Sal Frelick's Latest Amazing Catch Was Another Reminder of His Excellence in Right Field

Before a seven-run second inning that gave the Brewers a healthy lead they would not relinquish against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sal Frelick briefly took center stage with a tremendous catch to begin the bottom of the first inning.

Corbin Carroll laced a hard fly ball that would have barely cleared the wall in right field for a game-tying home run, but Frelick tracked it over his shoulder and made a leaping grab, snatching the ball and hanging onto it as he slammed into one of the padded beams along the fence.

In a way, it was fitting that several captivating moments – the lineup’s outburst, Christian Yelich’s outstanding performance in the Bally Sports Wisconsin broadcast booth, and the sudden tension when Andruw Monasterio’s nightmarish eighth inning at third base spawned a four-run frame for Arizona – quickly and repeatedly redirected spectator attention away from Frelick’s catch. Overlooked excellence in the field has been a theme of his season.

Frelick has arguably been the best defensive right fielder in baseball this year. He leads right fielders with 12 Defensive Runs Saved. Playing plus defense, particularly in the outfield, is among the chief tenets fueling the Brewers’ success this year. It’s why the pitching staff ranks third in baseball in ERA (3.62) despite ranking 23rd in FIP (4.22). Milwaukee has allowed the lowest batting average on fly balls (.193), and Frelick’s ability to cover ground in right field is among the catalysts.

Like Brice Turang, Frelick’s excellence in the field gives him a solid floor as a useful big-league player, despite his unremarkable offense. He owns a career 90 wRC+, but according to Baseball-Reference’s version of the metric, he has accrued 2.8 Wins Above Replacement in just over an entire season’s worth of playing time. By that measurement, he’s a solid everyday player.

Defense does not always make headlines. Compared to the gaudy rate and counting stats accumulated by the best players and teams on the mound and at the plate, the value of defense is often not as readily apparent, even though it adds up similarly. Frelick has a knack for the spectacular, but it's not a matter of flash. A short guy, he uses headlong, leaping dives to extend his range at the catchpoint. He also uses fearlessness and a comfort with contact born of his time in youth hockey to make plays at the wall, despite that lack of height and a frequent need to make the play even as his body is jarred.

Frelick has saved plenty of runs in the field this year. In that sense, he’s been a frequent contributor to his team’s success. His most jaw-dropping catches – including one that Willy Adames said “set the tone” on Saturday night – are periodic reminders of that.