Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman can’t be stopped for long

Freeman’s Final Tallies

July 18, 2016 vs. the Reds in Cincinnati. Matt Wisler was blown out in the 4th inning as Cincy won. Freeman was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 more strikeouts.

This game actually marked seven straight strikeouts for Freeman dating across three games until he finally drilled a ground-rule double to right field in the sixth inning. That’s his longest-ever streak of strikeouts.

August 6, 2016 vs. St. Louis. Now he’s mad: in a 13-5 Braves drubbing of the Cardinals, Freddie was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored…. 5 times reaching base. He had struck out in 6 of his previous 7 plate appearances.

The Braves were 40-70 after this game, but at least this one was enjoyable.

In retrospect, Freeman might have been a bit more susceptible to the strikeout this season since he really didn’t have a great lineup around him and might have been ‘chasing’ more than usual.

His career-high in strikeouts did come in 2016:  171 (easily beating 145 in 2014).  He was also walked a near-personal high of 89 (90 in 2014) that year as teams likely figured that he was the only real threat in the lineup.

Finally: last night, July 29, 2020 vs. the Rays. Freeman jumps out with a homer and double among 4 hits in 5 tries. He scored once and drove in 3 as the Braves finally solved the confounding Tampa Bay club.

OVERALL:

By my tally, you don’t really want to face Freddie Freeman after he’s been K’d a lot. In the games after a 4-strikeout game, he’s 18 for 39 (.462) with 8 walks, 9 K, and 8 RBI.

This is the mark of a really good hitter: to bounce back from a tough night by wrecking house the next chance he gets.

Freddie Freeman has done that a lot more often than not. So glad he’s an Atlanta Brave.