408 Profile: Freddie Freeman
(Photo: ESPN)
It’s hard to not root for Freddie Freeman. If you were to ask any die-hard baseball fan, they’d most certainly agree.
The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman, and arguably the best at his position in all of Major League Baseball (MLB) has been one of the most consistent players, both offensively and defensively, for more than the past 10 years. He always seems to come through in the clutch, especially in big time moments.
Born in Fountain Valley, California in 1989, Freeman’s roots start “north of the border.” His parents are from Ontario, Canada, and because of this, Freeman holds both American and Canadian citizenship. Freeman played for Team Canada in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Freeman’s baseball career started at the age of six when he practiced and played with a little league team, and the next year he was placed on a team of nine-year olds. He graduated from El Modena High School in 2007, and as a senior, he hit .417 as a third baseman, and compiled a 6-1 record as a starting pitcher. He committed to play for Cal State Fullerton after high school, but the “tomahawk chop” came a calling.
In the second round of the 2007 MLB draft, the Atlanta Braves drafted Freeman, and he decided to sign and forgo his scholarship at Fullerton.
In four seasons, and just over 400 games in the minors, Freeman collected 476 hits, 102 of them being doubles, while also powering 50 home runs. He drove in 270 RBI’s during this time, with a stellar 95 in 2008 for the Rome Braves. While his strikeouts were high (averaged 65 per season), he showed the Braves he was still able to get on base and hit for power.
His career minor league slash line rivaled MLB levels (.363 Average/.438 OBP%/.555 SLG%), he had a .991 OPS, and collected 746 total bases. After 124 games with the Gwinnett Braves in 2010, Freeman got called up for good to join the Braves.
Freeman played in 20 games for the Braves as a September call-up. He got his first hit off Clay Hensley, and later that season, collected his first home run off future hall of famer Roy Halladay. He hit only .167 during his short time with the Braves in 2010, but bigger things were waiting for him as a full-time starter in 2011.
Freddie Freeman in 2010, on his way to a Hall of Fame career. (Photo: SB Nation)
In 2011 and 2012, his first two full seasons with the Braves, one where he finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year vote (2011), he made his presence felt in the powerful Atlanta lineup. During those two seasons, he collected 301 hits, smashed 65 doubles, clobbered 44 home runs, and drove in 170 RBI’s. Explosive stats for any player during their first two full seasons. He averaged 152 games a season, while compiling a .271/.343/.452 slash line with a .795 OPS.
His strikeouts were still worrisome during those first two years (271), but he would get much better on that front, and others, starting in 2013. That season, he earned his first All-Star nomination, while also finishing fifth in the NL MVP Vote. He put together a campaign in which he had 176 hits, 27 doubles, 23 home runs, and 109 RBI’s. His .897 OPS that season would begin a streak of 11 straight seasons (including 2023) of having an .800+ OPS or better.
Freeman played in all 162 games in 2014, and continued to rise in the ranks and be a model of consistency. During the prime of his career from 2013-2017, he put together numbers all players dream of:
Averaged 140 games played a season
430 runs
779 hits
175 doubles
121 home runs
415 RBI’s
1,345 total bases
.299/.391/.517 slash line
.908 OPS
Incredible stuff from an incredible player, and Freeman led the Braves back to the playoffs in 2018, their first appearance since 2013. In that season, Freeman led in several stat categories in both the National League and MLB. Becoming a 21st Century “Iron Man,” he led MLB once again in games played (162), while also leading the NL in hits (191), and doubles (44). He finished fourth in the NL MVP vote that season, and won his first Gold Glove.
Freeman and the Braves were ousted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2019 NLDS in five games, a season in which he earned his fourth All-Star nomination and his first Silver Slugger Award, while driving in 121 RBI’s, 38 home runs, and an impressive .938 OPS.
He continued to “rake” as the players say today during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, putting together a .302/.388/.527 slash to go along with a .915 OPS. He collected another 300+ hits (367), 78 doubles, 61 home runs, 219 RBI’s, and 640 total bases. The hard work and consistency would reach the summit for Freeman, starting in the COVID shortened 2020 season.
Freeman played in all 60 games in 2020, scored a remarkable 51 runs in those games, crushed 23 league leading doubles, and put together a 1.102 OPS. He led the Braves once again to the NLCS where they would later fall to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers. Freeman won the NL MVP award, and collected his second Silver Slugger award.
It all came together for Freeman and the Braves in 2021. He led the NL in plate appearances (695) while also leading the NL in runs (120), and led the Braves offensively in several categories. Those included hits (180), walks (85), second in home runs (31), second in batting average (.300), third in OPS (.896), third in total bases (302), and third in team WAR (4.9).
The Braves won the NL East by 6.5 games, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, and met the Dodgers once again in the NLCS. Freeman hit .286 against L.A., smashing two home runs, driving in 4 RBI’s, and putting together a cool, calm, and collected 1.063 OPS to lead Atlanta to the pennant in six games. It was the Braves’ first pennant in 21 years, and waiting for them in the World Series was the Houston Astros.
Atlanta gave Houston, who was in their third World Series in the last five years, a heavyweight fight, and Freeman was a big part of that. He collected seven hits in the fall classic, while hitting two home runs, driving in five RBI’s, and compiling a .996 OPS, which was second to World Series MVP Jorge Soler.
The Braves won the World Series 4-2, but looming in the offseason was Freeman’s pending free agency. It was almost a given that the Braves were going to “back the Brinks truck up” for Freeman, and give him what he wanted and deserved. Most believed Freeman would finish his career in Atlanta, and it turned out most of us were wrong.
In March 2022, the Braves traded for former Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson in exchange for Ryan Cusick, Joey Estes, Shea Langeliers, and Cristian Pache. The baseball world was in shock because nobody saw this trade coming, especially because it left everyone wondering what was next for Freeman. Atlanta then extended Olson for 8 years/$168 million, which signaled the end of Freeman’s time in Atlanta.
Four days after Atlanta traded for Olson, Freeman signed with the Dodgers for 6 years/$162 million. Freeman, who spent his off-seasons while with the Braves in SoCal, wouldn’t have to go far now, as he’d be an hour from where he grew up, and would be inserted into one of the best lineups in baseball.
Atlanta decided on the younger Olson (29), but Freeman (33) has continued his consistent ways, and his stats have been better than Olson’s through today’s games:
Hits: 240 (Olson: 180)
Doubles: 57 (Olson: 50)
Strikeouts: 129 (Olson: 223)
Slash Line: .322/.402/.508 (Olson: .241/.33/.484)
OPS: .910 (Olson: .817)
Total Bases: 379 (Olson: 361)
WAR: 6.8 (Olson: 4.4)
The sample size is small (just under 200 games for each), but the results are pretty bold. Both have paid off as investments, but Freeman seems to be the better one for the Dodgers. Even though he’s in Los Angeles now, his heart never left Atlanta, and that showed in 2022 when the Dodgers came to town.
Before the first game in the series, Freeman held a 13-minute press conference prior to the game, and was quite emotional.
“I was looking forward to today, but I’m hoping it’s Monday soon,” Freeman said in a 2022 MLB article.
“Gosh this is a lot harder than I thought.”
Prior to the game, one in which he went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored in a 4-1 Dodger win, a tribute video was shown to fans honoring Freeman and his time in Atlanta. Freeman held back the tears in the dugout, before receiving his 2021 World Series ring.
Freeman, acknowledging the Atlanta faithful, before his first game back against the Braves as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Photo: Yahoo)
“I thought I loved this city and organization a lot,” Freeman said. “But you can tell how much I truly do love this organization and this city. I don’t know how I’m going to get through this weekend,” he added prior to the June 24, 2022 game.
“We went through a lot of ups and downs, and then we reached the pinnacle last season. That ring is not just a ring to me. It’s all the sacrifices and all the missed family time, the broken wrist [in 2017], all the 14-hour bus rides [in the Minor Leagues] and the grind every single year. Then, to finally win — there’s no better feeling at this sport.”
I thoroughly enjoy watching Freddie Freeman play. He is a reliable, consistent player, that is on the right track towards Cooperstown. Freeman’s current Hall of Fame statistics, according to Baseball-Reference, take into consideration several factors, and generate a score. Each report is evident at predicting future Hall of Famers. Freeman’s scores are below, which then follow by each respective grouping’s average hall-of-famer score.
Black Ink - Batting: 24 (Average HOFer: 27)
Gray Ink - Batting: 158 (Average HOFer: 144)
Hall of Fame Monitor - Batting: 92 (Average HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards - Batting: 36 (Average HOFer: 50)
JAWS - 50.1 Career WAR - First Baseman (Average First Baseman HOFer WAR: 65)
On top of being one of MLB’s best, Freeman is also a great family man. He and his wife Chelsea have three young sons. They can often be seen at his games, both at home and on the road. Not only do I respect this more than anything about Freeman, but also something subtle he does in every game.
Its quite odd for someone to wear sleeves playing in Southern California for half of his games during the season, but for Freeman, it has a purpose.
Freeman’s mother, Rosemary, died when he was 10 years old from Melanoma, something she fought off and on for most of her life. Three weeks shy of reaching her five-year remission milestone, she went into the hospital with appendicitis. A precautionary x-ray show the melanoma had returned in a small spot on her lung.
Treatment couldn’t touch it, and the cancer spread throughout her body over the next seven months.
Melanoma and other types of skin cancers are hereditary, and Freddie has the same complexion as his mother did. The light skin and reddish-brown hair, which makes anyone with those characteristics at a higher risk for the disease. Freeman has made public that he has had spots removed throughout his career.
Freeman has been an advocate for Skin Cancer, as he speaks often about raising awareness, on top of wearing sleeves every game to take it a step further. It’s a “nod” to his mother, and if you’re in the Dodger clubhouse prior to a game, you’ll find Freeman applying sun screen 30 minutes before the game, and again in the second and sixth innings.
Freddie Freeman (middle) with his family in the 1990’s. (Photo: Freddie Freeman Instagram)
As someone who has dealt with skin cancer, and who played baseball, I can relate and resonate with Freeman. His love and passion for the game, his family, and being an ambassador for MLB, will show when he’s enshrined in Cooperstown along with the greats.
