Why Frelick passed on returning to the Classic for Italy

PHOENIX -- Sal Frelick's omission from Italy’s roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic was not for a lack of interest.

“I was fully committed,” the Brewers outfielder said. “But when I had my end of the year MRIs, I was pretty banged up. I talked with the team and they were like, it would just be smart to have a full offseason of lifting and rehab to get to 200 percent coming into spring so I could get to Opening Day fully healthy.”

Yes, Frelick knows there’s no such thing as 200 percent.

But his point stands.

“I don’t want to go in at 100 percent. I want to be above 100,” he said.

Frelick played in 142 games during the 2025 regular season and set a career high with 594 plate appearances despite some injuries, including a left hamstring strain in July that landed him on the injured list and occasional left knee pain. That knee has given him trouble since college, when he underwent meniscus surgery. But it has not required another procedure.

After thinking it over for a week or so, Frelick informed Team Italy GM Ned Colletti in November that he wouldn’t be able to participate in the tournament. Italy, which does feature one Brewers player in 2025 first-round Draft pick Andrew Fischer (No. 8 on MLB Pipeline’s list of Milwaukee’s top prospects), is in Pool B in Houston with Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico and the United States.

“It was tough because I wanted to play,” Frelick said. “And I felt even worse because I had committed and had multiple conversations throughout the year and told them I was good to go. I felt awful. But I told them my job first and foremost is the Brewers. And they fully understood.”

A number of Brewers players beyond Fischer are slated to play in the World Baseball Classic. From the 40-man roster, those players include Brice Turang (USA), Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Angel Zerpa (Venezuela), Joey Ortiz (Mexico), Abner Uribe (Dominican Republic), Rob Zastryzny and Tyler Black (Canada) and Carlos Rodriguez (Nicaragua).

Months later, Frelick is convinced it was the right decision to sit this one out. He spent the offseason in Boston training with a group of pro players from the area, including some fellow Boston College alums. Without the early deadline for the WBC -- most teams are gathering March 1 -- Frelick was able to focus on recovery and weightlifting.

He’ll closely manage his knee with the Brewers’ medical staff, Frelick said. Multiple surgeons have told him they could do a repair, but it would require a four- to five-month recovery, and because he’s mostly asymptomatic, they have advised against that route.

“He still played good with it, and he’ll manage it if it comes up again. We’re hoping it doesn’t,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about Sal in any walk of life, you know? He’s going to be OK.”

And Frelick is OK with being a favorite punching bag for Murphy, who constantly encourages Frelick to apply to graduate school at Brandeis University outside Boston in the event baseball doesn’t work out.

Truth be told, Murphy is a huge fan of Frelick as a ballplayer.

“There’s another step for him. It’s kind of cool,” Murphy said.

Even with his ailments, it was a career year for Frelick, who slashed .288/.351/.405 and set a career high with 12 home runs -- after five total homers in his first season and a half in the Majors. While defense was his calling card during his first full season in 2024, when Frelick won a Gold Glove Award in right field, he became an all-around producer in ‘25 with a boost in wRC+ from 87 to 114. Essentially, that means he was 13 percent below the average Major League hitter in 2024 and 14 percent above average in ‘25.

“If you talk with Brice [Turang] and ‘Perk’ [Blake Perkins], the goal is ‘get better each year,’ right?” Frelick said. “But I think people think it’s these huge adjustments, and that’s not necessarily it. You get asked, ‘You hit a few more homers, what was the switch?’ Nothing, really.

“You see pitchers more often, you’re more comfortable in big moments, you’re a little more versed on the IQ side of it. We’re blessed with really good veterans on this team that help you make the transition faster each year. The experience of getting another full season under your belt only helps you.”