The Milwaukee Brewers are just over three weeks away from kicking off the 2026 regular season, and right fielder Sal Frelick is preparing for his fourth year in Major League Baseball. 

Frelick, 25, enjoyed significant improvements in his game in 2025, namely at the plate, and became a mainstay in right field for the Brewers. However, he battled through left knee soreness during Milwaukee’s postseason run. Now healthy, Frelick talked about what it was like to deal with the injury and recover from it in the offseason. 

“I had to go home,” Frelick said. “You rehab what was banged up and then you get better. That's what the offseason is for.” 

During that time, Frelick also improved his body. 

“So, I definitely think it was a pretty normal offseason for me," Frelick said. "You know, you're rehabbing different things and getting stronger. I mean, putting on the weight is obviously something that I've been trying to do the past two years.” 

Frelick appeared in 142 games last season and produced a career-high .288/.351/.405 slash line and a .756 OPS. He also played 134 games in right field, the most of his career, and logged a .990 fielding percentage during the season. 

Frelick began adding beneficial weight last offseason, and it is something he continues to strive for. 

“I think last year was the first real year I was able to do a ton that offseason and really focused on adding good weight, just building it in for a long season,” he said. “I'm going to lose weight regardless of what I do just from playing every day. So just making sure I go in at a pretty good weight so that when I do lose it, I'm not frail.” 

For Frelick, the difference in acclimation from a collegiate season to one in the pros was something to get used to. 

“First of all, in college, the most game you're playing 50 games in a season, you have three games in a row on the weekend,” he said. “And that's the most you're playing in a row. 

"And then right after that, you know, you're in pro ball and you're playing every single day," Frelick said. "So, definitely a big adjustment just with understanding how to feel good every day. 

“And then on top of that, making sure you're also not losing just weight — you’re eating," Frelick said. "And that was kind of what I ran into my first big league season was like, you know, you're anxious for the games, and you get there early, and you're kind of moving around. And sometimes you just forget to eat lunch.” 

Now, Frelick has learned how to endure an MLB season, and he learned a lot from Brewers veteran outfielder Christian Yelich. 

“I mean, practically in Yelly’'s hip pocket with an invisible notepad,” Frelick said. “Like, ‘all right, this guy's played for — this is 14th season in the big leagues.’ He's played pro ball for another, whatever, five years. 

 “It's like, ‘how is he still doing it? How is he still in the shape he is?’" Frelick said. "Like, we have a perfect example right here. Let's just follow everything he does.” 

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