that familial competitiveness has played a role in Brice’s quick rise through pro baseball.

“It definitely gave him that edge because all of his sisters were better than him,” Brian Turang said. “He just wanted to keep up with them.”

That’s still happening today, be it in Wiffle Ball tournaments or pickup soccer matches. At Christmas, Brice said, there was a particularly competitive Nerf gun battle.

“We all compete, and we just love what we do,” said Brice Turang, who twice reached safely and tallied one of the Brewers' 14 hits in a 13-6 win over the Giants in Scottsdale. “That's for sure helped me with my career. I mean, I looked up to my sisters. They're all left-handed hitters, played the infield. For sure, that helped me in that aspect.”

Good genes help. The Brewers drafted Brian Turang in the 20th round in 1987, but he stayed in school and was drafted again by the Mariners two years later. Brian played eight seasons in the Minors and saw extended stints in Seattle in 1993 and ’94. (A McCalvy - MLB.com - March 22, 2022)

2022 Season: Triple-A Stats (131 G): 

.286/.360/.412 (.772), 24-2B, 2-3B, 13-HR, 78-RBI

Turang entered the season a top 100 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.

He spent the entire season as a 22-year-old in Triple-A. He started over 100 games at shortstop, but he also played at least seven games at second base, third base and center field. His range is average or slightly better than average, and he is pretty sure-handed and has a strong arm.

Offensively, he has a good knowledge of the strike zone. Once at a level, he could be a guy to walk almost as much as he strikes out. He has some gap-to-gap doubles power but could hit 15-20 homers in a season. And, he has good speed and instincts. He stole 34 bases and was caught just twice. He ended the season as Brewer Fanatics' #3 prospect. 

Before getting drafted, he had participated for Team USA in several international competitions. Despite his youth, and with the missed 2020 season, the Brewers pushed him to Double-A to start the 2021 season. He finished the year with 44 games in Nashville, and that’s where he spent the entire 2022 season. (Seth Stohs - Oct. 2, 2022)

March 14, 2023: The Brewers are taking fans behind the scenes with top prospects in a new documentary series.

Called “The Freshmen,” the docuseries comes from the Brewers’ in-house production team and will feature MLB Pipeline’s Top 5 Brewers prospects: Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer, Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell. Episodes will come in three weekly installments before Opening Day, with the potential for more episodes during the regular season.

“The thing I like about it is it’s not just a normal interview,” Turang said. “There’s meaning behind it. It’s allowing people to know us better as the younger guys coming in, and how we get along with each other.” 

Episode 1 introduces fans to the quartet of top position prospects in big league camp: Outfielders Frelick, Wiemer and Mitchell and infielder Turang, starting with Mitchell’s Major League debut last August and September. He was the first callup from this position player prospect wave, which has drawn comparisons to the mid-2000s group of Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart and eventually Ryan Braun. That crew helped lift the Brewers to postseason contention for the first time in a generation.

Like that prospect group, this one is all homegrown. Chourio was the Brewers’ top international signee in the class of 2020-21. The others are Draft picks; Turang in the first round in 2018 out of high school, Mitchell (first round) and Wiemer (fourth round) in 2020 out of college and Frelick (first round) in 2021, also out of college. Turang, Mitchell, Wiemer and Frelick were all both within 18 months of each other.

“I had a sneak preview, and it looks like they’ve done a great job with this,” Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan said. “Any time you can draw attention to these kinds of players, it’s a good thing for everybody. It’s a great behind-the-scenes look at these guys, maybe something different for the fans.”  

Besides wearing microphones in workouts and, in the case of Spring Training roommates Frelick and Wiemer, inviting cameras into their apartment, each of the players sat for extended documentary-style interviews and talked about the others.

“‘G’ is definitely the best behind the camera,” Wiemer said, referring to Mitchell. “Me, I’m not great behind the camera. But I got to see the first episode and I think it came out awesome. Not that I didn’t expect it to be good, but it exceeded expectations for me.” 

 “It’s fun to see what they came out with, and how it’s more getting to know us instead of us just running around and playing,” Turang said. “You actually get to hear us talking about each other.”

Episode 2 has off-the-field footage with Frelick and Wiemer at home. (The early word is that Frelick is quite an entertaining poker player.) Episode 2 also features Mitchell and his wife, professional softball player Haley Cruse Mitchell.

In Episode 3, fans will learn about the origin stories of each prospect in their own words, from Frelick’s New England upbringing to Wiemer’s Midwest roots in Michigan to Turang and Mitchell from Southern California. (Adam McCalvy)

April 3, 2023: Craig Counsell keeps urging everyone to watch closely while Brice Turang plays defense. But Turang keeps doing things to make you notice the bat.

With his parents in the stands for the Brewers’ sold-out home opener, the rookie second baseman smashed a grand slam for his first career home run to punctuate a seven-run fifth inning in a 10-0 win over the Mets at American Family Field that represented a smashing homecoming from start to finish.

“There was nothing I could change about it,” said Freddy Peralta, who combined with reliever Bryse Wilson on a three-hit shutout. “It was perfect.”

Peralta was in the clubhouse when the Brewers’ telecast showed Turang’s mother, Carrie, fighting emotions after her son became the fourth player in franchise history to hit a grand slam for his first career homer. That put Turang on an eclectic list with pitcher Shaun Marcum (July 4, 2011), light-hitting catcher Tim Unroe (May 3, 1997) and Bill Spiers (April 17, 1989).

The moment nearly made Peralta cry took, because it reminded him of his own debut back in 2018 on Mother’s Day, when he set a Brewers rookie record with 13 strikeouts against the Rockies. Peralta’s parents were in the stands that day with tears running down their faces. 

“It was one of those things that when he hit it, it was almost like, ‘No way,’” Carrie Turang said. “I just lost it. So many different emotions. I was proud of him, excited for him, all his hard work paying off.”

Turang, whose father, Brian, played for the Mariners in the early 1990s, is known for his glove but has proven a tough out since becoming the first player to make his Major League debut in the Brewers’ Opening Day lineup since J.J. Hardy in 2005.

With his grand slam off Mets reliever Tommy Hunter, Turang has reached safely in eight of his first 13 Major League plate appearances, starting with an infield single in his first at-bat on Opening Day at Wrigley Field. As the Brewers’ offense came alive, Turang reached safely four times. In his first game in front of the home fans, he walked, stole second base and scored in the third inning, singled in the fourth and then went deep in the fifth.

“That moment was sick, especially being on deck for it,” said fellow “freshman” Joey Wiemer, who made his own mark on the game by throwing out Daniel Vogelbach trying to stretch a single into a double in the second for Wiemer’s first career outfield assist. “Seeing the pitch coming in and hanging on that changeup and absolutely crushing it, that was fun to watch.” (A McCalvy - MLB.com - April 3, 2023)

June 6, 2023: Turang after being optioned to Triple-A Nashville: "Nobody ever wants to go back down when they come here. It’s part of the game," Turang said. "You see some of the best players in the big leagues have been optioned before. It’s part of your journey. You've got to produce up here and that’s what it’s about. I have to go back and get right. I’ll be back." 

Aug. 3, 2023: As a kid in Corona, Calif., outside Los Angeles, Turang was assigned uniform No. 13, and it stuck with him. He liked that if you connected the numbers, it formed a capital letter B. But as he grew older and learned more about his dad’s own career in professional baseball, Turang connected with No. 1.

How great would it be, he thought, to honor his dad by wearing that number in pro ball?

That idea hit a snag, however, when Brice was drafted into pro ball as Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2018. The Brewers retired No. 1 at the end of 2014 to honor their founder, Bud Selig, who was nearing retirement after 22 years as MLB Commissioner.

So Turang adopted No. 2.

“I thought it was cool that my dad was in the big leagues and he could be No. 1 and I’ll follow him and be No. 2,” Turang said. He liked the idea so much that in 2019, he got the tattoo on his shoulder.

Turang wore No. 2 in the Minors as he inched closer to the Majors, but now there was another snag. In Milwaukee, No. 2 belonged to Luis Urías, who actually preferred No. 3 but couldn’t have it because it belonged to Orlando Arcia when Urías was traded from the Padres to the Brewers in 2019. Urías wore No. 9 in San Diego, but that was Manny Piña’s in Milwaukee.

If you’re wondering who could possibly keep track of all of this, it’s Jason Shawger, the Brewers’ longtime equipment manager and a master of the small details. Knowing that Urías always liked No. 3, a plan was hatched to switch him to No. 3 and Turang to No. 2 next season.  But when Urías was dealt to the Red Sox at the last minute before the Trade Deadline, Shawger asked Turang if he wanted to move up the timeline. The master of details had already cleared it with MLB and the Brewers, and he had even phoned Urías, who’d been playing at Triple-A Nashville.

Urías, knowing how much No. 2 would mean to Turang, was all for it. And so was Turang. (Adam McCalvy)

Turang is very strong and has rapid bat speed. He has a 55 grade hit tool, and a 40 grade for his little bit of power. He is a real good contact hitter with a quick, compact swing and plus hit tool, Turang needs to get stronger to add more power to his game.

Brice stands out for his athleticism, plus speed and ability to control the strike zone. He tracks and recognizes pitches well, doesn't chase much and makes frequent contact with a flat swing path from the left side geared to hit line drives to all fields. While Turang has gotten stronger, he still has a slender frame and below-average power.

Turang whips the barrel through the zone well with good bat speed, but he will need to drive the ball with more impact moving forward. Some believe Turang can develop into a 15-20 home run hitter as he gets into his physical prime and learns which pitches he can pull, but others are skeptical he will get there. (Ben Badler - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023) 

Brice works well within the strike zone with walk rates typically above 10 percent across his Minor League career and strikeout rates that are above average for the modern game. He is capable of hard contact, but it hasn’t translated into game power just yet. That could be because he’s yet to be age-appropriate for a league, and the Brewers are hopeful he can add strength as he matures, leading for the potential for around 15 home runs per season in the Majors.

He’ll have to reverse a 53 percent groundball rate for Nashville to send balls over the wall with that regularity. (Spring 2022) 

Brice does a fine job of controlling the strike zone. He tracks and recognizes pitches well, doesn't chase much and makes frequent contact with a flat swing path from the left side geared to hit line drives to all fields. While Turang has gotten stronger, he still has a slender frame and below-average power. Turang whips the barrel through the zone well with good bat speed, but he will need to drive the ball with more impact moving forward.

Some believe Turang can develop into a 15-20 home run hitter as he gets into his physical prime and learns which pitches he can pull, but others are skeptical he will get there. 

Turang has the talent to be an above-average regular if he adds power. If he doesn’t, he may be more of a utilityman or a low-end regular. (Ben Badler - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

Plus hitting ability and speed is at the heart of Turang’s offensive game. He makes a lot of hard line-drive contact from line to line using a smooth left-handed swing that he controls well. Turang’s on-base skills are fueled by his mature approach and ability to identify pitches -- a combination which helped him lead Milwaukee’s system in walks (83) in his first full season. And he earns high marks from club officials for how he consistently puts together strong at-bats.

He knows how to put his plus wheels to use on the basepaths and was successful in 30 of 35 steal attempts in 2019. Turang has continually added strength in pro ball and showed improved exit velocities at the alternate training site. He has enough pop to project double-digit home run totals in his prime, though he’s more likely to rack up doubles and triples than clear fences consistently as a big leaguer. (Spring 2021)

Brice 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.

Brice didn’t change his swing, but he added strength and adjusted his approach in favorable counts to drive the ball for more damage. (Ben Badler - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2021)

Turang scuffled at the plate after receiving a late promotion from Class A Wisconsin to Class A Advanced Carolina but still enjoyed a solid first full season, batting .256/.367/.340 with 82 runs and 30 steals across two levels. The 20-year-old may never offer much in the way of power, but he is a future above-average hitter with an advanced approach and plus speed that he uses to impact the game once on base. (Spring 2020)

Brice has everything you want at the top of the lineup as a lefthanded hitter who makes contact, puts the ball in play and creates pressure on the defense with his speed. He gained about 10 pounds since being drafted and showed more pop at the plate, but most evaluators see him topping out at 10-15 home runs. (Spring, 2020)

Turang does everything reasonably well and could have four average-or-better tools once fully developed. His above-average bat and plus speed fuel his offensive game, as he makes a lot of hard, line-drive contact from the left side of the plate, with an advanced approach that netted him a system-leading 83 walks in his first full season. Turang already has added strength since signing and shows flashes of power during games, but he’s more likely to be a source of extra-base hits than home-run power at the highest level, with double-digit homers representing his likely power ceiling.  (Spring 2020)

Brice displays exceptional bat-to-ball ability and pitch recognition are the foundation of what may be the best pure hit tool in the 2018 high school draft class. He has an exceptional knowledge of the strike zone and a patient approach at the plate.

His strength is in his approach at the plate and his ability to make hard contact, with an all-fields approach. Seemingly always in control of his at-bats, Turang has a simple yet effective approach when he steps to the plate:

“I’m going to crush this pitch right back up the middle, that’s what I’m thinking,” he said. “I don’t guess pitches. I’m going to sit and I’m going to smash this pitch.”

Brice focuses on making hard contact.

"I always have something I work on,” Turang said. “I’m working on something every time I go into the cage. This year it was more of, ‘Let’s try not to just make contact. Let’s try to crush this ball.’ That’s what’s really gotten me into going to the home runs, hitting more gap-to-gap shots.” (May, 2018)

2020 Season: Top position prospect: Brice Turang, SS (No. 2 on Brewers Top 30)

One of the more advanced high school position players in his 2018 Draft class, Turang lived up to his reputation by reaching Class A Advanced Carolina in his first full season, ultimately slashing .256/.367/.340 across two levels at age 19.

The only thing Turang didn’t do is hit for power, tallying only 3 home runs in 564 trips to the plate. But that’s exactly why the Brewers liked what they saw from their young shortstop over the summer at the team’s alternate training site in Appleton, Wisc.

“Brice put together some impressive at-bats against some really good pitching, and he appeared to show some improved pop,” said Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan. “In general, we felt guys really benefited from the quality of at-bats they received at the alternate training site -- every night they were facing quality arms and plus stuff.”

Turang’s present bat-to-ball skills and remaining physical projection suggest that he might grow into some sneaky, double-digit home run power. Even if he doesn’t, Turang’s other tools and underlying baseball skills could allow him to develop into a valuable big league middle infielder. (M Rosenbaum - MLB.com - Oct 6, 2020)

Brice Turang's Accidental Change in Lumber. Fans probably noticed the oversized knob of the Brewers' sophomore middle infielder in the team's first televised Cactus League game. It's noticeable, right away, but Turang said it was the furthest thing from a conscious, calculated change of equipment.

"I was getting my bats shipped back home, and the company lost them," Brice said. "They couldn’t find them, nothing. And I only had one of these bats at home, so I started using it, and I ended up liking it. So ever since then, I’ve been using it."

All of the bats sticking out of Turang's locker inside the team's clubhouse at American Family Fields of Phoenix have the same style handle, so don't expect him to abandon his unexpected find soon. On the other hand, don't expect a hitter with an overhauled approach at the plate, either. (Matthew Trueblood - Feb. 28, 2024)

2023 Season: There were at least three seasons within Brice Turang's rookie campaign. He started so cold that, despite his dazzling glove work at the keystone, the Brewers sent him down to Triple A in early June, and he didn't make it back until the very end of the month. Once he did return, though, he caught lightning in a bottle for a bit. Then, right when the rest of the offense was running on all cylinders and the team charged smoothly into the postseason, Turang fell apart again. (Matthew Trueblood - Jan. 15, 2024)

For a first year in the major leagues, Brice Turang’s 2023 campaign was largely forgettable. His 62 OPS+ was last among all qualified Brewers, while his .585 OPS was only behind Tim Anderson for worst among big-league hitters with at least 400 plate appearances. Even a 15-game stint in Triple-A in the middle of the season only briefly jumpstarted his offensive production, as Turang hit .259/.362/.398 from late June through early August but a moribund .200/.255/.208 the rest of the way.

Analytically, Turang fared worse than ever down the stretch. His quality of contact metrics were among the worst in baseball, while his plate discipline metrics were only average. Even Truang’s calling card (plus defense on the middle infield) was only slightly above average by Outs Above Average. What’s even more shocking was Turang’s consistency. No matter the location, time of day, or handedness of the pitcher, Turang was well below the average major-league hitter. ( Kyle Ginsbach - Feb. 27, 2024)

Turang reached base with a hit 65 times last year in 130 games played (50.0%), including multiple hits in 14.6% of them (19 times).Out of the 130 games he logged a plate appearance last season, he went yard in six contests (4.6%), hitting a home run in 1.3% of his trips to the plate.In 30.8% of his games last season (40 of 130), Turang scored at least a run, and in six of those games (4.6%) recorded more than one run scored.

He drove in a run in 22 contests this year in 130 games played (16.9%), including eight multi-RBI outings (6.2%). He also was responsible for three or more of his team’s runs in three contests.In 58.5% of his games last season (76 of 130), Turang struck out one or more times, and in 19 of those games (14.6%) he registered two or more strikeouts.

2024 Season:  619 PA, .254/.316/.349, 142 H, 24 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 57 RBI, 50 SB, 85 OPS+

Last year, Brice Turang was a solid rookie with good fielding ability and poor results at the plate. His 61 OPS+ was one of the worst marks for any qualified hitter in baseball, somehow even worse than Javier Báez’s own 63 OPS+ in 2023. The primary difference between Turang and Báez is, however, that the former took a big step forward while the latter took a step all the way back to the bench. 

The biggest lift to his numbers came from a significant improvement in his approach against big-league heaters. He averaged just .198 against four-seam fastballs in 2023 but bumped it all the way up to a .308 average this year. He didn’t hit for much power, but his strong plate discipline helped push his on-base percentage above .300 and showed the world how much of a basepath menace he really is. His 50 stolen bases were third in all of MLB behind just Elly De La Cruz and Shohei Ohtani.

He even managed a 1.227 OPS in the 12 postseason plate appearances he had against the Mets, accumulating five hits and three doubles.

He won a Gold Glove for second base. And his overall WAR was an impressive 4.7. (Jason Wong - Oct. 8, 2024)

Brice displays fluid, clean actions at shortstop. He takes great angles to the ball covering a whole lot of ground up the middle. He has good instincts and a great first step to ground balls. Both his fielding and his arm are 50 grade.

Turang has proven himself a reliable defender at shortstop. He has good anticipation, moves his hands and feet well and has good body control. While some previously thought Turang might end up at second base, he has quieted those concerns by showing improved range to his left and at least average arm strength. (BAPH - Spring, 2023)

With Willy Adames already entrenched at the shortstop position in Milwaukee, second base and third base are Turang's most likely MLB entry points.

“Brice has put himself in a good position to come to major league camp this spring and compete,” Brewers vice president of minor league operations Tom Flanagan said in the spring of 2023. “I’m confident if the need arises and he is called upon, Brice would be able to step into a major league role and perform if needed.”

As slugging questions remain, the 6-foot infielder has provided more answers on defense, and he projects to be at least an above-average shortstop, thanks to improved range and overall playmaking ability. Where there were once concerns about moving over to second, that may now only happen if the Major League roster construction requires it. Turang’s likelihood to stick at the six gives him a higher floor, and he could be a solid regular if that average pop does eventually come around. (Spring 2022)

Turang's most noticeable strides have come on defense, where he has proven himself a reliable, 50 grade defender at shortstop. He has good anticipation, moves his hands and feet well and has good body control. While some previously thought Turang might end up at second base, he has quieted those concerns by showing improved range to his left and at least average 50 or 55 grade arm strength.

The Brewers have few doubts about Turang’s ability to remain a shortstop. He has solid defensive tools across the board, including actions, hands and arm strength that are above average for the position, and he possesses the type of high baseball IQ and makeup that could help him exceed expectations and projections as a big leaguer. At the least, Turang looks like a future regular who will hit for average, get on base and steal some bags, all while providing quality defense at a premium position. (Spring 2021)

He has sure hands and good footwork and a strong enough arm to remain at shortstop. He makes all of the plays. 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.

Turang can stick at shortstop. He has advanced instincts defensively and does an excellent job covering ground up the middle, getting his feet around the ball and in line towards his target, helping a solid arm play up. His hands are quick on transfers, and his feet are light and sure on plays around the bag.

Brice doesn't have plus arm strength, but he can throw from any angle and always makes the play. He uses his athleticism to make difficult plays and throws.

He can make the backhand play from deep in the hole, displaying impressive footwork by lining his feet up to first base before fielding the ball and making an accurate, chest-high throw to first base.

“His baseball IQ is advanced for his age,” Helena manager Nestor Corredor said in 2018. “He’s very friendly, a good teammate, and easy to coach. The good thing about him is that he was easy to coach the Brewers’ way ... he was willing to learn the newest stuff.”

He projects as a solid regular who can probably remain at shortstop. He gets a real good first step to the ball.

But the Brewers have also played Turang at second base on multiple occasions in hopes of expanding his versatility. 

"He plays hard,” one scout said. "He’s going to develop power, I think. He has a chance for plus-hit, some on-base skills and runs a bit, but it’s going to come down to how good a defensive player he is. He’s not going to produce runs, so he’s going to have to stop runs. Does he stay at shortstop? That’s a tough one.”

Turang’s major league bloodlines give him a leg up in the realm of natural instincts, but ultimately he’ll need to take everything he does well and simply add polish to the right areas. (Emily Waldon - Baseball America - Oct. 2019)

2022: Brewers Best Defensive Prospect - Brice Turang, SS (No. 3)

There were times in recent years when Milwaukee officials wondered whether the 2018 first-rounder could stick at short or if a permanent move to second base was in the offing. These days, those same officials are calling him the best defender in the system, ahead of speedy outfielders like Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell.

His range has improved on the left side, while his hands and actions remain at least above average. (Mayo, Callis, Dykstra - MLB.com - Feb 24, 2022)

GOLD GLOVER

Brice is speedy, consistently clocked at 3.9 seconds down the line. He has 60 grade speed.