Atlanta Braves Position Profile: First Base

Sep 25, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) connects for a base hit during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Incumbent

It’s a little difficult to pin point Freddie Freeman’s breakout season, as each has been consistent and his best season hasn’t been duplicated. 2011 was his first year as the everyday first baseman and he responded by batting .282/.346/.448/.795 with 21 homers and 32 doubles, very respectable numbers across the board. He followed it up with a similar campaign the following year with a little regression on the batting average. It is 2013 however when he exploded for a .319/.396/.501/.897 slash line with 23 homers and 27. That same year he also knocked in 109 runs, becoming the first Brave to have triple digit RBIs since Chipper Jones and Jeff Francoeur did it in 2007.

Leading into the 2014 season, Freddie Freeman, along with several other players signed long term extensions. His was for a club record 8 years, $135 million. His 2014 season was another solid season in which he hit .288/.386/.461/.847 and earned his second consecutive all-star selection; however coming off a season where he made a run at the batting title, it is not a stretch to say that fans were slightly disappointed. 2015 can in many ways be set aside as Freddie was unfortunately hampered both by injuries as well as the ineptitude and fluidity of the lineup around him. He only appeared in 118 games, snapping a string of 4 seasons in which he played in 147 or more.

The longer Freddie is in the league however, the more it seems as though his 2013 season was an outlier. He looks more and more like a productive .280 hitter who will get on base at about a .370 clip. Very solid numbers no doubt. Will he ever top 25 homers? Your guess is as good as mine. At 6’5” and 225 lbs., he seems a reasonable candidate to approach 30 homers at some point, but it is just too soon to tell. Regardless of whether he makes any strides in the coming years, he seems a safe option at first and will lock down the spot. What is not so certain is whether he will be the premier hitter in a contending lineup. If the Braves look to bolster their offense, will they be able to get by with Freeman as their best hitter? But that is an article for another day.

Next: In the Clubhouse