Brewer Hicklen Bio
Charles Brewer Hicklen, known professionally as Brewer Hicklen, is an American professional baseball outfielder currently in the Atlanta Braves organization. Born on February 9, 1996, in Huntsville, Alabama, he has built his career through the minor league systems of several Major League Baseball clubs. Hicklen has played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Detroit Tigers, and made his MLB debut in 2022. He is recognized as one of the most accomplished position players to come out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) baseball program.
Brewer Hicklen Early Life and Background
Brewer Hicklen was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where he attended Huntsville High School. At Huntsville, he was a two-sport athlete, playing baseball as an outfielder and football as a quarterback. His athletic versatility made him an attractive recruit for college programs looking for multi-dimensional athletes.
Hicklen committed to the University of Alabama at Birmingham with plans to play both college baseball and college football for the UAB Blazers. He joined the football program as a wide receiver and continued his development on the diamond. When UAB shut down its football program in December 2014, Hicklen briefly explored other football opportunities, but his baseball scholarship offer was revoked during that search.
He agreed to walk on to the UAB baseball team and took a redshirt year in 2015. In 2016, he batted .289 with three home runs, 21 runs batted in, and 22 stolen bases, and he also rejoined the football team after UAB brought the program back. By the end of his college career, Hicklen had decided to focus exclusively on baseball.
Brewer Hicklen Path to Professional Baseball
Hicklen’s path to professional baseball was shaped by his experience as a walk-on at UAB and his offensive production in Conference USA. His combination of speed, on-base ability, and outfield range drew attention from Major League scouts during his junior season.
In the 2017 MLB Draft, the Kansas City Royals selected Hicklen in the seventh round with the 210th overall pick. He became the highest-drafted position player in UAB baseball history. The Royals signed him, and he began his climb through the minor league system that same year.
Brewer Hicklen Career
Kansas City Royals and Minor League Development (2017–2022)
Hicklen spent his first full professional season in 2018 with the Lexington Legends of the Single-A South Atlantic League, where he posted a .307 batting average and recorded 29 stolen bases. His speed and contact skills earned him a midseason promotion to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the High-A Carolina League in July. He returned to Wilmington for the 2019 season before the 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Hicklen advanced to Double-A with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and he opened the 2022 season with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers of the Pacific Coast League. He batted .266 with five home runs, 24 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases in 42 games. Overall in the minors that year, he hit .248/.348/.502 with 480 at-bats and finished third among all minor leaguers with 202 strikeouts.
Major League Debut with the Royals (2022–2023)
The Royals promoted Hicklen to the major leagues on May 26, 2022, and he made his MLB debut that night as the starting center fielder. The debut marked the fulfillment of his draft dream and validated his long climb through Kansas City’s farm system. He shuttled between Omaha and Kansas City during the summer, returning to the majors on July 14 before being optioned back to the minors on July 18.
Hicklen opened the 2023 season back at Triple-A Omaha, where he hit .233/.338/.452 with eight home runs, 29 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 61 games. On August 23, 2023, the Royals traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange 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, 2023.
Milwaukee Brewers (2024–2025)
On November 28, 2023, Hicklen signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and was assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds for the start of 2024. On July 15, the Brewers added him to their 40-man roster and optioned him back to Nashville before promoting him to the majors on September 1. In three games with Milwaukee, he went 0-for-5 but recorded one stolen base.
The Brewers optioned Hicklen to Triple-A Nashville to begin the 2025 season, and on March 27, 2025, he was designated for assignment.
Detroit Tigers (2025)
On March 28, 2025, Hicklen was traded to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. He was assigned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens to start the season but was called up after the first week to replace an injured player. He was sent back down two days later without appearing in a game.
Hicklen was called up again on May 8 to start the second game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies, which served as his Tigers debut. In that game, he recorded his first career hit, a single off pitcher Tanner Gordon. The Tigers designated him for assignment on July 23, 2025.
Philadelphia Phillies Second Stint and Atlanta Braves (2025)
On July 26, 2025, Hicklen was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations. In 32 appearances for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, he 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 sent outright to Lehigh Valley on September 19. He elected free agency on November 6, 2025.
On November 22, 2025, Hicklen signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves, where he continues his professional career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hicklen’s MLB debut on May 26, 2022, as the starting center fielder for the Kansas City Royals stands as the defining moment of his professional journey. He later recorded his first career hit on May 8, 2025, with the Detroit Tigers, a single off Tanner Gordon of the Colorado Rockies.
Brewer Hicklen Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Public details about Brewer Hicklen’s parents and immediate family are limited. He is known to be a Huntsville, Alabama native who grew up playing both baseball and football in his hometown. During the offseasons, Hicklen hosts an annual baseball camp for children at an Alabama high school, a routine that reflects his commitment to giving back to the community where he developed as an athlete.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a year of frequent movement for Hicklen, beginning with a designation for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers in late March. He was traded the next day to the Detroit Tigers, where his first MLB appearance of the year came in early May, and he recorded his first career hit in that game. His brief Tigers tenure ended with a July designation for assignment.
Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on July 26, Hicklen spent the remainder of the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He posted a .218/.293/.437 line with eight home runs, 25 RBIs, and seven stolen bases in 32 appearances before being designated for assignment again in September. He elected free agency in November and quickly signed with the Atlanta Braves.
Heading into the next chapter of his career, Hicklen brings veteran outfield experience, plus-plus speed, and a track record of producing at the Triple-A level to the Braves organization.