Sal Frelick Is Ready To Make Contact In Milwaukee

With so much emphasis placed on launch angle and home runs in recent years, Sal Frelick is something of an outlier.

He might also be a breath of fresh air for a Brewers offense that has been stagnant since 2020.

Frelick, an outfielder drafted 15th overall out of Boston College in 2021, has rocketed through Milwaukee’s system thanks in large part to his ability to make contact. He enters 2023 on the precipice of his MLB debut.

He zoomed from High-A to Triple-A in 2022 and improved at each level.

“Crazy,” is how Frelick described 2022. “The most games I had played in a season was (48) in college. So to get a full season (119) under my belt was really important, and to play well at the same time was really good, too.

“I have big expectations for this year.”

Frelick plays all three outfield spots and stole 24 bases, but his contact allowed for his rapid rise. 

Frelick hit a combined .331/.403/.480 while striking out just 63 times in 562 plate appearances among the three levels. His line at Nashville—.365/.435/.508 with just 16 strikeouts in 46 games plate—stood out.

Those same skills will likely earn Frelick his first taste of the majors this season and should keep him around for years to come as part of the Brewers’ next outfield wave along with Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer and Jackson Chourio.

“My job offensively is getting on base, so that means not striking out,” Frelick said. “That’s what I’ve been working toward since high school—just put the ball in play, and especially with two strikes.”

MICRO BREWS

— Monte Harrison’s career has come full circle. Drafted in the second round by the Brewers in 2014 and traded to Miami in 2018 as part of the four-player package that brought Christian Yelich to Milwaukee, Harrison will be in major league camp on a minor league deal with his original organization. Expected to be an outfield depth option at Triple-A Nashville, Harrison has played a total of 50 major league games with the Marlins and the Angels.

— One player to watch this spring for the Brewers will be righthander Gus Varland, who will attempt to make their remade major league bullpen as a Rule 5 draftee from the Dodgers. Varland, 26, faces an uphill battle after going 4-4, 6.11 with a 1.64 WHIP in 41 appearances (seven starts) at Double-A Tulsa in 2022.