It hasn't been an easy year for Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt, to some extent. The 26-year-old former Gold Glove winner is working his way back from a right shoulder strain on assignment with Triple-A Nashville and has only appeared in 90 games for the Brew Crew thus far into the season, but that doesn't mean he gets a free pass.
In his absence, the Brewers have gotten a glimpse of another exciting up-and-comer in Luis Lara, whose athletic talents, hawkish ball-tracking, and upside as a switch-hitter have injected some undeniable energy into the lineup through the ups and downs. So with another fascinating player at his position, Frelick would be wise to look over his shoulder, and the underlying metrics support it.
A recent analysis from Thomas Nestico ranked Sal Frelick as the 10th-biggest faller in wRC+, or Weighted Runs Created Plus, from 2025 to 2026 at -38. This would be a far more understandable issue if there were broader injury concerns, or if he were a veteran, but this isn't a great sign for a player in his fourth year in the majors, and while his glove is undeniable, the Brewers need offensive help badly as they enter the home stretch of the season.
Sal Frelick's future as the starting right fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers is coming into question.
As posited by our friends over at Reviewing The Brew, the most likely outcome when Frelick returns is that Brandon Lockridge is optioned back to the minor leagues to make space on the active roster. Lara has been more active and frankly more impactful during his time on the field since Frelick went down, making some of the biggest plays of the post-All-Star break stretch.
But Lara's presence also puts some pressure on Frelick to return to form. Although he's ranking well in strikeout percentage and whiff percentage on the season, Frelick is posting career-lows in batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage, and he's one of the only players on the team with a negative WAR. And while their raw averages aren't that far off from each other, Lara's overall statistical profile has been stronger than Frelick's this season.
So as they navigate the late-season stretch and how to dole out their playing time, the Milwaukee Brewers might have to make some hard decisions regarding who will get minutes when. If they move toward more of a platoon approach to the position, they could deploy Frelick more strategically and help him get his confidence back while leaning on Lara as a high-leverage option at right field.
But if things keep trending in this direction, there's a chance Lara could steal Frelick's spot in the rotation in the long run.
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