Milwaukee Brewers Select OF Sal Frelick in First Round of MLB Draft
By Paul Bretl
With several college arms still on the board, including Jordan Wicks and Ty Madden, as well as a few shortstops in Kahlil Watson and Matt McLain, I have to say that I thought the Milwaukee Brewers were going to use the 15th overall pick on one of those positions. However, the Crew went in another direction, selecting Boston College outfielder Sal Frelick.
Standing just 5’9″ and weighing 175 pounds, the left-handed Frelick is on the smaller side, but as Brewers area scout Ty Blankmeyer told reporters after the selection, “he plays bigger than his stature.” During his junior season with the Golden Eagles, Frelick slashed .359/.443/..559, totaling a 1.002 OPS over 48 games. He would also record 17 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 13 stolen bases, and 27 walks in his 228 plate appearances.
Over his three-year career, Frelick has a .345 average and a .956 OPS. He also has a few years of experience playing in the Futures Collegiate Summer League. In addition to playing center field, Frelick also has some experience along the infield, primarily at second base and shortstop.
According to MLB.com, Frelick is the 11th rated prospect in this year’s draft. For more on his game, here is some of what they had to say about him in his pre-draft scouting report:
"“Frelick was a three-sport star in high school, playing football, hockey and baseball at a high level. That athleticism is a big part of his game, with his easy speed helping him defensively and on the basepaths. Offensively, he has a strong history of making contact and getting on base. He walked more than he struck out in 2019 and ’20 combined and has very impressive bat-to-ball skills along with plus bat speed, pointing to future potential as a plus hitter. He’s deceptively strong with good extra-base ability, and he could eventually get to average power from the left side of the plate.”"
Under the David Stearns’ regime, the Milwaukee Brewers have tended to draft position players early on, particularly those who play up the middle — centerfield, shortstop, and second base — as well as good athletes–and the selection of Frelick checks all three of those boxes. Not to mention that he brings some defensive versatility, which once again, is something that we know Stearns and Co. covet.
"“He’s a winner, man. That’s the No. 1 thing,” said Blankmeyere via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He’s a competitive kid; he’s really engaging. All his teamates gravitate toward him. He’s got that ‘it’ factor when he walks on the field. Every day, there was something he did to give his team a chance to win. So, he’s a winner.”"
After drafting Garrett Mitchell in the first round of last year’s draft, this is the second year in a row that the Milwaukee Brewers have drafted a centerfielder with their first selection.