Sal Frelick's recent struggles have sparked debate among fans and analysts alike. While his offensive performance has been underwhelming, with a decline in key metrics, the real concern lies in his defensive capabilities. The article delves into Frelick's performance, highlighting his poor exit velocities, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage, which are all indicators of his hitting struggles. The author argues that Frelick's high ground ball percentage and topped balls are the main culprits, leading to a low BABIP and poor launch angles. Despite these issues, the writer emphasizes that Frelick's defensive decline is more alarming. Statcast's defensive metric, Outs Above Average, shows a significant drop in 2026, with Frelick now in the 28th percentile. This is a stark contrast to his 85th percentile in 2025 and 79th percentile in 2024. The author speculates that Frelick might be playing injured, but questions why his sprint speed hasn't been affected. The piece concludes by advocating for patience with Frelick, citing his young age, solid major-league experience, and positive signs of improvement. The author suggests that Frelick's future success depends on addressing his hitting and defensive concerns, and that the Brewers should give him the opportunity to prove his worth.
