Oct 20, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates after scoring a solo home run in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the 2021 NLCS at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
All you need to know about when star first baseman Freddie Freeman was drafted into the MLB by the Atlanta Braves.
Freddie Freeman was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draught. This was the 78th overall pick. Freeman gave up his college scholarship in exchange for a four-year contract of $409,500 with the team.
2007 marked the year he made his debut in the professional ranks with the Gulf Coast Braves, and the following year he was a member of the Rome Braves of the Class A South Atlantic League. Before the start of the 2009 season, Baseball America ranked him as the fifth-best prospect for the Braves in their organization.
Freeman began the 2009 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. During the course of the season, he was traded to the Mississippi Braves of the Class AA Southern League and played for them until the end of the season. In Baseball America’s midseason top 25, which was published in 2009, Freeman was rated as the 11th-best prospect overall.
In August 2009, he sustained an injury to his wrist. Following the conclusion of the 2009 campaign, Freeman signed on to play with the Peoria Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League. He started the 2010 season with the Class AAA International League’s Gwinnett Braves team.
Freeman made his debut in Major League Baseball (MLB) on the same day as he was called up to the Braves on September 1, 2010, as part of the team’s September call-ups. In 2010, he earned his first career hit in Major League Baseball off of Clay Hensley of the Florida Marlins, and on September 21, 2010, he hit his first home run in Major League Baseball.
He had a batting average of.167 for the Braves over the course of 20 games. Freeman did not make the trip with the Braves to the postseason roster. [21] He participated in the Arizona Fall League once again, but this time for the Phoenix Desert Dogs baseball team.
Freeman entered the 2011 season serving as the Braves starting first baseman. His performance picked up after he got out to a sluggish start, and soon after, he was mentioned as a strong candidate for rookie of the year.
Freeman spent the entirety of his baseball career with the Atlanta Braves. He was selected as an MLB All-Star for the sixth time since making his debut in the MLB in 2010. Freeman was honored with the Gold Glove Award in 2018, the Silver Slugger Award in 2019, 2020, and 2021, as well as the Most Valuable Player Award for the National League in the year 2020.
As a member of the Braves, Freeman led his team to victory in the 2021 World Series over the Houston Astros. Freeman blasted a home run in game five that traveled 460 feet in total distance. Freeman became a World Series winner after the Braves prevailed against the Astros in the series’ final game. The World Series ended with Freeman recording the final putout.
At the conclusion of the season, Freeman was presented with his first Babe Ruth Award as well as his third consecutive Silver Slugger Award. Freeman became the third member of the Atlanta Braves franchise, along with Hank Aaron and Johnny Evers, to win both the World Series and the Most Valuable Player award.
After spending the previous 12 years with the Braves, he became a free agent and then went on to accept a deal with the Dodgers that was for $162 million over six years. On April 8, 2022, Freeman made his debut with the Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies. He batted second in the lineup and finished the game with a record of 1–3 with a walk.
At a ceremony that took place at Dodger Stadium on April 18, 2022, before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves, Freeman was honored with the 2021 Silver Slugger Award. In attendance at the ceremony were Braves manager Brian Snitker and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. Before the Dodgers’ game against the Braves at Truist Park on June 24, Freeman was honored with the presentation of his World Series ring.
Freddie Freeman has played 13 seasons for the Braves and Dodgers. He has a .298 batting average, 1,903 hits, 292 home runs, 1,041 RBIs, and 1,086 runs scored. He has won 1 Gold Glove award, 1 MVP award, 2 Silver Slugger awards, and 1 World Series
The opinions of players from all around the MLB world have been made public on the abolition of the shift. However, Freddie Freeman, the standout first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been able to find consistent success despite the shift in recent seasons owing to his approach at the plate. Despite this, Freeman provided insight into the effect that the MLB’s shift restriction in 2023 will have on the game.
Speaking about the shift ban, Freeman said, “I think it’s going to effect a lot of hitters. Left-handed hitters especially, You know when you hit a line drive into right field and you’re out, that is frustrating. It really is.”
Then, Freddie Freeman went on to clarify that the adjustment will also have a significant impact on the defenses of the team. Players won’t be allowed to just stand in the spot where the ball is most likely to be hit by an opponent. As a direct consequence of this, athleticism and instincts will play an important part in the year 2023.
On the offensive side of the ball, Freddie Freeman is widely regarded as one of the game’s top left-handed hitters. Because he routinely takes the ball either the other away or to centerfield, the shift was never too much of a challenge for him. According to Baseball Reference, Freeman has hit the ball to center field more than fifty-one percent of the time during the course of his career.
It was a major letdown for everyone when the San Diego Padres defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series last season. The was by far the best team in Major League Baseball (MLB) throughout the entirety of the regular season, and their early elimination from the playoffs was devastating to them. Hopefully, they’ll be able to bounce back in the upcoming season.
Read More: