The Los Angeles Dodgers are comfortably leading the NL West division with a solid 16-7 record, before Thursday’s games.
Newcomer Freddie Freeman has been a big part of that success.
The California-native first baseman wasn’t necessarily cheap, but the Dodgers correctly evaluated over the offseason that he can still be an elite hitter for a few more years.
He is repaying the Dodgers’ faith with an impressive performance so far.
“Freddie Freeman through 101 PAs as a Dodger: .299/.386/.483, 12 BBs, 15 Ks, a 156 wRC+,” The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya tweeted.
Freddie Freeman through 101 PAs as a Dodger:
.299/.386/.483, 12 BBs, 15 Ks, a 156 wRC+
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 5, 2022
Those are some really impressive numbers.
Last year, Freeman slashed .300/.393/.503 with 31 home runs, 120 runs scored, and 83 RBI.
He went on to hit five more dingers in the postseason to help the Atlanta Braves win the World Series.
He Is Showing He Is Still Elite
He came to the Dodgers as a 32-year-old slugger, with tons of mileage in his legs and arms.
However, he has shown he is still an elite slugger, putting up some impressive numbers in a tougher division for hitters.
He has to face the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants’ excellent pitching staffs several times per year, for example.
But he is showing that truly elite hitters will produce anywhere.
He is expected to be a consistent middle-of-the-order producer for a winning franchise, as the Dodgers try to re-take the title that they won in 2020.
Destiny is probably preparing us for a Braves – Dodgers matchup in the Division Series or, even better, the National League Championship Series.
If it happens, Freeman will likely forget about the history he has in Atlanta and will want to mash to help Los Angeles win.
He has always been competitive, but what he is currently showing us is that he can still defeat Father Time.
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