Ben Metzinger bleeds the city State of Louisville.
A 2018 graduate of Trinity High School, Metzinger went on to enjoy a successful career at the University of Louisville, before being drafted in the 7th round of the 2022 Major League Draft to the Milwaukee Brewers.
I had an opportunity to sit down with Ben less than two months after his draft selection. His minor league grind has begun and he has been getting his first professional looks for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the High-A affiliate of Milwaukee.
Ben Metzinger enjoyed success on the field while at Louisville, but it was anything but easy.
“There is always competition in front of you at Louisville,” said Ben, “Instantly I was tested. There are always going to be guys competing with you.”
Metzinger saw himself competing for playing time with guys such as Henry Davis, Alex Binelas, and Andrew Benefield early on in his time at Louisville. One thing you can say about Ben Metzinger however, is that he loves to compete.
“You should not come to Louisville if you don’t love competition.”
There was never a doubt about the player that Metzinger is. Coming out of high school, he had compiled an impressive list of awards and Perfect Game had him ranked as the 11th best player in the state of Kentucky.
While at Louisville, Metzinger became the prototypical Louisville player. A “program player,” who had to wait his turn and then made the most of his opportunity. A gamer that could play any position on the field and a bat that could play from day one.
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Patience breeds success
Unfortunately for Ben, his college experience was anything but normal. Following a trip to the College World Series in 2019, Louisville and the rest of the college baseball world had their seasons halted due to the pandemic in 2020. At the time, Metzinger had appeared in 23 games over his first two seasons with a batting average well north of .300. All signs were pointing to a breakout 2021, until a back injury derailed his season. He would eventually return for the ACC tournament and put on a show at the plate. However, it was not enough for the team and Louisville would miss out on the field of 64 for the first time since 2011.
As a team, 2022 was the year to, “reset the standard.” On a personal note, Metzinger was poised for a breakout year. He did just that.
Metzginer set career highs in every statistical category at the plate. He boasted a .312 average with 19 home runs and 69 RBI’s. He also posted 51 walks and proved to be a force in Dan McDonnell’s lineup. As a team, the standard was certainly reset. Ben helped lead the program to 42 wins on the season before eventually losing to Texas A&M in the hostile environment that is College Station.
Doing all of this in one season is impressive as it is. Doing it for the city that you grew up in, is that much more special.
“I love repping my city,” said Metzinger, “I think it was one of the coolest things about playing at Louisville. I love repping my city and I will always take pride in that.”
Now, he has an opportunity to represent his city at the highest level.
Taking his talents to the pros
Metzinger heard his name called on the second day of the draft back in July. A seventh round selection, Ben was taken 222nd overall. He would end up signing for $97,500 and then immediately reported to the team’s training site in Arizona.
“I love it,” Ben said when speaking about the Brewers organization, “The organization is great, playing here is great, and they have a lot of people that really care about me.”
It is clear that Ben is making himself right at home with the organization and is making the most out of early opportunities. So far, he has flashed all five tools while holding down third base for the Timber Rattlers.
A look into the future
So what is next for Ben Metzinger?
As the minor league season winds down, it is hard to not look ahead at what the future holds. Following the conclusion of Wisconsin’s season, he will likely head to the Brewers instructional league in the fall and continue to get reps before getting some time off before 2023.
Come 2023, it is likely that he makes a return to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the Midwest League. A perfect opportunity for Card fans to see their hometown hero in person as several stadiums are just a few hour’s drive from Louisville.
Ben is poised for a quick rise to Milwaukee and could make some serious noise in their farm system. He has already received high praise from their player development department and could be a key member of their organization for years to come.
His message to the fans back home-
“I miss Card nation for sure. I miss my boys back at home.”
