3-for-3 with a super catch in debut…5.1 billion ‘big rookie’ in Milwaukee
‘Welcome To The Show’
In the United States, this phrase is often used to congratulate a player making their first appearance in Major League Baseball (MLB). It’s an unforgettable moment, and it’s hard not to be nervous, but some players turn that nervousness into a top-notch performance. Such is the case with Milwaukee Brewers rookie Sal Frerick, 23.바카라사이트
On this day (the 23rd) in our time, Frerick was batting sixth and playing right field in a home game against the Atlanta Braves. It was his big league debut.
In his first at-bat in the second inning, he recorded his first hit, an infield single to the third baseman’s side, and then in the fifth inning, he led off with a single to right field that just missed the first baseman.
He made the sixth inning his own. In the top of the sixth, Sal Prellick sent the home crowd into a frenzy by snagging back-to-back home run balls from Marcell Osuna (32) and Orlando Arcia (28), and then the offense came through with the tying run. Trailing 3-2 with runners on first and second, he hit a single that slipped between the shortstop and third baseman to load the bases.
With runners on first and third in the eighth inning, tied 3-3, he lined a sacrifice fly to right field for the game-winning run. Milwaukee went on to win 4-3 behind Freerick’s heroics.
The rookie finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs, including the game-winning and game-tying hits in his debut. “It was really exciting to see the rookie that we drafted two years ago come out and play for everybody,” he said after the game. “Tomorrow is a new day, but I’m going to try to get up and do the same thing.”
True to his word, Frederick was drafted by Milwaukee in the first round (15th overall) of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft two years ago. He signed a $4 million contract and has been considered a key prospect for the team as he quickly moved through the minors.
He was rated as the team’s No. 2 prospect and the 17th-best overall prospect in the league by MLB Pipeline, and now he’s backed up that assessment.
While injuries delayed his big league debut, Freerick was actually one of the strongest Rookie of the Year candidates this season. MLB.com ranked Frederick as the No. 4 candidate for National League (NL) Rookie of the Year before the season.
At the time, No. 1 was Corbin Carroll (22-Arizona Diamondbacks), the closest thing to a current Rookie of the Year, and No. 3 was Eli De La Cruz (21), the “monster shortstop” leading the Cincinnati Reds’ surge.
Milwaukee is a team with relatively weak hitting relative to its pitching, and the addition of Frederick should provide a boost to the Milwaukee offense. “We haven’t been very productive at the right field position,” said Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell, “and with Frederick coming in, we’re going to be better.
The NL Central is a hotly contested division between Milwaukee and Cincinnati. Milwaukee currently trails Cincinnati by 1.5 games. The addition of Frederick is expected to be a huge boost to Milwaukee’s offense, along with defending MVP left fielder Christian Yelich, 31, who has made a complete comeback this year.