“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.”
– Vin Scully
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Before Spring Training started, many doubted that the Dodgers would be in the running for the postseason, let alone clinching the NL West division for a 10th time in 11 seasons. While they might be considered somewhat of an underdog thanks to starting rotation woes, the Boys in Blue have exceeded expectations with no signs of stopping.
On top of that, the team potentially has two players in the MVP conversation with All-Star infielder/outfielder Mookie Betts and All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman.
As the regular season draws to a close, the argument amongst fans for MVP can best be broken down between Freeman’s consistency versus Betts’ versatility while considering all the other performance stats. To say that both are having a stellar year would be an understatement.
Friday evening at Dodger Stadium, in the second game of a four-game series of the final homestand of the 2023 regular season, Freeman accomplished yet another milestone despite the team dropping the game 5-1 to the NL West third-place San Francisco Giants.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning and with 52,887 witnesses at a sold-out Dodger Stadium (and millions more watching on Apple TV), Freeman slapped a single to right to became the first MLB first-baseman in American League or National League history with 200+ hits, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in one season. His stats are even more impressive when you consider that he has played in 152 of the Dodgers 153 games this season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared some insights after the game about Freddie’s record-setting 200th hit.
“I think he’s done everything in his career except that,” Doc explained. “I think last year he got to 198, 199, something like that. So to eclipse that milestone I think it certainly meant a lot to him. It means something to him. And so runs-batted-in, playing every day, and scoring runs, so for him to hit for average and then have 200 hits that means something, because that means you’ve got to be available too.”
To kickstart the weekend series, Freeman boasts a batting average of .334 and an OPS of .974.
In 602 at-bats, the towering 6’-5”/220-pound first baseman out of Villa Park, CA, and 2007 Atlanta Braves second-round draft pick, hit a milestone by earning not only his aforementioned 200th hit of the season but went 2-for-4 with an RBI, to drive in the Dodgers only run of the night and finish the evening with 201 hits total.
But wait, there’s more…
Freeman has crushed 26 home runs so far this year, in addition to stealing a team-leading 21 of 22 attempted stolen bases. He has also hit an impressive franchise-leading 56 doubles, breaking another record. Those are milestones in and of themself, however, the season is not over just yet. There is still time for more benchmarks.
For those who may have missed the game, the stadium exploded with fans cheering loudly as their first baseman slugged the 200th hit in the bottom of the first inning. Freeman tipped his hat to the crowd, in the quiet way he has, and even more humbly described how he was feeling after the game.
“You know I’ve always had sights set on it,” Freeman shared. “You know two hundred just means that you’re in there a lot, you’re healthy and playing every day and you know you also had a pretty good year. So two hundred is definitely pretty cool.”
Roberts also echoed this sentiment.
“I think the season as a whole is unprecedented,” Doc stated. “I mean, I think if you look at the hits, the average, the home runs, the doubles, the stolen bases by position. It was just good that he got it here. It seems like every night we’re always tipping our cap to Freddie on some accomplishment and that’s fantastic. It was good to see him get it out of the way. Now we just got to get Mookie to forty and then we get all those round numbers checked.”
There is no shortage of accomplishments amongst such a talented team. Teammates Mookie Betts and third baseman Max Muncy have 103 and 102 RBIs, respectively. Freeman and designated hitter J.D. Martinez are sitting on 95 runs-batted-in each with the opportunity to break through the century mark in the nine remaining regular season games.
In an era where many people still play for the name on the back of the jersey instead of the team on the front, fans are fortunate to witness greatness. And not just with their beloved Freddie Freeman, but with the entire team.
“There’s a ‘number-motivation’ beneath what’s best for the team,” Roberts added of Freeman. “But yeah, I mean if he plays well and he shows up and he’s in the lineup and he’s productive, which things that he prides himself on, that’s a good thing for all of us.”
It is a good thing that so many of our Boys in Blue also share this mentality. Here’s to witnessing more statistical magic in the remaining nine games of the regular season.
Let’s go Dodgers!