Freeman grew up in Fountain Valley, California, less than 20 minutes from Angels Stadium, the home of the L.A. Angels of Anaheim.

MOM DIED OF CANCER

In 2000, Freddie's mother Rosemary died of melanoma, leaving her husband, Fred, to raise three boys who were 16, 13, and 10. Freddie was the 10-year-old. In the melancholy time to follow, Fred, suddenly a single parent, worried about his sons' emotional well-being and their safety—particularly that of Freddie, who was too young to be left alone.

So Fred, a partner in an accounting firm in Villa Park, Calif., would wait to take his lunch breaks until 2:00 p.m., when his youngest son's school day was over. He would pick Freddie up, and the two would drive to Handy Park. For the next hour, he would throw strike after strike to his son, who would meet the ball with a swing that grew prettier by the day, like those of his idols, Chili Davis and Garret Anderson.

After batting practice Fred and his son would drive back to the accounting firm, where Freddie would do his homework in an empty office until it was time to go home for dinner. "He grew up very fast after his mom passed away," Fred says. "I couldn't be there to stand over him all the time, so he had to do some things on his own."  (Ben Reiter-Sports Illustrated-2/28/2011)

Freddie was just 4 years old when his mother, Rosemary, was first diagnosed with melanoma. The skin cancer remained in remission for about five years, but in 2000, Rosemary lost her battle with the disease.

So when Freeman noticed a mole on his back ahead of the 2016 All-Star break, he opted to have a dermatologist remove it during the four-day respite. Three days later, Freeman learned the biopsy revealed cancerous cells in the mole.

"They said if I just take a picture of it and monitor it, it would be fine," Freeman said. "But I don't think they knew there were going to be abnormal cells in the mole. So I said, 'With my family's history, just cut it out right now.'"

Freeman received stitches in his back and rested for 48 hours before returning to Atlanta's lineup for the first game of the second half. Sharing the same complexion as his mother, Freeman wears sleeves and sunglasses as protection from the sun and to lower his chances of developing melanoma. He has also partnered with multiple organizations to spread awareness about the disease. But even with his strong efforts to take care of himself, the 26-year-old still knows he has to monitor his skin.

"It's what I'm going to have to do a lot during my lifetime," Freeman said. "I'd rather get them cut out now and deal with the pain for a couple of days." (P James - MLB.com - July 16, 2016)

Freddie's dad, Fred, says that the only aspiration he had for his son as an athlete was to play high school baseball.

"I remember going to school. When you're on a team, you're popular and you're running around with your friends on the bus and having a great time in high school," Fred said. "That was my ultimate goal, to have him make the high school team. I was not making a Major League hitter, that's for sure."

In 2007, Freddie's senior year at El Modena High School in Orange, California, he committed to Cal State-Fullerton on a baseball scholarship.

But he chose instead to sign with the Braves, for a bonus of $409,500, after being drafted out of high school in the second round. Mike Baker is the scout who signed Freddie.

In 2008, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Freeman as the 19th-best prospect in the Braves' organization. In the spring of 2009, they moved Freddie all the way up to #5 in the Atlanta farm system.

And in the winter before 2010 spring training, they moved Freeman to second best prospect in the Braves' organization. And they had him at #2 again in the spring of 2011, behind only righthander Julio Teheran.

Beginning in May 2012, Freeman experienced blurred vision. He was in a constant battle to gain confidence in his ability to see well enough to handle the task of hitting at the big league level.

"I never had that 100 percent confidence in my eyes," Freeman said. "All of the sudden, I would move my eye to the left, feel something and think, 'Here we go again.' I think a lot of it was in my head and I wasn't trusting my eyes."

Those who remember the many different ways Freeman attempted to solve his vision problems should have an understanding of the excitement he felt when he arrived at Champion Stadium March 7, 2013 and found a pair of specially fitted Under Armour glasses waiting in his locker.

Unlike the pair Freeman attempted to wear last year, this new pair of clear lens glasses do not include prescription lenses. His plan this year is to wear them to protect against foreign particles entering his sensitive eyes and blurring the corrected vision he will gain from his contact lenses.

"If I can just block everything out, it will be great," Freeman said. "My eyes are so sensitive that if one thing gets in there, it's over."

Freeman will wear these glasses whenever he is on the field, except when he is batting. When he attempted to wear the glasses with the protective lenses last year, he was bothered by a blind spot created by the nose piece. If he reaches base safely, he will grab the glasses that first-base coach Terry Pendleton holds whenever Freddie comes to the plate.

Braves teammate Jason Heyward has repeatedly said Freeman has been an "RBI hog" since the two began their professional careers together in 2007. Through the first two months of the 2013 season, Freeman simply legitimized this description.

"I don't know what the deal is when there is a guy in scoring position, I don't know if I concentrate harder or what the deal is," Freeman said. "But I want to get those guys in."

Freeman's power potential has provided him the opportunity to maximize run-producing opportunities.  He has produced with runners in scoring position.

"I believe there are guys out there that when there are [run-producing situations], they get it done," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I think Miguel Cabrera is one. I think Manny Ramirez in his heyday was one. Carlos Lee was one of those guys. For whatever reason, they step up their game. [Freeman] is a contact guy, which I believe you have to be to be that guy." (5/27/2013)

In 2014, Freeman played in a Major League-best 1,449 innings in the field, breaking the franchise record of 1,447 innings set by Andruw Jones in 1999. He was the only National League player to start each of his team's 162 games in 2014.  

"It's an accomplishment personally," Freeman said. "I've always wanted to do that and never had the chance. To stay healthy all year and be able to grind out 162 games, it's definitely a nice reward at the end of a season."  

Freeman's dedication and determination to play on a daily basis was an indication that he does not plan to sit on the comfort he gained in January when he signed a franchise-record eight-year, $135 million contract. 

"Everybody is beat up, it's 162 games and he plays through it," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Good for him, that is a goal he wanted to achieve." (Bowman - mlb.com - 9/28/2014)

Since he first learned his wife, Chelsea, was pregnant, Freddie had dealt with the emotions of becoming a father. But during a 7-5 loss to the Marlins, Freeman's level of excitement reached another level when he found out Chelsea was going into labor.

"Early on in the pregnancy, I got excited, then I got nervous and then I got excited again," said Freeman, who sprinted out of the home dugout at Turner Field in the bottom of the seventh inning. "But once I got that call, a lot of emotions kind of came in.  Obviously, I got out of here as quick as I could, and we got to the hospital that night. It's just a pretty surreal moment."

The couple welcomed their first child, Frederick Charles Freeman II, on September 15, 2016, more than 24 hours after Chelsea went into labor. Freeman had told Braves manager Brian Snitker earlier in the week that he planned on playing the day after Chelsea gave birth, but the skipper texted his first baseman on the 16th and told him to stay with his wife and child.

The 27-year-old returned to the lineup on September 17, when he extended his hitting streak to a career-high 21 games. (Bowman - MLB.com - 9/18/2016)

As Freeman made an early arrival to 2018 Spring Training, he anxiously looked forward to testing the physical improvements he made during the offseason. A few months of rest allowed him to regain strength in the left wrist he fractured in May 2017, and the Lasik surgery he underwent in October 2017, has positioned him to avoid the dry-eye discomfort his contact lenses had occasionally caused on windy days.

"We actually took the golf cart around, and I had wind blowing in my eyes and it felt great," Freeman said. "I could see. I've been testing it here and there with different scenarios. I can wake up and see, which is the greatest thing ever. I don't have to reach for glasses anymore. It's been pretty cool."

In 2012, Freeman was named NL Player of the Week twice (April 16-22 and April 30-May 6). But his chronic dry-eye issues began when wind irritated his eyes before a May 7 game at Wrigley Field that same year. As Freeman battled some eye discomfort through a portion of that 2012 season and during many of the ensuing trips to Chicago and Denver, he began thinking about having the Lasik procedure. But he wisely waited, partly because he knew about Brian McCann's experiences after the catcher underwent the surgery after the 2007 season.

McCann was just 23 years old when he first had his eyesight adjusted via this procedure. He experienced problems, including blurred vision, over the ensuing two years, and he had to undergo the surgery again after the 2009 season.

"They always say to wait three years for your eyes to stop changing," Freeman said. "That's exactly what I did. They said to do it when you're about 27 years old, too. I've been counting down the years, waiting to get it because ever since I had those eye problems in 2012, there are certain cities where my contacts dry out and it's been a real struggle." (M Bowman - MLB.com - Feb 16, 2018)

The Braves had a strong first few months of the 2018 season and are right in the thick of things in the National League postseason picture.

As a result, four Braves will be in D.C. this week for All-Star Week 2018—and thanks to one of them, they'll be sporting some extremely choice footwear. Mike Foltynewicz, you see, designed some custom socks for his fellow Atlanta All-Stars to wear, and they were shown off during the broadcast of the 5-1 win over the D-backs.

Freddie has socks emblazoned with the smiling faces of his wife, Chelsea, and son, Charlie. Nick Markakis' feature his three sons, Taylor, Tucker and Toby. And while Ozzie Albies doesn't have a wife and kids just yet, his socks feature the face of his pal and teammate, Ronald Acuna Jr.

Excellent effort, Folty, and a great way to start what's sure to be an exciting week for the quartet. (Garro - mlb.com - 7/15/2018)

Oct 31, 2019: Imagine it's Halloween and you've spent days preparing and assembling the perfect costume. You've spent hours in front of the mirror, getting dressed and applying your makeup. You're finally ready. You have transformed from yourself from a nobody into the spitting image of your hero ... and then you run into them. Literally. On the street.

I don't even know how I'd react. Would I be proud and want to shout and scream and recreate the two Spiderman's meme? Would I be embarrassed and try to hide?

Fortunately, I have yet to have to experience this. But one young Braves fan did while he was out trick or treating on Halloween night. Dressed as Freddie Freeman, the actual Braves first baseman spotted the youngster out on the street.

I think my very favorite moment is Freeman asking, "Are you me?" Because even he doesn't quite know how to react.

Sure enough, the kid was thrilled. If only all our Halloween dreams turned out this way.

"This is my son, and he was in shock/star struck that he came face to face with the real Freddie, who could not have been nicer! Go Braves!" said Rachel Barr. (CUT4 - MLB.com - Nov 1, 2019)

March 18, 2020: Freeman will donate $125,000 to aid three charities in their efforts to assist those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Freeman will donate $50,000 to the Atlanta Food Bank, $50,000 to Giving Kitchen and $25,000 to the Salvation Army.

Freeman’s donation to Giving Kitchen will aid over 30 food service workers with utility and rent. This Atlanta-based charity pays living expenses for food service workers who are sick, injured, experiencing a housing crisis or suffering from the death of a family member.

Freeman’s donation to the Atlanta Food Bank will provide at least 200,000 meals. This charitable organization is currently partnering with schools to assist students who have lost access to free and reduced priced meals. Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton County Schools, DeKalb County Schools, Fulton County Schools and Marietta City Schools are among those already working with this charity to provide grocery boxes that will supply affected families with at least three days’ worth of food per week.

The Braves announced that they, in concert with all 30 Major League clubs, will donate $1 million to assist thousands of ballpark staff impacted by the delayed start of the 2020 season. Through the Braves Foundation, the organization has created a fund to assist game-day workers and certain other affected members of the baseball community with special financial needs that may arise before play begins. (M Bowman - MLB.com - March 18, 2020)

Oct. 2020: Freeman was named the Baseball Digest/eBay MLB Player of the Year.

Oct. 2020: Freddie was named Baseball America's Player of the Year.

Nov. 2020: Freeman won the MVP Award for the NL, as voted for by the BBWAA.

When the Braves held their first team workouts on July 3—the day camps reopened following the pandemic shutdown—they did so without their all-star first baseman. Freeman had tested positive for COVID-19, adding further uncertainty to a season that many in the industry, including Braves manager Brian Snitker, were skeptical would finish.

Hours before Snitker informed reporters of Freeman’s status on July 4, Freeman was laying in his bed, drenched in sweat and praying for his life. His fever peaked at 104.5 degrees.

“I said a little prayer that night,” Freeman recalled. “I’ve never been that hot before. My body was really, really hot. So I said, ‘Please don’t take me.’ I wasn’t ready. It got a little worrisome that night.”

That evening was the worst of Freeman’s COVID-19 experience. His fever dropped when he woke the next morning. He was finally fever-free on July 6, though he didn’t regain a sense of taste or smell until days later. July 9 was Freeman’s final day feeling symptoms. (Gabe Burns - Baseball America - 10/22/2020)

Nov 12, 2020: Nearly a decade after picking up his phone to hear Chipper Jones say, “I think it’s time we start to hang out,” Freddie can now compare MVP Awards with the Hall of Fame third baseman.

Freeman was named the National League MVP when the balloting results were announced. The 31-year-old first baseman became the first Braves player to win an MVP Award since Jones in 1999.

“I don’t think anybody can ever dream of winning an MVP,” Freeman said. “As a kid, you’re just dreaming of one day being on TV, like the guys you’re watching. For it to come like this, it’s just amazing. I’ve had good years in the past. This year, it just all came together from start to finish.”

Freeman won his first NL MVP Award after finishing within the top 10 in balloting four previous times. He received 28 of the 30 first-place votes cast by select members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts and the Padres’ Manny Machado were the other finalists for the award.

Moments after the results were announced, Jones posted a tweet congratulating Freeman and challenging him to garner this honor again next year. The two have shared a strong friendship over the past decade. Freeman’s first two full seasons with the Braves were the last two seasons of Jones’ career. (M Bowman - MLB.com - Nov 12, 2020)

Dec. 2020: This year's Hank Aaron Award winners are Jose Abreu of the White Sox in the American League and Freddie Freeman of the Braves in the National League. The Hank Aaron Award was established by Major League Baseball in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record. The award is given annually to the most outstanding offensive player in each league.

Feb. 2021:  Freddie and Chelsea Freeman's individual Instagram pages tell the story of a fun and eventful off-season for the young couple—one that came with the top honors for the Braves first baseman and the addition of two baby boys born six weeks apart in two different years.

"It's been hectic, but it's been everything I ever wanted. I had one on December 30 and one on Valentine's Day, February 14. Chelsea gave birth to Brandon John and our other one named Maximus Turner is named after my big league debut," said Freeman.

 Freeman told reporters covering Spring Training the family joy follows a very painful chapter for the couple who struggled with infertility after the emergency C-section birth of their 5-year-old son, Charlie.

"It was definitely one of the toughest situations in my life—trying to comfort my wife with the roller coaster ride my wife was on," said the National League MVP. "Especially when Charlie happened so easily and so fast and then it doesn't happen and it doesn't happen and it doesn't happen, it takes a toll. It took a toll on Chelsea and a toll on me," Freeman explained.

The Braves player said news of Chelsea's pregnancy last year was even more incredible, considering the timing.

"Nine days before embryo transfer, I come home from a workout and Chelsea tells me she's pregnant and I'm just shocked, like not something you expect at all, but it's everything you want and more," Freeman said.

Freddie calls the new editions "twins with a twist" and looks forward to getting back to Atlanta to see the family after the Braves' first road trip. (Portia Bruner - Mar. 4, 2021)

When you do something nice for someone without expecting anything in return, that's true generosity.  But sometimes you do receive something back unexpectedly, especially if your generosity goes viral on social media.  That's what happened to Phillies fans James Scott and his young son, Joshua, who gave away a home run ball Freddie Freeman hit against Philadelphia at Truist Park. They saw a young Braves fan nearby wearing a Freeman jersey and instead of keeping the souvenir for themselves, they gave it to the Freeman fan. Then at the next game on April 11, 2021, they got a surprise from Freeman himself.

The reigning National League MVP walked over to them prior to the series finale between Atlanta and Philadelphia, and jokingly gave the Phillies fans a bit of a hard time about being supporters of the visiting club in Atlanta, but it was all in good fun. There was also an unexpected surprise.  "Even though you're a Phillies fan ... I know you're a Phillies fan but I saw your video," Freeman said as he approached Joshua near the home dugout. "I know you missed [having the home run ball] but I've got this ball signed by me and Bryce Harper."

Freeman handed the baseball to Joshua, who was wearing his Harper jersey, and said, "You don't have to catch that one." He then had some advice for the two Phillies supporters before heading back to the field.  "You can be fans inside," Freeman said, jokingly. "I love it. I'll try to hit you another one [today]."  (Randhawa - mlb.com - 4/11/2021)

July 12, 2021: Charlie Freeman got his wish. The young son of Freddie Freeman hoped his dad would make the All-Star Game so that he could meet his favorite player, Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr.

Prior to the Home Run Derby at Coors Field, Charlie got to meet Tatis and the two hugged it out . . . twice.

Freddie's wife, Chelsea, shared the precious moment on Instagram with this caption: "Swipe left to see Charlie's life made."

With his selection to this year's game, Freddie is now a five-time All-Star. But no trip to the Midsummer Classic probably meant more to him than this one. (B Murphy - MLB.com - July 12, 2021)

Freddie was going to attend a baseball game with his teammate, Clayton Kershaw. They were taking in a game in Toluca Lake, a few miles from where the Dodgers had just reeled off another walk-off win at Dodger Stadium. In the lineup for the next game were Charlie Freeman and Charley Kershaw, the eldest sons of a pair of former MVPs.

They’re teammates, like their dads.

“Charley, my son, is here with Charlie Freeman a lot,” Kershaw said, basking in the honor of finally earning his first start in his ninth trip to the Midsummer Classic. “They are playing baseball together.”

“(Our) kids playing baseball,” Freeman said, “there’s nothing better than that.”

Once Freddie Freeman inked his big deal with the Dodgers after 12 years with the Braves, finding a new youth baseball league came as part of the transition. They wound up with an ideal fit. Charley Kershaw is 5, Charlie Freeman is 6. Each has become a more regular presence in the Dodgers clubhouse, and now are playing the game together.

“You respect them and play against them for so long, and then you become teammates, and then I’ve tried to get my feet settled, and then he’s helping me get my feet settled,” Freeman said. “Then our kids are on the same team, so we’re outside of the field hanging out. So I think that was huge in the process of getting comfortable here.

"The eldest Freeman son was going to be able to play with the video-game version of his father on the updated National League All-Star team roster in MLB: The Show. “That’s the fun part,” Freeman said. “When you see those two and how much fun they have every single day together. That’s what makes it so fun for us as dads. Glad I was able to play good enough to even be able to enjoy this again.”

“I was just trying to hang on a little longer for them to see it,” Kershaw joked about getting to experience this with his children. “It’s just fun to see it through their eyes, and hopefully I get them down here to watch the Home Run Derby and just kind of see it. I think they are starting to understand baseball a little more.

“It’s fun, as you get older, everything gets put into perspective a little more with this game and how special it is. Definitely doesn’t last forever. I’m just trying to enjoy it. I’m just going to enjoy tomorrow, and I think they will, too.”

He savors the Little League games, too, a tie between two of the game’s best that has helped bridge a gap into a new city and clubhouse for Freeman. It’s also given them yet another thing in common besides baseball greatness: fatherhood.

He and Kershaw got to their boys’ game the next morning. Later that day, Kershaw was named to the wave of pitchers and reserves making the original All-Star lists. Freeman originally didn’t, but the first baseman responded by going 4-for-5 with a homer.

Earlier that day, Charlie Freeman had gone 6-for-6.

“He beat me,” Freeman joked. (Ardaya-TheAthletic.com-July 19, 2022)

 Freddie said that if one day he made it, he was going to do something for his alma mater. And he has done both.

Next year, El Modena High School in Orange will have a revamped baseball facility that includes a new clubhouse, thanks in large part to a donation by Freeman to the program.

The pledge was announced at a meeting for the Orange Unified School District.

El Modena head baseball coach Josh Kliner, who was an assistant coach during Freeman’s final three years at the high school and was at the meeting, described the room as “stunned” after the announcement.

“It’s awesome to see that the (high school baseball) experience was meaningful, and he looks back at it with fond memories and wants to make it better for the next generation that comes through. I don’t even have the words to describe it,” Kliner said. “As a coach and a teacher, your job is to make an impact on lives, and hopefully our part in his life was a good memory to go back on. And he’s showing that by coming back and putting into the program.”

Freeman said El Modena’s impact went beyond baseball.

When the Dodger first baseman was 10 years, old, his mother, Rosemary, passed away after battling melanoma. Freeman’s brother, Andrew, was in the baseball program at the time.

“Steve Bernard, who was his head coach and coach for me as well, means a lot to our family,” Freeman said. “What we went through, he was so great to help my brother and so great to me while I was there. It’s more than just helping rebuild a clubhouse because El Modena means so much to me and my family that it’s more than that to us.”

Freeman has often trained at El Modena’s baseball field in offseasons with his father, Fred. Kliner said Freeman has kicked around the idea for years about doing something for the program. Now was the time for the first-year Dodger.

El Modena players currently dress in a metal shed behind the home dugout. Freeman wanted the kids to have a facility that would promote their success both on and off the field.

“My dad and I spent a lot of hours at that field,” Freeman said. “(We’re fortunate) to be in a position and have the resources to help build something where those kids can have a great four years.”  (Cary Osborne - Aug. 20, 2022)

2022 Season: (.325/.407/.511, 7.1 fWAR) 

Freddie’s departure from the Braves came as a complete shock. However, his first year with the Dodgers has been an absolute triumph. He finished second to the Mets’ Jeff McNeil in the NL batting race. While his overall power hasn’t quite reached its zenith, he did post a respectable 21-homer campaign. Freeman’s value came in his contact work, posting an 83.1% contact rate. This was best among first basemen on the senior circuit. His defense, on the other hand, was concerning. Negatives in both dWAR and DRS knock him back a peg. (Caleb Begley - Nov 5, 2022)

Freeman and Justin Heyward roomed together on the road. Lived together in A ball in Rome, Georgia, and again in High A in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where the two 6-foot-5 prospects took turns on long bus rides laying on a pool floatie in the aisles to stretch out their legs before scrunching in together into the same set of seats. Despite their large frames, they insisted on sitting next to each other.

“The craziest thing is the two biggest guys sitting on a bus together for 12 straight hours,” Freeman said. “But that’s what we wanted to do, was be right next to each other.”

That connection lasted throughout the minors as the two continued to shoot up through the Braves system. They got called up to Double A together on the same day in 2009, played in the Arizona Fall League together that same year and would earn their first invites to major-league spring training together shortly thereafter. Their friendship was clear, drawing the attention of the likes of franchise stalwarts such as Chipper Jones.

“God dang,” Jones would tell them, according to Freeman. “You guys are always together!”

Together for breakfast, for dinner, and sometimes both in only the finest of small-town fare.

“Sometimes,” Freeman said with a chuckle, “you’d eat breakfast at Waffle House and you’d eat dinner at Waffle House.”

“They were like brothers from the get-go,” Greg Walker, Atlanta’s hitting coach from 2012-14, recalled recently by phone.

“I love him to death,” Heyward said.

With Heyward a year away from free agency and Atlanta’s window closing, they made a decision. Freeman got a nine-figure contract extension in 2014, locking him into the club’s future even during a time of transition. Heyward would get traded that November to St. Louis, a deal Freeman still calls “devastating.” Years after being the top prospect in the sport and one of the faces of a youth movement in Atlanta, and following an unceremonious exit from Chicago after being one of the last men standing from what was supposed to be a dynasty, Heyward was still fighting.

But even he had to acknowledge the reality.

“Being real,” Heyward admitted, “I didn’t know if anybody was going to call.”

Heyward signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers, which included an invite to big-league camp. If he makes the club, the Dodgers will only have to pay him the league minimum as the Cubs continue to pay out the rest of Heyward’s deal. He came with the strong recommendation of his old friend. Freeman’s relationship with Heyward predates when each was selected as part of the same Atlanta draft class 16 years ago. So when president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman evaluated players available in the offseason outfield market, Freeman touted Heyward’s value in the clubhouse and the upside that still feels tangible. Freeman’s sales pitch started as early as August when the Cubs announced they wouldn’t be bringing Heyward back. 

After showing up so early, Heyward spotted his locker, pulled out his phone and recorded a video. He sent it to his oldest friend in baseball, the man who had long been pushing for Heyward to join the Dodgers. Now, Heyward and Freeman have been inseparable since camp opened. Their years of history together are palpable in the batting cage, in drills and even when one expresses faux outrage when the other opts for a different catch partner that day.

“This is as happy as you can get, for me,” said Freeman, nodding over to Heyward’s locker next to him.

“We’re just making the most of our time,” Heyward said. (Ardaya - Feb 24, 2023 - The Athletic)

Freddy's mom was born and raised outside of Toronto. She met Fred — a dual Canadian and American citizen who spent parts of his childhood on both sides of the border — as a teenager at church in Windsor, Ontario, when both of their parents relocated there for work.

When Fred’s family moved to California a few years later, he and Rosemary continued dating long-distance. After they got married in their early 20s, settling down in Orange County for the next two decades, Rosemary continued to embrace her Canadian identity.

“She was 100% Canadian, no doubt about it,” Fred recalled with a laugh this week. “She was proud of being Canadian. She had a lot of friends she still kept in contact within Canada. Her family is all from Canada.”

Fred said she was never even interested in applying for American citizenship.

“Growing up, I think [our kids] got the Canadian stuff from Rosemary,” Fred said.

 For a young Freeman, it left an impression in subtle ways. He remembers eagerly standing for the Canadian national anthem whenever the family went to watch the Toronto Blue Jays and Maple Leafs visit local teams in Anaheim. He always found a joyful distinction in a family background that differed from his friends and classmates.

“It never left her,” Freeman said.

Therefore, it never left him — becoming an emotional touchstone that has endured long after her death.

“As I get older, and I have my own family and stuff like that, you just realized that that’s more important to me,” Freeman said.

That’s why, when his chance to play for Canada arose in 2017, Freeman jumped at the opportunity.

By that point, Freeman had made a couple trips to Toronto to play the Blue Jays. He joked that the game always seemed to have an entire section of extended family in attendance to root for him.

During those visits, Freeman toured the city; not in search of tourist landmarks, but to seek out places from his mom’s old life, including a building where she once lived and an office where she had worked.

“Anything involving his mother, he’s interested in,” Fred said. “So I think [wanting to play for Canada] grew from there.”

When Freeman first called his dad to tell him he was committing to Canada for the 2017 event, Fred was initially surprised.

“Really?” he recalled asking his son. “Aren’t you American?”

Freeman, however, was already convinced.

“I want to do it for my mom,” he responded. “To honor her.”

When Freeman lined up for the Canadian national anthem before that tournament’s opener, in a game in Miami against the Dominican Republic with his dad in the stands, both father and son felt the song resonate with them.

“I didn’t think I’d have feelings for Canada,” said Fred, who always felt more American than Canadian, so much so he’s lost most of the Canadian accent he had as a kid. “But all of a sudden, he’s playing for Canada and the national anthem is going and the colors of the uniforms — I was like, ‘Wow, I’m really tied into this.’”

So was Freeman.

“It was emotional,” he said. “There was a little more meaning.”

Freeman is eager to get at least one win this time, after Canada went 0-3 and was outscored by 18 runs in 2017.

“I know Canadians like my story,” Freeman said. “But they still want to win ballgames.” (Jack Harris - March 11, 2023)

Freddie remembers the first one. How could he forget?

The memory is seared into his brain. It was Sept. 21, 2010, and Freeman was unsure if Bobby Cox, the legendary Atlanta manager, would actually call his name to pinch hit. Freeman can reconjure it all: The scene and score at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the feeling of stepping in for just the 14th time as a major leaguer and looking out toward a future Hall of Famer on the mound.

“Roy Halladay,” Freeman said with a smile before the trivia question could even be rattled off, nailing the score (the Braves trailed 5-2), the situation and the pitch (“a little baby cutter”). “He’s one of the greatest pitchers to ever pitch, so to have my first off one of those guys, it’s pretty cool.”

Freeman swung at the first pitch he saw from Halladay and drove the first home run of his major-league career into the bullpen in right-center field. More than anything, Freeman remembers the phone call with his father, Fred, as he rode on the crowded team bus back to the Philadelphia-area hotel.

“I can’t believe I did it,” he recalled telling his dad, who still has the baseball. “I just hit a home run in the big leagues.”

Freeman has kept on hitting them, turning on a fastball from Padres reliever Tim Hill on May 12, 2023 for career shot No. 299. With No. 300 on his mind, he did his best to recall the milestone homers that came before it when speaking to The Athletic.

With five years remaining on the six-year, $162 million deal he inked with the Dodgers in March 2022, Freeman has room for more milestones in his new uniform. It’s something Freeman has thought about, with another number that starts with a three right at the top: 3,000 hits. 

He’s just 48 hits away from 2,000, a figure Freeman said he would’ve already crossed had the COVID-19 pandemic not reduced the 2020 season to 60 games.

“Just 2,000 hits is a lot of hits, if you really think about it,” Freeman said. “That’s 200 hits for 10 years, and you’re lucky to even play five years in this game.

“You don’t really think about numbers until you’re done and you can contemplate and appreciate what you did. For me, it’s more of, I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to play for so long. One of the hardest things is to get here. But the hardest thing to do is to stay here and then to be an everyday regular, that’s extremely hard to do.” 

“Everybody in that (visiting) dugout and these boxes with analytics, they’re all trying to make you not become a regular,” said Freeman, who has 28 homers since putting on a Dodgers uniform for the first time in April 2022. “So to combat that year in and year out and to be consistent, that’s, to me, the most satisfying thing.”

He’s done that so far and is on the brink of a milestone. Fred Freeman was at the ballpark Saturday when Freeman hit one high and off the wall for a double that was nearly much more. Dad was at Dodger Stadium again Sunday in hopes of seeing No. 300 in person.

“Whenever it happens,” Freeman said, “it’ll be great.” (Ardaya - May 15, 2023 - The Athletic)

May 18, 2023: Freeman joins 300-HR/1,000-RBI club, calls Dad. The Slugger becomes just the second player to hit a grand slam for No. 300.

 Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman had a special phone call to make after hitting his 300th career home run against the Cardinals. It was his eighth homer of the season.

“Call my dad tonight and we'll talk about it, just enjoy it for the night,” Freeman said. “Tomorrow, worry about tomorrow's game. But tonight was kind of cool.” (J Harris - MLB.com - May 19, 2023)

Yes, he was back in Atlanta, where he spent the first 12 years of his career and it felt like a lifetime. His return to Truist Park involved many a hug and plenty of the old comforts that led the first baseman to think he’d never put on a different uniform. It is still home, with the Orange County native opting to spend much of his offseason in the house he established as his home when he was playing here. Freeman got a carpool heading to the ballpark on Monday afternoon with his father, Fred, who dropped him off. A camera crew once again followed Freeman to take in the latest in an emotion-ridden saga that came to a head the first time he returned to this building last June — a series that ended with a heartfelt text from Freeman to his new teammates and a wound that had started to scar over.

He hasn’t picked at that scar much since. He wasn’t even sure if he would receive another ovation, so he never asked the Dodgers to put in a special pitch timer exemption on his behalf. A crowd of 40,205 gave him one anyway.

“Obviously, it’s a massive difference,” Freeman said, calling last summer’s visit “raw.”

“I didn’t really know what was going to happen … I’m happy how it went.”

The smile replaced his tears from a year ago and was ear to ear by the fifth inning when he took his ex-teammate Charlie Morton deep for a go-ahead three-run shot in the Dodgers’ 8-6 comeback victory.

“I’m glad I was able to give them something to cheer about tonight,” Freeman quipped after his three-hit night. (Ardaya - May 23, 2023 - The Athletic)

July 2023: Freeman was chosen to start at 1st base for the NL at the MLB All-Star Game.

 July 29, 2023: Clayton and Ellen Kershaw welcomed his Dodgers teammates, celebrities and professional athletes to Dodger Stadium for the 10th annual Kershaw’s Challenge Ping Pong 4 Purpose, which was hosted by Cedric The Entertainer and Max Greenfield.

While the focus of the night is for charitable purposes, players and celebrities alike get swept up in the excitement of the ping pong tournament as well.

Kershaw was paired with longtime Dodgers teammate Austin Barnes on the side of the bracket that also featured duos of Brad Paisley and Will Smith, Yency Almonte and Alex Vesia, Joel McHale and James Outman, among others.

Kershaw and Barnes advanced to the championship round, where they squared off against Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. A competitive match was won by Betts and Freeman, who celebrated by doing the All-Star first baseman’s dance from the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala that went viral. (Matthew Moreno)

Stats and Milestones MLB players really care about:  Ten years of MLB's service is a significant milestone. MLB’s pension plan begins vesting at 43 service days and is fully vested at 10 years of service. That’s the headline here. Also, players with 10 years of service and at least five consecutive seasons with their current club receive 10-and-5 rights, which provide them veto power in any trade involving them, effectively giving them a no-trade clause. 

Fewer than 10 percent of MLB players reach 10 service years. 

The day he reached 10 years of MLB service, in September 2020, then-Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was on the road, alone in a Washington D.C. hotel room, when he got an email from his wife, Chelsea. She had put together a video of messages from his dad, brothers, aunts, uncles and a dozen current and former teammates congratulating him.

“You know me,” Freeman said. “I cried during the whole thing.”

There’s a term ballplayers throw around as a supreme compliment: posting. That means a guy is out there every day (or every fifth day, for a starter) posting up for his team. 160 (ish) games played in a season. Freeman explained that, the way he views it, he’s a Dodgers employee, and they pay him to work, so playing 162 games is just doing his job.

“I don’t feel like I can show up to work and not do my job,” he said. Not every player would agree, Freeman acknowledged, and maybe that mindset was subconsciously instilled in him as a kid watching his father, who’d lost his wife, working tirelessly to raise three boys alone. Freeman’s goal each year is to play well enough that his manager never decides he needs a day off. So far this season, so good. 

But Freeman also had to learn how to handle a 160-game workload. That meant lessons like maneuvering travel days with long flights, prioritizing rest, saying no to weight training in certain situations, and opting to hit indoors some days instead of out in the sun. Freeman expects to play for another four to six seasons, which means as many as 2,850 career games played.

“As long as they want me to do my job, I’m going to do it,” Freeman said.

Not only is playing 160ish games a physical feat, it also sets an example for younger players. Players don’t get to decide these things entirely. But if veterans and superstars are preparing to play every game, the kids should, too. (Nesbitt - Aug 31, 2023 - The Athletic)

Freeman notched his 53rd double of the season against the Nationals, giving him the franchise record for doubles in a single season. The seven-time All-Star passes Johnny Frederick, who recorded 52 doubles with the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1929 season.  (Ardaya - Sep 8, 2023 - The Athletic)

Throughout the spring, Freddie wore it as a source of pride. Not that he had nearly won his first batting title. Not that he had played in 159 of 162 possible games en route to one of the finest years of his career in his first season with Los Angeles.

No, the Dodgers first baseman wanted one thing to be clear: He had stolen more bases — 13 — than his teammate Mookie Betts, who had once pulled off a 30-30 campaign in his 2018 MVP season. That had marked a new career high for Freeman. Now, he wanted to top it. He surprised even himself, entering rare territory for his position when he swiped his 20th stolen base of the season on Monday. 

It marked just the 16th season ever for a first baseman with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, the first since Ian Desmond in 2018 and a feat only 10 other full-time players at the position had ever accomplished.

“This is one thing I never thought I’d do in my career,” Freeman said. “First basemen usually aren’t the speed demons.”

Baseball’s new rules this season, including bigger bases and limits on pickoffs and pitcher “disengagements,” have spiked stolen base rates. If anything, he has gotten better at stealing bases over time. Freeman’s 20-20 campaign is just the 23rd such season for a player in their age-33 season or older, and the first since Brett Gardner in 2017. With four more hits, he’ll have his first 200-hit campaign — and become the second-oldest player to collect 200 or more hits in a 20-20 season, behind Paul Molitor in 1993. (Ardaya - Sep 19, 2023 - The Athletic)

Sept 22, 2023: Freeman was within arm’s reach of a career-long goal in 2022. Heading into Game 162, the first baseman was four hits shy of 200 on the season. He went 3-for-4, finishing the campaign with 199.

One year on, in his 14th big league season, Freeman has finally realized that achievement. His 200th hit of 2023 was a first-inning single in a 5-1 loss to the Giants at Dodger Stadium.

As the grounder made its way through the right side of the infield, the crowd rose to its feet, and a clearly emotional Freeman took a moment to tip his helmet before gathering himself to shift his focus to baserunning. He picked up hit No. 201 in the eighth, an RBI single for the Dodgers’ sole run. “I've always had sights set on it,” Freeman said. “Two hundred just means that you're in there a lot, you're healthy, you’re playing every day, and you had a pretty good year. So 200 is definitely pretty cool.” (S Wexler - MLB.com - Sept 22, 2023)

Favorite stories from teammates:

Freeman’s manicured image largely holds up. Which is why his teammates were caught gleefully off-guard when they gathered at Dodger Stadium for their annual “Blue Diamond Gala” in June, a charity event that brings a headliner to perform for donors and players.

At least one camera caught Freeman dancing — or flailing — as Usher performed. He insists the dance was for an undisclosed member of the Dodgers’ front office but didn’t expect it to explode.

“Everyone loves Usher,” Freeman said.

That video went online and went viral. His teammates loved it.

“He loves it,” Max Muncy said.

So it became a recurring joke in the home clubhouse. When Miguel Rojas would follow Freeman in his meticulous daily routine that includes fielding drills with infield coach Dino Ebel, he would flail his arms around just as Freeman did.

A couple weeks later, on another off day in the midst of a three-city road trip through New York, Baltimore and finally Texas, Rojas broached the idea with his teammates of making the joke even bigger.

They were at a birthday party that Muncy threw for his oldest daughter, Sophie, in Keller, Texas – about a half hour away from where the club was staying for the series against the Rangers. His teammates showed up. It had already been a designated family trip, and the birthday party was a cherry on top. Rojas, Muncy, Betts, Freeman and Jason Heyward all sat around a table in the backyard. Freeman bounced Betts’ daughter, Kynlee, on his lap. And Rojas made a suggestion. 

All season, the team had cribbed their celebrations from veteran outfielder David Peralta, whose “Freight Train” motion around the bases had been a staple since his Arizona days. But why not copy Freeman’s dance?

The whole table approved. Rojas looked over at the next table, which included catcher Will Smith and utility man Chris Taylor.

“We didn’t know if everybody would do it,” Rojas said. “The best guys to ask were right next to us.”

They were all in. So, the next day, they broke it out. The first player to double? Freeman, of course. Each player has added their own flavor to it. Some have remained stiff with their movements. Others have gotten their hips into it. The bullpen got in on it. 

“It’s a pretty fun dance,” James Outman said.

Eventually, the fans joined in, too. T-shirts were printed. Dodger Stadium dusted off Freddie & The Dreamers’ 1965 track “Do The Freddie” to play between innings.

“Obviously everyone does it here in Dodger Stadium,” Freeman said. “But when you go on the road and you do it back to your dugout, there’s a whole group of Dodgers fans … it’s pretty cool.”

Freeman famously never planned to be in Los Angeles, much less be half of a duo driving the next wave of the Dodgers’ annual regular-season success. He was supposed to be a Braves lifer. Betts didn’t expect to wind up here, either, after planning on a long career in Boston. When Freeman arrived, the two didn’t exchange a word their first few days as teammates. When they did speak, the message was brief.

Eventually Betts approached Freeman in the batting cages between turns taking hacks. As much as anyone, Betts said, he could relate to Freeman’s surprise departure.

“I didn’t really want to be here,” Betts explained, a feeling that he stressed has evolved over time as he’s come to embrace Los Angeles. “He didn’t really want to be here. I felt like we shared stuff in common. We both knew we were good players. So you just eventually bond.”

If Freeman wanted to talk, Betts said, he was there. The next day, they did.

“Him reaching out made me comfortable at the field,” Freeman said this summer. “Knowing that other people had kind of been through those experiences, and then everyone else was here just to help, that helps. From Day 1, he’s been a leader for me. What an ideal leader is, he’s been that.”

Nelly, the rapper, played a minor role in Freeman’s arrival in Los Angeles. Betts was getting married in Rancho Palos Verdes as Major League Baseball’s lockout went into effect in December 2021. So, as the time was expiring, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, manager Dave Roberts and infielder Justin Turner snuck out during Nelly’s performance to try to make one last pitch to Freeman over the phone.

Freeman didn’t pick up; he was in the middle of feeding a bottle to his young twins, Brandon and Maximus. But he got the message, anyway. He’d already gotten plenty from Turner.

“There’s definitely tampering charges that can be filed against Justin Turner,” Friedman joked at Freeman’s introductory press conference. (Ardaya - Oct 9, 2023 - The Athletic)

SON IN HOSPITAL

July 26, 2024: Freeman returned home to be with family as son is hospitalized. 

He left Houston before the series opener, returning home to Los Angeles due to a family matter.

Freeman’s wife Chelsea announced on Instagram that their three-year old son Maximus was hospitalized as he battled transient synovitis, an illness that has progressed from a viral infection Maximus came down with at the All-Star Game in Texas.

Freeman made the trip with the Dodgers and went through his pregame routine, but was later scratched from the lineup two hours before the 5-0 loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Freeman was seen running out of the Dodgers’ clubhouse immediately after the win over the Giants. The following day, Chelsea announced the news regarding their son. When approached, an understandably visibly distraught Freeman went back into the Dodgers’ dining room without any comment.  Chelsea wrote on Instagram.

"Max update: We ended up taking him to the ER last night. Freddie met me straight from the game. He stopped eating or drinking and was very lethargic. It took 2 attempts to get IV in, and Max was so brave he didn’t even cry. They ran a ton of tests and bloodwork panels that thank God they all came back negative. No infection or active virus. They hydrated him and gave him anti-inflammatory medicine through IV. Took x-rays and ultrasound. Everything is consistent with transient synovitis. He still cannot bear any weight or stand or walk, so we will be closely monitoring him.

"If he doesn’t improve in 48 hrs he needs to go back to the hospital. We got discharged around 3:30 am. The children's hospital staff were amazing. There is really nothing worse than seeing your child in pain. My heart breaks for all the families that have it worse. Thank you so much for the prayers.” (J Toribio - MLB.com - July 27, 2024) 

Aug 1, 2024: Freeman was placed on Family Emergency List. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been in touch with Freeman while he and his family tend to Maximus.

"I didn't even see that post, but I was texting with Freddie," Roberts said. "He says that they're encouraged, so we're just holding out hope and prayers."

Freeman is not expected to rejoin the Dodgers for the series in Oakland, as both he and the team are prioritizing his time with family during this difficult situation. There remains no timeline for his return. (S Chen - MLB.com - Aug 2, 2024)

Aug 1, 2024: The wife of Freddie Freeman issued a health update on their youngest son, Maximus, in a social media post.

"Maximus, 3, is battling a severe case of Guillan-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition. Maximus’ symptoms have included full-body paralysis, the post said. According to Mayo Clinic, the syndrome is “a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. It can cause weakness, numbness, or paralysis.” 

Chelsea Freeman’s post said the child was excavated from his breathing tube and taken off the ventilator. Maximus remains hospitalized.

“These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives,” Chelsea wrote. “Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed." 

Manager Dave Roberts said that the team would give Freeman all the time he needs. (Ardaya - Aug 1, 2024 - The Athletic)

Aug. 5, 2024: Freeman is back with the team. He missed eight games on the family emergency list while his son Max was hospitalized.

Freeman’s wife Chelsea shared on Instagram last week that Max went into full-body paralysis and was eventually diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, which causes the body’s immune system to attack nerves.

“Chelsea and I — it’s been a long week,” Freeman said Monday at Dodger Stadium. “No one should have to go through this with a three-year-old.”

She posted a video of Max at home, as he was released from Children’s Hospital of Orange County after eight days in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Freeman said Max still has a long road ahead of physical therapy, basically having to re-learn how to walk along with some motor skills. Freeman went into great detail of his past week, and was quite emotional during his 30-minute press conference, often fighting back tears.

“The reason I’m able to get through this is because of the huge wins we’ve been getting the last few days with him,” Freeman said. “It’s been a miraculous, miraculous recovery. That’s what they say to us.”

The trouble started with Max on the last homestand, on Monday, July 22. At first they thought Max had transient synovitis, because of the early symptoms. Freeman nearly missed the first game of that series, but ended up playing all four against the Giants. “I was here, but I wasn’t,” Freeman said.

Freeman flew to Houston with the team on Thursday night, July 25, but got word Friday during a pediatrician appointment that Max needed to go to the emergency room. That’s when he immediately left the Dodgers and flew home. When he first saw Max in the hospital, he was hooked up to a ventilator and feeding tubes.

“Seeing one of your kids on a ventilator, fighting,” Freeman said through tears, “It was hard.” (Eric Stephen) 

How can we not root for the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman? The veteran first baseman returned to the team following an eight-game absence as he and his wife Chelsea attend to their 3-year-old son, Maximus, who is being treated for Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. 

“Max is doing alright,” an emotional Freeman told reporters before the Dodgers’ series opener against the Phillies.

“Wednesday at 10:46, I’ll never forget it, he had his ventilator pulled,” Freeman said. “We had PT there. And so right when his ventilator was pulled, within six minutes, he was sitting on me. I can’t tell you how good that felt, to be able to hold my son again.”

With that, Maximus’ smile returned. He noticed the IVs attached to each of his hands and “was acting like he was Spider-Man,” Freeman said with a smile. “Anyone that came in, he would, ‘Pew!’ like he was shooting them.” “It’s been a miraculous recovery,” Freeman said. “That’s what they say to us.” 

“We came home Saturday night from the ICU. So we started PT yesterday, and let me tell you, he hates that. But he’s doing OK. He’s back, he’s Max.”  (Ardaya & Buckley - Aug 5 & 6, 2024 -The Athletic) 

Freddie and his wife, Chelsea, endured a scary episode last year when their 3-year-old son, Maximus, was diagnosed with a rare neurological illness called Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the body's immune system attacks its nerves. Thankfully, with treatment at the Children's Hospital of Orange County, Maximus was able to return home and is expected to make a full recovery.

According to an ESPN report, the couple is donating $1 million to CHOC after seeing the great work the doctors and staff do there to help children and families facing medical challenges. "Seeing every room full in the PICU each and every day impacted Chelsea and I deeply," Freeman told ESPN. "Getting to know the doctors, nurses and care teams and seeing how they show up each day to bring healing and hope to kids and their families was inspiring. CHOC saved Maximus' life." (M Randhawa - MLB.com - May 26, 2025)

How Freeman went from ‘1 percent chance’ of playing in Game 1 to starring in it.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had an alternate lineup written. Freeman’s name was not on it. In his meeting with the Fox broadcasters more than four hours before first pitch, Roberts said of Freeman, “I don’t see him playing tonight.” 

Freeman’s severely sprained ankle wasn’t improving the way the Dodgers had hoped. He also had soreness in his side. Roberts wasn’t even sure Freeman could take an at-bat late in the game. But Muncy all but scoffed at the notion that Freeman would miss Game 1 of the Division Series against the Padres.

“I got told there was a 1 percent chance that Freddie was going to play. I knew all the way he was going to play,” Muncy said. “He’s going to basically have to be dead to not be out there on that field.”

Freeman, 35, wasn’t so confident, at least not early in the day. When he left his home for Dodger Stadium, he told his oldest son, Charlie, 8, “I don’t know if Daddy is going to play today.”

He arrived at the park at 11 a.m., more than 6 1/2 hours before first pitch. At 1:30, he still thought he had only a “very, very slim chance” of being in the lineup.

Dodgers medical people had told Freeman that the condition of his ankle problem normally would require a four-to-six-week stint on the injured list. He was attempting to come back in nine days.

And he did. 

Freeman wound up going 2-for-5 in the Dodgers’ 7-5 victory over the Padres. He even stole a base, stunning his teammates and opponents and gaining even greater respect from them in the process.

“That guy’s a gamer, man,” said Padres third baseman Manny Machado, another of the sport’s most durable players. “He’s done it his entire career. There was no doubt in my mind he was gonna be in there. I don’t think anything could hold him back.” 

Freeman’s singles to right in his first two at-bats off Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, the first 109 mph, the second 101, were impressive enough. But when Freeman stole second on a play that withstood a Padres challenge, McGuiness could not believe it.

“I guarantee you they didn’t think he was running,” McGuiness said. “We didn’t think he was running.”

“You should have seen the faces in the bullpen,” reliever Evan Phillips said. “We were just like, what’s going on with this guy?” 

“I know I took a big risk with how I’m feeling, but it was just the opportunity presented itself and I had to go for it,” said Freeman, who stole a career-high 23 bases last season but only nine this year. “Like I said before the game, if I can’t play the game the right way, I shouldn’t be out there.”

Roberts admitted there was no stopping him.

”He doesn’t understand the definition of ‘governor,’” Roberts said. “I tried to tell him, ‘Play with a governor.’ I’ll tell him again, but I don’t know if it will land. “What I can appreciate most about Freddie Freeman is that he will do anything for his team,” Phillips said. “Today he did literally everything he could to play, and not only play, but play at a high level.” “He inspires a lot of confidence in the guys. He also inspires a lot of attitude,” Muncy said. “When you see that, you want to do the same thing. You want to go out there and play no matter what.” (Rosenthal - Oct 6, 2024 - The Athletic)

Limpin’ lizards, here came Freddie Freeman, bounding around third base, barreling toward the plate like a car low on motor oil and short on brakes. He runs as if he stubs his toe with every step. He runs as if his cleat is filled with thumbtacks. He runs as if he watched an instructional video from Bruce Bochy. 

He runs as if his right ankle is sprained and swollen and stinging with each step — because it is. You can see it in his face. You can see it in his gait. And you could see it in the way he lumbered into the waiting arms of Mookie Betts on his looping dash home in the first inning, a tone-setting scamper in the 9-0 Dodgers stomping of the Mets in Game 1 of the 2024 National League Championship Series.

“I gave it all I’ve got,” Freeman said. “And I needed Mookie to stop me from falling over at the end.”

The pain and the stiffness and the general inability to motor did not prevent Freeman from scoring on Max Muncy’s single. His jaunt symbolized his club’s pluck. The Dodgers are battered and bruised — but when their offense clicks as it did Sunday, they might just be better than every team in baseball. Only four are left. The Dodgers are the closest to reaching the World Series. 

Freeman helped clear the path in Game 1. He was one of three Dodgers to take a walk as Mets starter Kodai Senga stumbled in the first inning. When Muncy splashed a single into center, Freeman endured a 180-foot ordeal to score. He supplied two more hits, including an RBI single in a three-run fourth inning. In the eighth, as has become a custom, manager Dave Roberts replaced him in the field. Freeman ended the evening as he has ended most of them this postseason: unsure if he could play the next day.

His ankle creates a daily crucible for Roberts. Freeman hurt himself sprinting through the bag on Sept. 26. The doctors told him the injury required four to six weeks of rest. He returned to the field after eight days. He called this injury “the hardest thing” he’s had to deal with on a baseball field. And that was before he tried to play on it. 

His pregame routine requires nearly five hours of treatment from physical therapist Bernard Li. “Me and Bernard Li might be sleeping here tonight,” Freeman said.

“Believe me, it’s not me just laying there in comfort,” he said.

Before Freeman takes the field, the training staff applies spatting tape to keep his ankle from rolling again. The aesthetics are not pretty. Freeman limps when he climbs the dugout stairs for early work. He limps when he jogs onto the field for pregame introductions. He limps pretty much all the time once the game begins, evoking a limpin’ lizard from decades ago.

Freeman wore something between a grimace and a grin as he emerged from Betts’ grasp. He hobbled his way back to the dugout. He still had a couple more hits left to give.

“It’s not going to get better,” Freeman said. “But I think we’re at a good point where it’s not going to get worse again. Unless I roll it again.”

He plays like there is no tomorrow. Because when tomorrow comes, he might not be able to play. (McCullough - Oct 14, 2024 - The Athletic) 

Freddie is one of the 5 MVPs set to play in the 2024 World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers. (Judge, Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Giancarlo Stanton).  We’re about to watch five MVPs play in a World Series. You think that happens every year? Oh, no, it doesn’t. It has literally never happened before. 

Oct 30, 2024: Freeman was named World Series MVP after record-setting homer spree. He's the first former league MVP to win a World Series MVP since Reggie Jackson in 1977 and one of four players to win a league MVP and World Series MVP in his 30s, along with Willie Stargell, Pete Rose and Frank Robinson. 

Freeman had homers in all four games of this World Series, starting with a walk-off grand slam off Nestor Cortes in Game 1 — the first such hit in World Series history — then a third-inning solo homer off Carlos Rodón in Game 2, and Monday’s two-run dinger off Clarke Schmidt in Game 3, answering the F-bombs of Yankee Stadium’s notorious Bleacher Creatures.

His streak of homering in four straight games tied the Astros’ George Springer for a record set in Games 4–7 of the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers.

A father-son duo won the mad scramble for Freddie Freeman's historic walk-off grand slam ball from Game 1 of the World Series -- and it paid off in a big way.

The ball from the only walk-off grand slam in World Series history sold for $1.56 million in SCP Auctions’ December Dynasty Auction over the weekend. That surpassed the $1.5 million that Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball sold for in December 2022, though it fell short of the all-time record of $3 million, which is what Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball from the 1998 season sold for in '99.

Before Freeman’s iconic home run ball found its way to auction, though, the ball plummeted through a sea of fans and landed on the ground in the right-field seats at Dodger Stadium. That gave 10-year-old Zach Ruderman a distinct advantage as fans raced to get their hands on the baseball. 10-year-old Zach Ruderman holds up Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam ball in Game 1 of the World Series "It was pretty amazing," Zach told MLB Network previously. "It was rolling around the ground and I saw it; I knocked it over to my dad and then he picked it up and handed it to me. It was truly the best moment of my life." (P Casella - MLB.com - Dec 15, 2024)

 July 3, 2025: He was announced as the National League's starting first baseman for the All-Star Game, scheduled for July 15 in Atlanta, after leading his position in Phase 2 of fan voting.

The selection isn't a huge surprise, because his numbers speak for themselves, as he's appeared in 74 games, accumulating 278 at-bats, 86 hits, 44 runs scored, 10 home runs, 44 RBIs and 31 walks.

This will be Freeman's ninth All-Star selection (fifth time being a starter). (Nate Lunak - Yahoo Sports) 

With an infusion of creativity from the new official batmakers of MLB, bats are serving as a blank canvas for Players’ Weekend 2025. Players’ Weekend will feature a few common themes showcasing player passions and inspirations on various gear. Freddie joins the prideful dads with his three RCKLESS Marucci bats with his kids’ names on the barrel. (Mezzy - Aug 15, 2025 - The Athletic)

MLB's Weirdest Injuries 2025: Freeman couldn’t even make it through the first week of the season without a bathroom fiasco. Here we always thought of this guy as the cleanest player in baseball. Next thing we knew, he was heading for the injured list after spraining his surgically repaired ankle with a dreaded “shower mishap.” Which he said was really a technical term for: slipping in the shower. Much to the amusement of his wife, Chelsea, apparently.

“Chelsea actually made the joke: ‘I thought I was going to deal with this when you’re 70, not when you’re 35,’” he reported. (Stark - Dec 27, 2025 - The Athletic)

July 2026: Freddie Freeman has been voted the National League’s starting first baseman in six of the last eight All-Star Games. He will become just the second Dodger to make at least three All-Star starts at first base, joining Steve Garvey, who started seven Mid-summer Classics. Gil Hodges is the only other Dodgers first baseman to earn an All-Star Game start.

TRANSACTIONS

June 2007: Freeman signed with the Braves for a bonus of $409,500, after being drafted in the second round, out of El Modena High School in Orange, California. Mike Baker is the scout who signed Freddie, who was the youngest player to sign out of the 2007 draft.

February 4, 2014: Freeman and the Braves agreed to an eight-year, $135 million extension. So it runs out in 2021.

Nov 17, 2021: Freeman chose free agency after declining the Braves qualifying offer of $18 million. 

March 17, 2022: The Dodgers signed Freeman to a six-year, $162 million contract.

Freeman is a run-producing machine. He loves being at the plate when there are ducks on the pond. Though he is an aggressive hitter, his excellent pitch recognition keeps him from chasing a pitch out of the strike zone.

Freddie's swing-first approach means he doesn't draw many walks. But has a solid two-strike approach.

Freeman has an unorthodox lefthanded swing. But it is a sweet, smooth, short stroke. He points the bat head toward second base to start his swing, with his back elbow held high. He has very good bat speed, impressive leverage in his swing, and gets the barrel of the bat on the ball real often. He has developed very good power to the gaps. He is a line-drive hitter who uses the whole field, and is at his best when he is hitting the ball up the middle.

June 15, 2016: Freeman became the first Brave to hit for the cycle since Mark Kotsay against the Cubs on August 14, 2008.

September 24, 2016: Freeman passed Chipper Jones with a 42-game on-base streak, now the longest in Braves' franchise history.

Sept 29, 2016:  Freddie's Major League-best 30-game hitting streak and 46-game on-base streak were both snapped during a 5-2 win over the Phillies at Turner Field. His 0-for-4 performance left him three games shy of matching Uggla's 33-game hit streak, which set an Atlanta record in 2011.

2016 season: Freeman led the Majors with a .486 OBP and also led the NL with a .681 SLG.

Freeman holds the record for the longest home run for the Braves. It came on June 13, 2015 vs. the Mets.  Distance: 464 feet. He got ahold of this first-inning fastball from Mets ace Jacob deGrom, pulling it high and deep onto the right-center-field bridge at Citi Field.

In 2020, Freeman won the NL MVP.

Nov 2020: Freeman took home his second consecutive Silver Slugger after hitting .341 with 13 home runs, 53 RBI and a 1.102 OPS in 2020. He led MLB with 37 extra-base hits.

Sept 12, 2021:  With his solo homer in the eighth inning of a game with the Marlins, Freddie became the ninth player in Braves history to produce three 30-homer seasons. 

The others: Hank Aaron (15 season), Eddie Mathews (10), Andruw Jones (7), Chipper Jones (6), Dale Murphy (6), Ron Gant (3), Bob Horner (3), and Wally Berger (3).

2021 Silver Slugger Award - Freeman earned his third consecutive Silver Slugger Award after hitting .300 with 31 homers, an .896 OPS and an NL-leading 120 runs scored over 159 games.

In Braves history, only Brian McCann (five), Dale Murphy (four) and Tom Glavine (four) have won more Silver Slugger Awards than Freeman.

Freddie displays very good footwork at first base. He has good hands, quick reactions and quick feet at first base.

Freeman's arm is very strong. Many scouts watched him throw in the low-90s with his fastball and display a hard slider. But Freddie wants to swing the bat, not try to miss them with pitches.

He has excellent reactions at first base. He saves the other infielders from countless errors, picking up throws in the dirt. His hands are soft. And Freddie throws well for a first baseman. His fastball was clocked in the low 90s when he pitched in high school.

When Freeman got to Single-A Myrtle Beach, then-manager Rocket Wheeler took him under his wing and taught him how to play a solid defense at first base. And Freddie was a willing pupil and is thankful to this day for all that Wheeler taught him.

Freeman is much more agile than people would expect to see out of a lanky 6-foot-5 first baseman. And he has tremendous wing-span.

Freeman played third base and pitched in high school.

Freddie's glove at first is just as important as his bat for Atlanta's defense. "We always talk about how good our defense is in the infield with Andrelton Simmons, but Freeman makes a big impact over there at first base," Gonzalez said. "The first base position gets overlooked a lot. They think they are these big guys who have hairy knuckles and are hitting the ball out of the ballpark, but if you look the teams who are leading in defense, they usually have a pretty good first baseman."  (5/18/2014)

GOLD GLOVER

In 2018, for the fourth time in history, there was a TIE for the Gold Glove Award, with Freeman and Anthony Rizzo each winning the honor. It was Freddie's first Gold Glove in nine seasons. 

In 2018, Freeman won his first Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Oct 8, 2008: Freeman was sent home from the Florida Instructional League when it was discovered he had a cracked rib on his right side.

May-June 2010: Freeman missed a week with a right knee strain prior to returning to the lineup June 5.

May 17-June 1, 2012: Freeman went on the 15-day DL due to blurred vision and dry eyes.

April 7-23, 2013: Freddie was on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique.

June 18-July 25, 2015: Freeman was on the D.L. with a sprained left wrist.

August 4-19, 2015: Freddie was on the D.L. with a strained right oblique.

May 18-July 4, 2017: Freddie was on the DL with left wrist fracture.

Oct 2017: Freeman underwent Lasik surgery to avoid the dry-eye discomfort that his contact lenses had occasionally caused on windy days.

Sept 22, 2019: Freddie remained in Atlanta to undergo treatment on his right elbow, which has been bothered by a bone spur over the past few weeks. He is hopeful a few days of treatment will provide him a chance to return to the lineup and then, more importantly, go through the postseason without any further discomfort or limitations.

“It’s obviously not ideal, but it responded pretty well with that off day,” Freeman said. “So, we’re just going to hope four days off will do the trick.”

Oct. 15, 2019: Freeman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, which bothered him throughout most of September. Dr. David Altchek performed the procedure in New York. Altcheck cleaned Freeman’s entire right elbow joint during the procedure. He removed three fragmented loose bodies and cleaned multiple bone spur formations that had developed.  Multiple X-rays and MRIs completed over the previous two months had shown the spur was causing the discomfort.

July 4-July 23, 2020: Freeman was on the IL.

Dec 5, 2024: Freeman underwent surgery on his right ankle, consisting of debridement and the removal of loose bodies. Freeman’s surgery was performed by Dr. Kenneth Jung at Kerlan Jobe in Los Angeles, the club said.