Brewers' Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for 2026: Right Field

[Harold Hutchison]

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sal Frelick’s emergence as a crucial component of Milwaukee’s lineup has been overshadowed by the breakout of Brice Turang, the veteran presence of Christian Yelich, the day-to-day consistency of William Contreras, and the high ceiling of Jackson Chourio. But Frelick has provided excellent defense and much-improved offense since coming up in mid-2023. What does 2026 hold for him—and the Brewers—in right field?

2025 In Review
Frelick’s offensive improvement made it easy to overlook the fact that his defense was still Gold Glove-caliber. In fact, he was also a capable option in center field, taking part in a spectacular play in Game 1 of the NLCS once injuries forced him to move there. But the offensive improvement, from an 84 OPS+ to a 111 OPS+, was significant, and the hope is that, as Turang did from 2024 to 2025, Frelick can make yet another leap.

Current Roster Situation
Frelick is entrenched in right field, but theoretically, he's not the team's only option. On the current roster, Jackson Chourio spent 20 games in right, while Jake Bauers added five games. Since-departed Daz Cameron and Isaac Collins combined for 20 games, Brandon Lockridge played seven games, and Tyler Black had a single appearance in right field. Luis Rengifo has had sporadic experience in right field, while Jett Williams could possibly fill in there, as well.

Other options on the 40-man include Akil Baddoo (who’s mostly spent time in left field and center field) and Steward Berroa. These are more “emergency” options than players the Brewers would want to use regularly in right field, though.

Some of these players are more natural fits for right field than others, but it never hurts to have a plethora of usable guys at a given spot, especially after the Brewers had to hold an outfield together with duct tape and some panic transactions in 2025 due to injuries that sidelined Blake Perkins, Garrett Mitchell, Chourio and Bauers, as well as (briefly) Frelick himself.

Best-Case Scenario
Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio combine for about 150 starts in right field, with Frelick getting the vast majority of them. Chourio is no slouch in right, but if things go well for the Brewers, Frelick will be the primary starter in right field, while Chourio gets almost all of the starts in left.

In essence, the Brewers’ best-case scenario is not so much dependent on Chourio and/or Frelick performing well. That's an as-expected outcome; both are relatively known quantities and could actually be improving in 2026. Rather, it's about what them playing there implies about the rest of the roster. If Frelick and Chourio combine for almost all of the starts in right field, it means that the Brewers have had excellent contributions in center field from the combination of Mitchell, Perkins, and Williams. That would be good news for Milwaukee’s chances for a fourth straight NL Central title.

Worst-Case Scenario
Jake Bauers and/or Brandon Lockridge get more than 10 starts in right field. This, again, would probably happen not because of some failure by Frelick, but because of a string of injury emergencies. If Bauers is playing there often, Frelick is in center, where his size does slightly more to diminish his range than it does in a corner. If Lockridge is playing there, it must be because either Mitchell or Perkins is healthy, but Frelick isn't, and Bauers has to spend more time at first base. Either way, it's not good news.

Overview
The Brewers hit with Frelick in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft. He’s emerged as a solid all-around player who could be a pesky leadoff hitter against righties. The big question in right field isn’t so much how Frelick performs; it’s how center field shakes out.

Of course, other X factors could affect things. The Brewers could make a deal in the middle of spring training or during the season that reshuffles the active roster. A prospect could force their way to Milwaukee by dominating at Triple-A Nashville or Double-A Biloxi.

But for now, Sal Frelick is perhaps the best option for the Brewers in right field—and he's probably as safe a bet to soak up that playing time and be average-plus as any player the team has at any position.

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