Freddie Freeman seems to be finding a new spot in the Braves' batting order to his liking.
The Braves' No. 3 hitter for most of his decade with the team, Freeman frequently has hit second over the past month.
What started out as an adjustment made because of Ronald Acuna’s absence from the top of the order with injuries has morphed into a strategy to perhaps get Freeman an extra at-bat in games and to force opposing pitchers to navigate a gauntlet of Acuna, Freeman and Marcell Ozuna in the first inning.
The thinking also is that top-of-the-order batters will have more RBI opportunities than usual with the National League’s use of the designated hitter this season.
“It makes sense when you have a DH,” Freeman said. “Obviously, if there are (traditional) National League rules, me hitting second wouldn’t make much sense with the pitcher hitting ninth. But (this season) hitting second is pretty much like hitting third or fourth or fifth in this lineup. You’re going to get a lot of run-producing situations. It makes sense for an American League style of game to have me at second right now.”
Freeman hit second for the first time this season – and just the second time in his big-league career – on Aug. 16, when both Acuna and Ozzie Albies were out of the lineup with injuries. Since then, Freeman has hit second in 12 games and third in 10 games.
But he had hit second only when leadoff hitter Acuna was out of the lineup until Wednesday, when he awoke to a text message that he’d hit second that night even with Acuna and Albies playing. Freeman was in the second spot in the batting order for a third consecutive game Friday.
Freeman said he doesn’t really care where he hits in the order, although second “feels good.” Undoubtedly, he’d be one of the game’s better hitters at any place in the order. But coincidental or not, his move coincides with an exceptional stretch of hitting, even by his standards.
He is hitting .442 (19-for-43) with four homers, 16 RBIs and a 1.370 OPS as a No. 2 hitter this season. That includes his big games Wednesday (3-for-6 with a home run and six RBIs) and Thursday (2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs).
Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout is an example of a team’s best hitter batting second. Trout has split time between second and third in the order this season after hitting second exclusively last year and much of 2018.
In the Braves' case, manager Brian Snitker likes the idea of opposing starting pitchers having to confront Acuna-Freeman-Ozuna as the first three hitters right off the bat.
“That’s a rough three guys to start out and have to go through. That’s tough duty for a pitcher,” Snitker said. “If we get all three of those guys up there in the first inning and the lineup rolls over (an additional time) and they’re getting an extra at-bat, that might work to our advantage.”
Freeman started the season 8-for-42 (.190) after a bout with COVID-19, but he entered Friday’s game with an MLB-leading 42 RBIs, a .333 batting average, a 1.084 OPS (second highest in the majors) and 10 home runs.
“I feel good,” Freeman said. “It did take me a couple of weeks to get my legs under me. At the beginning of the season, I’d hop off the base holding a runner on; after three times, I’d be tired. … All things considered, so far so good.”
