Freddie Freeman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Freddie Freeman |
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Freeman with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024
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| Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 5 | ||||||||||||||
| First baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: September 12, 1989 Fountain Valley, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| September 1, 2010, for the Atlanta Braves | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through July 27, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .300 | |||||||||||||
| Hits | 2,369 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 353 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 1,284 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is a professional baseball player. He is a first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Freddie is both Canadian and American.
He started his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves in 2010 and played there for 12 seasons. After the Braves won the 2021 World Series, Freddie joined the Dodgers. He signed a six-year contract with them.
Freddie is a nine-time MLB All-Star. He has won the World Series twice. In 2018, he won a Gold Glove Award for his excellent defense. He also won the Silver Slugger Award three times (2019, 2020, 2021). In 2020, he was named the National League's Most Valuable Player. In 2024, he was the World Series MVP. He set a record by hitting home runs in many World Series games in a row. This included the first ever walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
Freddie also plays for the Canadian national team in international competitions.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Freddie Freeman was born on September 12, 1989, in Fountain Valley, California. His parents, Fredrick and Rosemary Freeman, were from Ontario, Canada. They moved to California for his father's job. Freddie's mother passed away when he was 10 years old. He always wears a long-sleeved shirt during games to remember her.
Freddie has two older brothers, Andrew and Phillip. He has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both Canada and the United States.
Growing up, Freddie was a big fan of the Los Angeles Angels. He started playing baseball at a very young age. At seven, he played with nine-year-olds. By age nine, he was playing with 12-year-olds. He attended El Modena High School. There, he played as a third baseman and a pitcher. In his senior year (2007), he had a great batting average of .417. He was named the player of the year by the Orange County Register.
Professional Baseball Career
Joining the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves chose Freddie in the second round of the 2007 MLB draft. He decided to sign with the team instead of going to college. He started his professional journey with the Gulf Coast Braves in 2007. Then he played for the Rome Braves in 2008. Before the 2009 season, Baseball America called him the Braves' fifth-best young player.
Freddie played for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and the Mississippi Braves in 2009. He also played in the Arizona Fall League. In 2010, he started with the Gwinnett Braves.
MLB Debut and Rookie Season
Freddie joined the Braves' main team on September 1, 2010. This was his first time playing in MLB. On September 5, 2010, he got his first MLB hit. A few weeks later, on September 21, he hit his first MLB home run. He played 20 games that year.
In 2011, Freddie became the Braves' starting first baseman. He had a strong season and was a top candidate for Rookie of the Year. On July 4, he hit two home runs in one game. By July 18, he had 50 RBIs, a feat not seen from a Braves rookie since Hank Aaron in 1954. He was named the NL Rookie of the Month for July. He led all rookies in hits, batting average, and on-base percentage that month.
Freddie finished 2011 with a .282 batting average, 32 doubles, 21 home runs, and 76 RBIs. He came in second for the NL Rookie of the Year award.
Consistent Performance (2012-2016)
In 2012, Freddie led the National League with nine sacrifice flies. He batted .259 with 23 home runs and 94 RBIs.
In 2013, he was chosen for the All-Star Game through a fan vote. He won with a record 19.7 million votes! However, he couldn't play due to a thumb injury. He ended the season with a .319 batting average, 23 homers, and 109 RBIs.
On February 4, 2014, Freddie signed a big eight-year contract extension. He was an All-Star again in 2014. He played in all 162 games that year, batting .288 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs.
In 2015, Freddie had a wrist injury that made him miss some games. This ended his streak of 234 games played in a row. He finished the season with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs in 118 games.
Freddie had a great year in 2016. On June 15, he achieved his first career cycle, hitting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game. He was named National League Player of the Week. He hit over 30 home runs for the first time, reaching 34 homers. He also had a 30-game hitting streak. He finished 2016 with a .302 batting average, 43 doubles, 34 home runs, and 91 RBIs.
Injury and Return (2017)
In 2017, Freddie started the season strong. He was a candidate for the MVP award. But on May 17, he was hit by a pitch and broke a bone in his left hand. This kept him out for about 10 weeks. At the time, he led the league with 14 home runs.
While recovering, Freddie even offered to play third base when he returned. This was because his replacement at first base was playing very well. He did play some games at third base. On July 6, he got his 1,000th career hit. He finished the season batting .307 with 28 home runs and 71 RBIs, despite playing in only 117 games.
Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards (2018-2019)
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In 2018, Freddie had surgery to fix his vision. He was chosen as the starting first baseman for the All-Star Game. He also took part in the Home Run Derby.
He led the National League with 191 hits that season. He also led the Braves in batting average (.309), doubles (44), and RBIs (98). Freddie won the Gold Glove for first base in the National League. This award is given to the best defensive players. He also won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In 2019, Freddie was again the National League's starting first baseman in the All-Star Game. This was his fourth All-Star selection. He batted .295 with 38 home runs and 121 RBIs. He won his first Silver Slugger Award, which goes to the best offensive players at each position. He also won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award again.
NL MVP Season (2020)
Before the 2020 season, Freddie tested positive for COVID-19. He had symptoms like a high fever and loss of smell. But he recovered in time for the shortened season. On September 4, he hit his first career grand slam. Two days later, he hit another grand slam! On September 9, he got his 1,500th career hit with a home run. In that same game, he drove in a career-high six runs.
Freddie finished the 60-game season batting .341 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs. He led all of MLB with 23 doubles and 51 runs scored. His amazing performance earned him his second Silver Slugger Award. He was named the NL MVP, becoming the first Braves player to win it since Chipper Jones in 1999. He also won several other major awards, including the Hank Aaron Award.
World Series Champion (2021)
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Freddie was the starting first baseman for the National League in the 2021 All-Star Game. On August 18, he hit for the cycle again, his second career cycle! He finished the season with a .300 batting average, 31 home runs, and a strong OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).
In the playoffs, Freddie hit a crucial game-winning home run in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. This helped the Braves move on. The Braves then faced the Houston Astros in the World Series. Freddie hit a huge 460-foot home run in Game 5. The Braves won the World Series in six games, and Freddie made the final out. He won his third straight Silver Slugger Award and the Babe Ruth Award.
After the 2021 season, Freddie became a free agent. He had hoped to stay with the Braves for his whole career. However, after contract talks didn't work out, the Braves traded for another first baseman, Matt Olson. This meant Freddie would be leaving Atlanta.
Joining the Los Angeles Dodgers (2022–present)
Many teams wanted Freddie, including the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since he grew up in Southern California, he decided to return home. On March 18, 2022, he signed a six-year contract with the Dodgers.
First Seasons with the Dodgers
Freddie made his Dodgers debut on April 8, 2022. On April 18, before a game against his old team, the Braves, he received his 2021 Silver Slugger Award. In that game, he hit his first home run as a Dodger, which was also his first time hitting against the Braves. On June 24, he received his World Series ring before playing the Braves in Atlanta.
Freddie was named an All-Star again in 2022. He led all of MLB with 199 hits and 47 doubles. He finished the season with a .325 batting average, 21 home runs, and 100 RBIs.
On May 18, 2023, Freddie hit his 300th career home run, which was a grand slam. About a month later, he got his 2,000th career hit. He was named the starting first baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game for the third year in a row. On September 8, he broke a Dodgers franchise record by hitting his 53rd double of the season. He also became the first Dodger since 2004 to get 200 hits in a season. He is the only first baseman in history to have 20 home runs, 20 steals, and 200 hits in the same season. In 2023, he finished with a .331 batting average, 211 hits, 29 home runs, and an MLB-leading 59 doubles. He also had an amazing .999 fielding percentage at first base.
Second World Series Championship (2024)
On May 20, 2024, Freddie hit his sixth career grand slam. He hit another grand slam on July 19. He played in his fourth straight All-Star Game. However, he missed eight games to care for his youngest son, who became very ill. Freddie played in 147 games in 2024, with 22 home runs and a .282 batting average.
Freddie hurt his ankle in late September 2024, which affected him in the playoffs. Despite the injury, he played in the NLDS and NLCS.
In Game 1 of the World Series, even with his injured ankle, Freddie hit a walk-off grand slam! This was the first time a grand slam ended a World Series game. He then hit home runs in Games 2, 3, and 4, becoming the first player to homer in the first four games of a World Series. He extended his record streak of World Series games with a home run to six. He batted .300 in the series and had 12 RBIs, tying a World Series record. The Dodgers won the Series in five games, and Freddie was named the World Series MVP. After the season, he had surgery on his injured ankle.
2025 Season
Freddie was set to play in the Tokyo Series to start the 2025 season. But he missed Game 1 due to a rib issue. On May 5, he hit his 350th career home run. The next day, he hit another solo home run, his 42nd against the Miami Marlins, which is the most by any player against them. On May 12, he was named the NL Player of the Week for his excellent hitting. Fans also voted him to start the All-Star Game, his fifth start.
International Play
As a high school student, Freddie played for the U.S. national under-15 team in 2005. They won a silver medal at the U-15 Baseball World Cup in Mexico.
Because his parents are Canadian, Freddie decided to play for the Canadian national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He had always wanted to do this. He played for Canada again in the 2023 WBC. Canada finished third in their group, which means they qualified for the next WBC.
Player Style
Freddie Freeman's powerful swing is unique. Some describe it as similar to a tennis forehand. People praise his excellent hand-eye coordination. He is also very good at adjusting to different pitchers during a game.
He used to wear contact lenses or glasses while playing. But he had Lasik surgery to fix his vision.
Freddie is also known for being friendly and chatting with players from the other team when they are on base.
His managers have spoken highly of him. Former Braves manager Brian Snitker called him "my rock." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts compared him to baseball legend Tony Gwynn.
Personal Life
Freddie Freeman married Chelsea Goff in 2014. They have three sons. In 2024, Freddie's youngest son, Maximus, was diagnosed with a serious illness called Guillain–Barré syndrome.
When he played for the Braves, Freddie and his family lived in Atlanta during the baseball season. They spent the off-season in California. After joining the Dodgers, he started living closer to Dodger Stadium.
In 2014, during a winter storm, Freddie got stuck in a huge traffic jam. His former teammate Chipper Jones came to his rescue on his ATV! The Braves even had a "Chipper Rescues Freddie" bobblehead night to celebrate this funny story.
Freddie's cousin, Carson Branstine, is a professional tennis player.
See also
In Spanish: Freddie Freeman para niños
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders
