Indios de Ciudad Juárez
In 1983, the Brewers purchased his contract from Indios de Ciudad Juárez of the Mexican League. After one year in the minor leagues, Higuera earned a spot in the team's 1985 rotation after winning a competition with Japanese pitcher Yutaka Enatsu. In his first season with Milwaukee, he posted a 15–8 record with a 3.90 ERA en route to winning The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award in 1985.