Even Brewers shortstop 'surprised' at early success

Jorge L. Ortiz | USA TODAY Sports

SAN FRANCISCO -- The National League hits leader has his name mispronounced all the time. He was projected by scouts as a possible major league second baseman, certainly not a star-caliber shortstop. And he was supposed to be the Milwaukee Brewers' eighth-place hitter.proving

Jean Segura, 23, has blown away expectations in his first full season in the majors, earning a spot in the All-Star Game, maintaining a batting average of better than .310 all year and establishing himself as one of the Brewers' most indispensable figures.

At some point, people might even start pronouncing his first name correctly — JAHN instead of GENE — or even call him Jean Carlos as his buddies in the Dominican Republic do.

That's not a big issue for Segura, who arrived in the USA in 2007 as a soft-spoken 17-year-old who was not about to correct folks when they said his name incorrectly. His main concern was helping to provide for his family back home by working his way to the majors.

He made it last year after the Brewers acquired him in the trade that sent Zack Greinke to the Los Angeles Angels, and this season he truly has arrived with an NL-best 139 hits, as well as a .314 average, 12 home runs, eight triples and 32 stolen bases.

"It's been surprising; I'm not going to lie. I wasn't expecting to do so many things in a short time," Segura said in Spanish. "That's a blessing from God based on your work and your dedication. The success doesn't come out of nowhere. You have to work. God gives you the talent, but as the saying goes, 'Help yourself and I'll help you.'"

In a season gone terribly wrong for Milwaukee — a last-place club beset by injuries and dealing with the 65-game drug suspension of slugger Ryan Braun — the emergence of Segura has provided a rare bright spot.

Brewers scouts liked Segura's skills but debated whether his 5-10, 200-pound build left him better suited to play second base.

Segura has eradicated that notion.

"He can make plays not too many shortstops can make, because he's got great range and he's got a really strong and quick arm," manager Ron Roenicke said. "We saw that last year, but he wasn't consistent. This year he was consistent. The first half of the season, he played unbelievable."

Segura did not figure to get called up from Class AA Huntsville (Ala.) after the trade, but injuries forced the Brewers' hand. He held his own with Milwaukee by hitting .264 and handling his defensive duties well, then won the batting crown in the Dominican winter league with a .324 average for Gigantes del Cibao.

Segura continued spraying line drives in the spring, and Roenicke moved him from eighth in the batting order to second after the third game of the season. That's his preferred spot, although he enjoyed it better when Braun was batting behind him.

With Braun out either because of injury or suspension for most of July and all of August, Segura is batting .254 in the second half. He posted a .325 average before the break.

"Pitchers are not stupid. They adjust to you, and you have to adjust back," Segura said. "I was hitting in front of Ryan Braun, so the pitchers didn't want me on base and they would throw me strikes. They know if I get on base, I could steal or create something."

Opponents say he's still capable of doing plenty of damage.

"He's the kind of player who can beat you in many different ways — with his glove, his legs, his bat," said San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro. "And he's fun to watch. He's entertaining."