Brewers Young Outfielders Present a Great Problem

The Keys to the Future

The Brewers have made a concerted effort over the past few years to invest in highly regarded outfield talent. That approach has resulted in each of their top 5 prospects (as of 2022) being outfielders in designation:

1. Jackson Chourio, signing (Venezuela), 2021
2. Sal Frelick, 1st-round draft pick, 2021
3. Joey Wiemer, 4th-round draft pick, 2020
4. Brice Turang, 1st-round draft pick, 2018
5. Garrett Mitchell, 1st-round draft pick, 2020

Garrett Mitchell is the first of these outfielders to make his major league debut. Mitchell has already displayed significant promise, both in 2022 and in Saturday’s 2 HR effort in the spring training opener vs. the Dodgers. With Mitchell being rated the relative worst of the group, the Brewers are in a clear abundance of outfielders who are all nearing the big leagues. However, there’s only three starting outfield positions to go around, and Christian Yelich will be a Brewer throughout the ascendance of these prospects. Mitchell is likely to be a mainstay at CF this season, further tightening open positions for the future. This means some creative solutions may be needed as soon as 2024 to find everybody at-bats. Let’s look at the remaining prospects yet to see big league time, and figure out a viable solution to it all.

Brice Turang: Left-Side Infield

The Brewers have been splitting Turang’s time between CF and SS. Turang’s glove work, range, and arm versatility rate well for the left side of the infield. Depending on whether or not the Brewers extend Willy Adames beyond 2024, Turang could easily slot in to SS or 3B duties once needed. Had the Brewers not signed Brian Anderson to a one-year deal, Turang would likely have been the everyday 3B. It is possible the Brewers acquired Anderson to be a stop gap for Turang to develop a bit more in the minors before getting big league time. Turang could even fluctuate between AAA and MLB throughout the season as needed for injuries, but will likely need to wait another year for full-time MLB action.

Joey Wiemer: Right Field

Simply put, Joey Wiemer has a cannon of an arm perfectly suited for RF. Wiemer will be a menace to would-be extra base takers, providing a long-term replacement to the arms of Avi Garcia and Hunter Renfroe the Brewers have had over the past few seasons. Wiemer also had a strong finish offensively to 2022, recording a .287/.368/.520 slash line at AAA-Nashville. Wiemer’s raw power is his strongest offensive asset, and his above average speed helps him both on the bases and in the outfield. Wiemer, similar to Turang, will likely have to spend another full season developing in AAA before having a full-time opportunity in 2024.

Sal Frelick: 2B/OF Flex

To some, Sal Frelick is the most exciting Brewers prospect on this list, and is set to make his debut at some point in 2023. Frelick’s numbers only got better as he was promoted throughout 2022, illustrated in the table below. In the short term, Frelick will likely get his playing time in a combination of starting over Tyrone Taylor and filling in for a resting/DHing Yelich. Frelick quickly went from high-A to AAA in 2022. Frelick was initially touted just for his speed, but developed quickly into one of the most intriguing hitting prospects in all of baseball. His promotion to the Brewers roster is one to be excited for this season and the years to come.

The more difficult discussion comes down to where he will play defensively in the long term. Frelick was versatile in college, playing between 2B, SS, CF, and RF. That adaptability will be a great asset for the Brewers’ abundance of outfielders, and can be utilized in the same way that Mookie Betts splits time between the outfield and second base for the Dodgers.

Jackson Chourio: Left Field

Last but not least, Jackson Chourio. Chourio gained a ton of notoriety in his first minor league season. A signing out of Venezuela, he raked his way from A-ball to AA in 2022. Chourio’s raw tools can best be described by combining the best of Sal Frelick and Joey Weimer into a single player: power and speed. The most important thing for Chourio is not to rush his promotions and give him the proper time to develop. A fair estimate of arrival for Chourio is late 2024-early 2025, barring any setbacks or demolishing baseballs so much that promotion becomes necessary.

Since Chourio will almost assuredly be the last to arrive of the players discussed, he will have to be slotted in to a team that is otherwise constructed and filled out. By placing him in left field, Yelich would move from primary LF to primary DH to allow for Chourio’s younger legs to take outfield reps. Yelich moving to a batting focused role could produce better health and offensive production, in the same vein as Ryan Braun seeing higher offensive numbers when DHing versus his career average. Similarly, look no further than Bryce Harper’s stellar offensive production this past season at DH while nursing an elbow injury for the Phillies. Inserting Chourio’s into the outfield while managing the health of Yelich may prove to be the most optimal solution for the Brewers long term, especially with the remaining young talent to come up in the coming years.