Brewer Hicklen Bio
Charles Brewer Hicklen, known professionally as Brewer Hicklen, is an American professional baseball outfielder currently in the Atlanta Braves organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Detroit Tigers, and he has spent time in the Philadelphia Phillies system. Hicklen made his MLB debut with the Royals in 2022 and has built his career as a speedy outfielder with a power-speed profile. He bats and throws right-handed and has been a Triple-A regular in recent seasons while logging brief major league stints.
Early Life and Background
Brewer Hicklen was born on February 9, 1996, in Huntsville, Alabama, in the United States. He grew up in Huntsville and graduated from Huntsville High School, where he was a two-sport athlete. On the diamond he played outfielder, and on the gridiron he lined up at quarterback, showcasing the arm strength and athleticism that would later fuel his professional baseball career.
After high school, Hicklen committed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, hoping to play both college baseball and college football for the UAB Blazers. He initially joined the football program as a wide receiver, but when UAB ended its football program in December 2014, his scholarship path changed. While he waited for new football offers, his UAB baseball scholarship was revoked, and he agreed to walk on to the Blazers baseball team, an unexpected turn that helped redirect his future toward the diamond.
Path to Baseball
Once he joined the UAB baseball program, Hicklen took a redshirt year in 2015 to develop his skills. In 2016, he emerged as a productive two-way athlete, batting .289 with three home runs, 21 runs batted in (RBIs), and 22 stolen bases while also rejoining the football team when the program was resurrected. That college performance, particularly his combination of speed and pop, drew the attention of MLB scouts.
The Kansas City Royals selected Hicklen in the seventh round, with the 210th overall pick, of the 2017 MLB draft, making him the highest-drafted player in UAB baseball history. From that point on, he committed fully to professional baseball, beginning a years-long climb through the Royals’ farm system.
Brewer Hicklen Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
After not cracking an Opening Day roster in 2018, Hicklen was assigned to the Lexington Legends of the Single-A South Atlantic League in April of that year. He quickly earned a midseason promotion to the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks in July, finishing the year with a .307 batting average and 29 stolen bases for Lexington, both team-leading marks. His speed and contact skills were the foundation of his early prospect profile.
Hicklen returned to Wilmington for the 2019 season, where he continued refining his approach as a center-field-capable outfielder. The 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, denying him a year of game reps but not slowing his climb in the organization.
Kansas City Royals Breakthrough (2021–2023)
In 2021, Hicklen played for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals of Double-A South, reaching a new level in the Royals’ system. He opened 2022 with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers of the Pacific Coast League, batting .266 with five home runs, 24 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 42 games. That production earned him a call-up to Kansas City on May 26, 2022, when he made his major league debut as the starting center fielder that same night.
Hicklen bounced between Omaha and the majors in 2022, returning briefly in July before being sent back to the minors. Across his minor league at bats that year he hit .248/.348/.502, and he finished third in the minors with 202 strikeouts, illustrating both his power upside and his swing-and-miss profile. In 2023 he returned to Triple-A Omaha, batting .233/.338/.452 with eight home runs, 29 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases across 61 games.
On August 23, 2023, Hicklen was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations. In 11 games for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs he batted .250/.413/.472 with two home runs, four RBIs, and six stolen bases before electing free agency on November 6.
Milwaukee Brewers Era (2024–2025)
On November 28, 2023, Hicklen signed a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers and was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds to open 2024. The Brewers added him to their 40-man roster on July 15, 2024, before optioning him back to Nashville, and on September 1 they promoted him to the majors. In three games for Milwaukee he went 0-for-5 but recorded a stolen base, adding to his big-league resume.
He was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to begin 2025, but the Brewers designated him for assignment on March 27, 2025, ending his time in the organization.
Detroit Tigers Era (2025)
On March 28, 2025, Hicklen was traded to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations and was assigned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He was called up after the first week to replace an injured player, then was sent back down two days later without appearing in a game. Hicklen returned to the majors on May 8 to start the second game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies, a contest that marked his Tigers debut and produced his first career MLB hit, a single off Tanner Gordon. The Tigers designated him for assignment on July 23.
Philadelphia Phillies Return (2025)
On July 26, 2025, Hicklen returned to the Philadelphia Phillies in a cash trade and rejoined the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In 32 appearances he batted .218/.293/.437 with eight home runs, 25 RBIs, and seven stolen bases, showing the same power-speed mix that had defined his career. He was designated for assignment on September 16, cleared waivers, and was outrighted to Lehigh Valley on September 19 before electing free agency on November 6.
Atlanta Braves Era (2025–Present)
On November 22, 2025, Hicklen signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. On June 16, 2026, Atlanta added him to its 40-man roster and optioned him to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, giving him another opportunity to compete for a major league role.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hicklen is a right-handed hitting outfielder whose game is built on speed, plate discipline, and emerging power. He has consistently produced double-digit stolen-base totals at every full-season minor league stop, and his 21–22 home run pace in Triple-A shows he can impact the ball when he connects. Defensively, he has handled all three outfield spots, with the bulk of his MLB time coming in center field.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Hicklen’s biggest career moments are his MLB debut as the Royals’ starting center fielder on May 26, 2022, and his first major league hit, a single off the Colorado Rockies’ Tanner Gordon in his Tigers debut on May 8, 2025. He also made history as the highest-drafted player in UAB baseball history when the Royals took him 210th overall in 2017.
Brewer Hicklen Career Wins
Major League Milestones
Brewer Hicklen’s MLB ledger through the 2025 season includes stints with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Detroit Tigers. Through that season he carries a .167 batting average with zero home runs and zero runs batted in, and his first MLB hit came in 2025. He has also recorded at least one major league stolen base with the Brewers in 2024.
Minor League Highlights
In the minor leagues, Hicklen has been a Triple-A regular, highlighted by his 2022 Omaha season that earned him his first MLB call-up, a 2023 campaign with eight home runs and 15 steals at Omaha and Lehigh Valley, and a 2025 IronPigs showing with eight homers, 25 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. He has consistently delivered 20-plus-steal seasons, including 29 steals at Lexington in 2018 and 22 steals at UAB in 2016.
Brewer Hicklen Family
Personal Life
Brewer Hicklen was raised in Huntsville, Alabama, the city where he was born and where he developed into a two-sport high school standout. During the offseasons he returns to Alabama to host an annual baseball camp for children at a local high school, a tradition that keeps him connected to the community that produced him.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a year of transition for Brewer Hicklen. He began it with the Milwaukee Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville Sounds before being designated for assignment on March 27, then was traded a day later to the Detroit Tigers. After a brief call-up that did not produce a game appearance, he returned to the majors on May 8 against the Colorado Rockies and notched his first career hit, a single off Tanner Gordon, before being designated for assignment again on July 23.
After a quick detour back to the Philadelphia Phillies organization, Hicklen landed with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, where he played 32 games and batted .218/.293/.437 with eight home runs, 25 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. He was designated for assignment on September 16 following the promotion of Rafael Lantigua, cleared waivers, and was outrighted to Lehigh Valley on September 19 before electing free agency on November 6.
Looking ahead, Hicklen signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves on November 22, 2025, giving him a fresh opportunity to compete for a major league role in a new organization. With his speed, outfield versatility, and proven Triple-A power, he will look to translate his minor league production into a longer big-league stay as he pushes for a spot on Atlanta’s 26-man roster.