Biograhpy

BIOGRAPHY

Frederick Charles Freeman was born on September 12, 1989, in Fountain Valley, California. He is a first baseman in the MLB. 

Freeman attended El Modena High School in Orange, California where he was a third baseman and a pitcher. As a senior in 2007, Freeman hit for a .417 batting average and had a 6–1 win-loss record as a pitcher. The Orange County Register named him its 2007 player of the year. He signed a letter of intent with Cal State Fullerton.

The Atlanta Braves selected Freeman in the second round, with the 78th overall selection, of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft. Freeman signed with the team for $409,500, foregoing his college scholarship. He was the Braves' fifth-best prospect heading into the 2009 season, according to Baseball America, and the 11th-best prospect overall in their mid-season top 25.

Freeman was called up to the Braves on September 1, 2010, as part of the team's September call-ups, and made his major league debut that same day. On September 5, 2010, he got his first career hit off of Florida Marlins pitcher Clay Hensley, and on September 21, 2010, he hit his first home run off of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay.

Freeman began the 2011 season as the starting first baseman for the Braves. After a slow start, his performance improved and he had been mentioned as a strong candidate for rookie of the year. On July 4, 2011, Freeman hit two home runs against the Colorado Rockies, for his first multi-home run game. Freeman was the first Braves rookie to reach 50 RBIs by July 18 since Hank Aaron accomplished this feat in 1954. He was the named NL rookie of the month for July; during that month, Freeman led all Major League rookies with 38 hits, a .362 batting average, and a.433 on-base percentage in July 27 games. He also led all NL rookies with six homers and 17 runs. His 18 RBIs tied for the most in the NL among rookies.

In August, Freeman and Dan Uggla became the first members of the Braves to have concurrent twenty-game hitting streaks in the modern era. Freeman's streak ended at 20 games on August 7. Freeman finished the 2011 year batting .282 with 32 doubles, 21 home runs, and 76 RBI in 157 games played.

Freeman finished second to teammate Craig Kimbrel in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting. Kimbrel and Freeman were the first teammates to finish first and second since 1989, when the Chicago Cubs’ Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith came in first and second. The only other time two Braves finished in the top five, the organization was still located in Milwaukee—Gene Conley was voted third-best rookie of the 1954 season; Hank Aaron came in fourth.

In 2012, Freeman had an NL-leading nine sacrifice flies along with batting .259 with 33 doubles, 23 home runs, and 94 RBI in 147 games played.

In 2013, Freeman was selected as a finalist for the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Final Vote, where he won with a record-setting total of 19.7 million fan votes, but was unable to play because of a thumb injury suffered three days prior to the game. Freeman finished the 2013 season with a .319 batting average, along with 23 homers and 109 RBI in 147 games played. He finished 5th on the National League Most Valuable Player award voting.

On February 4, 2014, Freeman agreed to an eight-year, $135 million extension. Freeman was named an All-Star for the second time in 2014, and played the last three innings of the game. He led the team in batting average and on base plus slugging percentage in 2014. Freeman also set a franchise record for innings played. During a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 27, 2014, Freeman hit a three-run homer off of Kyle Kendrick to left center field that was caught by broadcaster Tom McCarthy. Freeman finished the 2014 year by appearing in all 162 games batting .288 with 90 walks, 43 doubles, 18 home runs, and 78 RBI.

Freeman drew attention for his offensive production throughout the first half of the 2019 season, especially in the month of June. At midseason, Freeman was selected the National League starter at first base in the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The appearance was his second consecutive start in the game and his fourth All-Star Game selection overall.

In 2019 Freeman batted .295/.389/.549 with 38 home runs and 121 RBIs, and led NL hitters in line drive percentage (27.5%), as he won his first Silver Slugger Award.

Freeman hit his first career grand slam on September 4, 2020, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals off pitcher Tanner Rainey. Two days later, he hit another grand slam, against Nationals pitcher Kyle Finnegan. On September 9, Freeman reached 1,500 career hits with a home run. During that same game against the Miami Marlins, he set a career-high by driving in six runs.

Freeman finished the shortened 60-game regular season hitting .341/.462/.640 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs. He led the major leagues with 23 doubles and 51 runs scored. Freeman's offensive performance won him a second Silver Slugger Award. He was named the NL MVP, becoming the first Braves player to win the award since Chipper Jones in 1999. Freeman was also voted the Baseball Digest MLB Player of the Year, Baseball America Player of the Year, MLBPA Player's Choice Player of the Year, and MLBPA Player's Choice NL Outstanding Player. Freeman was awarded the 2020 National League Hank Aaron Award, becoming the second player in franchise history to win the award, following Andruw Jones in 2005.

On August 18, 2021, Freeman hit for the cycle against the Miami Marlins. This was the fourth time an Atlanta Braves player had ever done so, the second time Freeman has done it, and only the ninth time in Braves' history. His second career cycle improved his batting average to .301. Freeman finished the 2021 season with a .300 batting average, a .896 OPS, and 31 home runs. The 2021 Braves became the second team in Major League Baseball history to have each starting infielder hit at least 25 home runs in a season. On October 12, 2021, Freeman hit an eventual game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the 8th inning in a tied National League Division Series game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers. This home run in what was previously a 4-4 ballgame allowed the Braves to advance to the National League Championship Series for the second consecutive year.

Freeman was named the National League's starting first baseman for the 2021 All-Star Game. 

On August 18, 2021, Freeman hit for the cycle against the Miami Marlins. This was the fourth time an Atlanta Braves player had ever done so, the second time Freeman has done it, and only the ninth time in Braves' history. Freeman owned a season-low .195 batting average on May 7. His second career cycle improved his batting average to .301. Freeman finished the 2021 season with a .300 batting average, a .896 OPS, and 31 home runs. The 2021 Braves became the second team in Major League Baseball history to have each starting infielder hit at least 25 home runs in a season. On October 12, 2021, Freeman hit an eventual game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning in a tied National League Division Series game four against the Milwaukee Brewers. This home run in what was previously a 4–4 ballgame allowed the Braves to advance to the National League Championship Series for the second consecutive year.

The Braves faced the Houston Astros in the 2021 World Series. In game five, Freeman hit a home run that traveled 460 feet. The Braves defeated the Astros in six games, making Freeman a World Series champion. Freeman recorded the final putout of the Series. At the end of the season, Freeman received his third consecutive Silver Slugger Award.

On April 18, 2022, before a game between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium, Freeman was presented his 2021 Silver Slugger Award, with Braves manager Brian Snitker and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer attending the ceremony. In the ensuing game, Freeman hit his first home run as a Dodger in what was also his first career at-bat against his former team. Freeman was presented his World Series ring before the Dodgers played the Braves at Truist Park on June 24. He was named an All-Star on July 17.