Can Atlanta Braves' 1B Freddie Freeman Carry Last Season's Success Into 2017?
The upcoming season will be Freddie Freeman’s seventh full year in the majors, and coming off what was arguably his best campaign yet, the big question is… can he carry that success over into 2017?
When Chipper Jones retired after the 2012 season, first baseman Freddie Freeman became the new face of the Atlanta Braves organization. He responded to his new lead role by batting .319/.396/.501 in 2013, and posted career highs in hits, homers, and runs batted in.
It was his best hitting year until, of course, an incredible second half push this past season.
If a player is going to get hot, it’s always best to finish strong, but what is equally as important is being able to carry over that success into the next season.
When evaluating great players, and looking back on extraordinary careers, what usually makes the strongest case for elite classification is a sustainable period of dominance.
For Freddie Freeman to actually be the face of the Braves franchise, he needs that consistency; Hank Aaron Had it, Dale Murphy had it, and Chipper Jones had it.
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In 2016 Freeman finished strong, but the first two months of the season were nothing at all the write home about. In April he was hitting just over .200, and many were left scratching their heads.
Luckily for the Braves, the rest of the story proved Freeman’s struggles only temporary, but the franchise needs the upward trend to continue in this case.
For the Braves to get better, Freddie Freeman must continue to be the hitter he was from June to October in 2016. Without his bat as its centerpiece, Atlanta can’t manage a fast-track rebuild. Sure it’s possible, but it makes improvement an upstream swim for the Braves going forward.
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How has Freeman come off a career best season in the past? Let’s look at what happened after a hot 2013 season.
As mentioned earlier, Freddie Freeman assumed the spotlight for the Braves in 2013 and responded by hitting .319/.396/.501, and posting 176 hits and 23 homers. The next season, however, it was somewhat back to reality.
In 2014, Freeman posted 175 hits, but most of his other key numbers were noticeably less. The franchise first baseman went .288/.386/.461, hit five less homers, 31 less RBI’s, and did so in 15 more games and 56 more at bats than he’d had in 2013.
If the Braves are to lean on Freeman, and justify his $20 million plus salary, he’s got to have greater periods of notable success next season and beyond.
I don’t think Freddie Freeman posts another .300 plus batting average in 2017, but I also don’t think he has as dramatic a tumble next season as he had after his 2013 success.
Going into 2017, Freeman is a lifetime .288/.373/.484 hitter. Fantasy baseball site RotoChamp.com is projecting Freeman will go .294/.379/.519 with 28 homers and 86 RBI’s in the upcoming season, which would be close to the type of performance he needs to be the hitter he’s paid to be.
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In short, Freeman is more than capable of sustaining the success he saw last season, and it’s a perfect opportunity to move himself into the category as an elite, nationally recognized player. Personally, I think there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to build on last year’s success, and barring injury, look for freeman to be an impact player this next season.
