Milwaukee Brewers: Ranking All of the Rookie Debuts So Far in 2023

The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten a lot of production from their rookie players so far in 2023, some expected, some very unexpected.

So far, eight players have made their rookie debuts, from Brice Turang all the way back on Opening Day, to Sal Frelick making an electric debut versus the Atlanta Braves.

We are entering September call-up season and this list may grow to include more rookies, possibly Robert Gasser or another player from the Milwaukee Brewers minor league system.

Let's look back at all eight and rank them:

Ranking Milwaukee Brewers 2023 Rookie Debuts: #8 Clayton Andrews

Clayton Andrews made his major league debut on July 1st and it unfortunately did not go well. The Brewers jumped out to a 10-0 lead over the Pirates in Pittsburgh, a lead that got as close as 11-8 by the time the game ended. A rain delay may have aided the Brewers in their win.

Andrews pitched just two-thirds of an inning, faced seven batters, and gave up four hits and a walk and finished with five earned runs. The Brewers did emerge victorious, which at the end of the day is the most important thing.

After his rough debut, Andrews has made only one other appearance in the big leagues, one inning against the Chicago Cubs on Independence Day, where a wild pitch allowed the extra innings runner on second to advance, a single scored him, and Andrews took the loss.

Ranking Milwaukee Brewers 2023 Rookie Debuts: #7 Abner Uribe

Abner Uribe is a flamethrowing relief pitcher who made his debut somewhat unexpectedly back on July 8th. Uribe didn't have a terrible debut by any means. In an 8-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Uribe pitched two innings, gave up two hits, an earned run and had two strikeouts.

It took 10 days until Uribe's next appearance but Abner has been fantastic for over a month following his okay debut. Uribe has pitched in 20 games this season to a 1.83 ERA with 23 strikeouts and just 10 walks. Uribe also registered his first career save in an August 11th matchup with the Chicago White Sox.

Ranking Milwaukee Brewers 2023 Rookie Debuts: #6 Gus Varland

Gus Varland, like Brice Turang, was on Milwaukee's Opening Day roster. Varland was a Rule 5 draft pick from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He debuted on Opening Day in the Brewers 4-0 loss to the Cubs. Varland pitched a scoreless inning, gave up two hits and a walk, and recorded one strikeout.

Varland was a decent pitcher before missing some time due to injury, however, when he returned from his time on the injured list, he struggled mightily and was ultimately designated for assignment and returned to the Dodgers.

Ranking Milwaukee Brewers 2023 Rookie Debuts: #5 Brice Turang

Turang is one of a few rookies that was on the Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day roster and was even the starting second baseman on a cold first game of the year in Chicago. The Brewers lost but Turang batted 1-for-3 on the day and we got to see the beginning of a middle infield pairing that has produced a lot of excitement during the 2023 season.

Turang was the turn man on one double play in this game, also had two ground ball putouts and caught one pop out.

Since his debut, Turang was sent back down to Triple-A in June and since returning has been an important part of the Brewers' success. Turang's plate discipline has improved, he's striking out less, and is arguably playing Gold Glove quality defense.

Ranking Milwaukee Brewers 2023 Rookie Debuts: #2 Andruw Monasterio

Andruw Monasterio is another player who has made contributions much larger than anyone expected from him coming into the 2023 season. He made his debut in a win over the San Francisco Giants as a pinch hitter and followed that up with his first career start against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 30th. The Brewers lost 7-2 but Monasterio had a fantastic debut, going 2-for-3 and drawing a walk.

Since his debut, Monasterio has been a stabilizing player for Craig Counsell as the team navigated injuries to Willy Adames, Luis Urias and Brian Anderson. He has, however, struggled at the plate in August, prompting the Brewers to take a flier on Josh Donaldson.

Ranking Milwaukee Brewers 2023 Rookie Debuts: #1 Sal Frelick

There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Sal Frelick had the best Brewers rookie debut in 2023. Frelick's debut was absolutely electric and came against arguably the best team in baseball, the Atlanta Braves. Even further, the game was on national TV.

Frelick was 3-for-3 at the plate, batted in two runs, one of them the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly, and the Brewers would go on to win 4-3. He also scored two runs in the game.

In addition to his contributions at the plate, Frelick made a pair of web gem catches in right field that were amazing to see and hear the call on national televison.

Since his debut, Frelick has given the Brewers a boost and arguably the biggest impact he's had on the team is his plate discipline rubbing off on his teammates. The Brewers have struck out much less in the month of August, hopefully that influence continues into September.

Brewers fans don't often get to see a bunch of rookie debuts in a season, but 2023 has been a pleasant exception to the rule. Will September result in even more rookie call-ups and debuts? We will have to wait and see.