Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
In this week’s Reacts survey, we asked fans which of Milwaukee’s three young outfielders — Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Luis Lara — should be the “odd man out” against right-handed pitching upon Frelick’s return from injury, which is expected to happen in the next week or so. The results had one clear frontrunner:
With 101 voters in total, roughly 71% voted for a Mitchell-Lara combo, followed by Frelick-Mitchell (21%) and Frelick-Lara (8%). That means overall, more than 90% of fans want to see Mitchell in the game, nearly 80% want Lara, and just under 30% want to see Frelick.
It probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the results of these three players.
Mitchell has been a serviceable center fielder, and he’s also been an above-average hitter (.251/.351/.404 for a 109 OPS+), something that neither Frelick nor Lara can say. The fact that Milwaukee’s offense has scuffled over the last few weeks makes that even more important at this point in the season.
Lara, the youngest of the trio at just 21, has been great on defense, and he’s also held his own at the plate, even if he hasn’t shown much pop. Over 28 games, he’s hitting .233/.329/.329 with five doubles, a triple, 11 RBIs, nine runs, and a pair of steals.
Frelick, currently rehabbing at Triple-A Nashville, was, in season’s past, be considered one of the elite corner outfield defenders, but he hasn’t been all that good this year, and the arm injury that has him on the IL is not a good sign either. He also hasn’t been all that good at the plate, hitting just .236/.301/.330 and compiling -0.2 bWAR over 90 games.
Frelick has also only appeared at DH during his rehab assignment, indicating he isn’t ready on the defensive side quite yet. Given his lack of value at the plate, it’s hard to see a spot for Frelick until he can provide his formerly above-average defense or find a groove offensively. He’s been decent (albeit in just 17 plate appearances) in his four rehab appearances, hitting .273/.500/.364 with three hits, including a double, two hit-by-pitches, and three walks compared to one strikeout.
With Frelick on the cusp of returning to the majors, we’ll have a solid answer to this question sooner than later.
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