Sizing up a winning baseball club

Once upon a time, Missions shortstop Mauricio Dubón was feeling exceedingly good after an emotional victory.
Actually, euphoric was probably a better description of Dubon's mood after he had hit a single in the bottom of the ninth to drive in the tying and winning runs in the team's first home game as a Pacific Coast League franchise.
"We have great chemistry," Dubon said at the time. "We have a pretty good team, too. I keep joking with the guys. 'We're the Golden State (Warriors) of the PCL.' "
Coming after the Missions' sixth game on April 9, it was sort of a crazy comment.
And, yes, he admitted that he made the statement in jest.
But it's something that comes to mind once again with a four-game home series against the Omaha Storm Chasers opening Thursday night at Wolff Stadium.
Taken in context of recent events, it's a statement that forces you to think about certain things.
Notably, how good is this team?
Well, right now, it's 34-20, including 18-7 at home.
It's in first place in the PCL's American Southern Division, a game and a half ahead of the Round Rock Express.
Furthermore, it's a team that has just won six in a row on the road at Memphis, and 13 of its last 16 overall.
How did this happen, and where will it lead?
Here are some of my thoughts, with the team having moved 14 games over .500 for the first time this season:
Stocked with talent
It's pretty obvious by now that the Brewers' front office wanted a competitive team in San Antonio in the first year of the new player development contract.
Not only did the Brewers send some of their best young players to the Triple-A Missions, but they also added impact veterans with major league experience up and down the roster.
Position players like Tyler Saladino, Cory Spangenberg, Nate Orf and David Freitas have helped supply the Missions with a steady stream of quality at bats and clutch hits.
Top-notch pitching has also been a constant with a staff that features veteran starters Aaron Wilkerson and Burch Smith.
At the start of the season, the bullpen looked extremely shaky.
But now, under the tutelage of pitching coach Fred Dabney, the pen has emerged as one of the best in the PCL, highlighted by the likes of Jay Jackson, Jake Petricka and Taylor Williams.
The Missions have forged an earned run average of 3.52, the best in the PCL.
Backed by an extremely capable defense, the staff has also recorded eight shutouts, the most of any team in Triple-A.
Examining the record
How good are the Missions?
It's important to look at the question from more than one vantage point.
First, it's a fact that they have beefed up their record by dominating struggling teams in Memphis (winning 13 of 16 against the Redbirds) and Oklahoma City (winning seven of 10).
But, it's also true that they have stayed on course with a lineup that has been hit with injuries to several key players.
Even now, the Missions are winning with starting outfielders Corey Ray and Tyrone Taylor on the injured list.
And that doesn't even take into account call-ups of prominent players to the Brewers.
Adrian Houser, the team's opening-day starter, remains in the major leagues. Keston Hiura, a .333 hitter with 11 homers through 37 games, is also with the Brewers.
He's been up for two weeks.
So, yes, the Redbirds are a bad team right now, and the Missions will face tougher competition in the weeks to come.
But, it's also safe to say that they have learned to adjust to when things get tough.
The latest victory
At Memphis on Wednesday night, the Missions won 3-2 against the Redbirds with a typical blend of youth and experience.
The 24-year-old Dubon, who is on a hot streak, sparked a three-run, third-inning rally with a high-chop RBI single that bounced through third baseman Max Schrock.
Later, the veterans produced, as Saladino doubled and Spangenberg hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the other runs.
Jimmy Nelson pitched five innings of three-hit ball, allowing one run (unearned), while striking out seven, and then Jackson closed in the ninth for his fifth save.  
Eye on the prospects
Coming into the season, Hiura was rated as the top prospect in the Brewers' system, according to the experts at MLB Pipeline.
He was followed by Ray at No. 2, Dubon (No. 5), pitcher Zack Brown (6), infielder Lucas Erceg (8) and outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. (13).
Hiura has enjoyed the most success, obviously, with the 22-year-old infielder hanging tough and hitting .261 against major league pitching.
Ray, on the other hand, hasn't been able to put it together yet because of a finger injury that has landed him on the injured list twice.  
The fleet center fielder is batting .178 with three homers in 25 games with the Missions.
A former first-round draft choice out of Louisville, Ray went on the IL for the second time on May 23, with a club official saying he'd be out 4-6 weeks.
Dubon, meanwhile, is starting to find a rhythm with his offense again.
A flashy shortstop from Honduras, his average climbed to .285 after he produced 13 hits in 21 at bats in the six-game sweep at Memphis.
Moreover, Dubon has hit safely in five straight games and in 13 of his last 14.
Brown (1-3, 5.33) will get the start Thursday night against Omaha, trying for his first win since April 26.
Struggling with his location of late, the Brewers' 2018 minor league pitcher of the year has given up 17 earned runs in 21.1 innings in five starts in May.
Meanwhile, Erceg and Stokes are in a bit of a struggle at the plate. Erceg was 4 for 21 on the road trip, while Stokes went 3 for 24.
As for the overall level of play from this group, who knows where it will be in July and August? It's hard to predict, especially with the uncertainty of an injury mixed in.
But, I would venture to say that the production of the Brewers' top prospects might very well hold one of the keys to the Missions' success come September.
Really, though, it's just a matter of everyone playing at the highest level possible.
Sort of like a certain West Coast NBA dynasty.