Frelick took a step forward in year two, earning his first career Gold Glove
We’re kicking off our ranking of the Brewers’ 10 most valuable players in 2024 with outfielder Sal Frelick. Frelick finished the season with 2.1 bWAR and 1.5 fWAR, good for 10th and 11th on the team, respectively.
Frelick, still just 24 until early next season, may not provide a ton offensively, but he makes up for it with solid defense. Per Baseball Savant, he ranks in the 91st percentile in outs above average (7 OAA), in the 67th percentile in arm value, and in the 68th percentile in arm strength.
Offensively, he ranks in the bottom 10% in xwOBA (fifth percentile), xSLG (first percentile), average exit velocity (first percentile), barrel rate (first percentile), hard-hit rate (first percentile), and bat speed (third percentile). What he sacrifices in hard contact he makes up for with consistent contact, as he ranks in the 98th percentile in whiff rate and the 90th percentile in strikeout rate.
Pair all of that with elite speed (94th percentile), and you get a consistent role player who provides above-average defense, enough to earn a Gold Glove Award as he did in 2024.
Frelick ultimately finished the season hitting .259/.320/.335 (83 OPS+) with 123 hits, including 22 doubles, four triples, and a pair of homers. He drove in 32 runs, scored 66 of his own, and stole 18 bases. Defensively, he had the best range factor among NL right fielders and led NL right fielders in assists with six.
Frelick also had a solid NL Wild Card Series against the Mets, picking up four hits across 11 at-bats (.364 batting average), including a big home run in the decisive game three (despite the disappointing outcome).
The 24-year-old finished with a solid sophomore season, and it’ll be interesting to see if he takes another step forward in 2025 as Milwaukee once again looks to have a crowded outfield heading into the offseason.
We’ll continue our rankings of the 10 most valuable Brewers each Monday and Wednesday into early December. Come back this Wednesday to see who we have at No. 9.
- Sal Frelick (2.1 bWAR, 1.5 fWAR)