This past weekend, the Atlanta Braves continued their phenomenal run, as they took a series from the best team in baseball in the San Francisco Giants.
The Braves can do no wrong right now.
They are 18-6 in the month of August, and their lead in the National League East is currently sitting at 4.5 games.
Keep in mind, the team is doing this despite the loss of a legitimate MVP candidate in Ronald Acuna Jr. in addition to the losses of several other key players.
Superstar Freddie Freeman has had a lot to do with Atlanta’s recent run.
He’s consistently one of the best players in baseball, and he’s inarguably one of the faces of the Braves organization.
The problem?
He’s set to become a free agent after the 2021 season ends.
Atlanta needs to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.
Let’s talk about why.
His 12-Year Track Record Speaks For Itself
Freeman is a 12-year veteran, so we have a pretty big sample size to evaluate.
Spoiler: The 31-year-old never seems to disappoint.
He has been outstanding at every turn of his MLB career, and he has somehow gotten better with age.
He’s a lifetime .295 hitter with an OPS of .892.
He’s a five-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, one-time Gold Glover, and one-time MVP.
Since the start of the 2016 season, he has managed a .305 batting average, .947 OPS, and 146 OPS+.
He’s also very durable.
He didn’t miss a game in 2018, he missed just four games in 2019, he didn’t miss a game in 2020, and he has missed just two games in 2021.
He has all the qualities of a player that any organization should want around for a very long time.
He’s A Homegrown Talent, And Fans Would Never Forgive The Organization For Letting Him Go
The Braves drafted and developed Freeman themselves.
He was selected in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft, and he worked his way through the Atlanta farm system before debuting at the big-league level in 2010.
As mentioned, he’s a 12-year veteran, and all 12 of those seasons have come with the Braves.
Fans love the guy, and he’s a staple in the city.
This Phillies fan gave their Freddie Freeman home-run ball to a Braves fan on Friday
Today, Freeman hooked him up with a baseball signed by him and Bryce Harper
Kindness goes a long way ❤️
(via @Braves)pic.twitter.com/cO908R3744
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 11, 2021
Folks in Atlanta would never forgive the organization for letting go of Freeman.
He Has Been Playing Like An MVP Over The Past Two Months, And He’s One Of The Biggest Reasons The Braves Are In A Position To Win The NL East
For more than two months, Freeman has been playing like an MVP.
Along with the rest of the Braves’ infield, the 31-year-old is on fire.
Since June 23, he’s batting .365 with a 1.006 OPS, 11 home runs, nine doubles, and a triple over 57 games.
Over the span, he has posted eight three-hit games and three four-hit games.
He even had a five-game multi-hit streak at one point.
He has been an absolute menace at the plate, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Single ✅
Double ✅
Triple ✅
Home Run ✅@FreddieFreeman5's 2nd career cycle only took 6 innings! pic.twitter.com/HKBQqfPz1j— MLB (@MLB) August 19, 2021
The Braves are 35-22 over Freeman’s absurd 57-game stretch.
Needless to say, he has had a lot to do with Atlanta’s sudden surge to the top of the division.
NEXT: How Did The Atlanta Braves Turn Things Around So Quickly?