Atlanta Braves Freddie Freeman Facing Less Pressure in 2018
By Kit Anderson
Freddie Freeman is the resident Atlanta Braves veteran and the leader of the offense. For the first time in years, Freeman is facing far less pressure and has more than enough offensive help.
Freddie Freeman has often had high expectations from the Atlanta Braves and their fans. He had been the only good hitter in the lineup and was carrying the offense. For a long time, the offensive attack lived on Freeman’s ability to hit.
Dating back to Freeman’s early days of playing with Chipper Jones is the last time you can look back and see the lack of that pressure. This season everything has changed for Freeman and the Braves offensively.
Freddie finally has plenty of help and protection around him in a stacked lineup. Freeman can comfortably go 0-4 and the Braves still have a chance to win. He can have an off game and the Braves fate isn’t automatically decided.
Ozzie Albies, Nick Markakis, Tyler Flowers, Ronald Acuna Jr., Ender Inciarte, and Dansby Swanson are all getting it done at the plate. With the pressure taken off of him, Freeman has been even more patient and working some of the best at-bats of his career.
He has walked more than he has struck out 30/29 and it is May 18th. A ridiculous number telling you how much Freeman has enjoyed having offensive help.
He is hitting a meager .325 this season with 51 base hits headed into tonight’s action. When Freeman goes on his annual power tear as the weather heats up he will put his name where it belongs.
He belongs in the MVP conversation, a conversation that now has legs with Freeman getting the help he needed. More than in almost any other sport, baseball is a team game. A game relying on the rest of your guys to come through.
For Freeman, it has rarely happened in his career. This season it is finally aligning and the results are showing for Atlanta’s best hitter and one of the best hitters in baseball.