Freddie Freeman hit .341 with 14 homers, 25 RBIs and a 1.209 OPS in 37 games before fracturing his left wrist, so it wasn’t as if the Braves were going to pull off a trade for someone who could fill his shoes and keep doing what he was doing in Freeman’s career-best start.
But Matt Adams has come a lot closer to doing it than anyone expected.
After going 3-for-4 with two doubles a homer and four RBIs in the Braves’ 10-inning win Saturday against the Marlins, Adams had a .308 average with nine homers, 25 RBIs and a 1.013 OPS in 26 games (before Sunday) since arriving in a trade from the Cardinals and taking over at first base May 21, four days after the Freeman injury.
The 23 home runs from Freeman and Adams gave the Braves the most home runs from one position for any major league team, with Yankees right fielders second with 22 (all of those from rookie phenom Aaron Judge, who had started all but five games at the position).
Seventeen of Adams’ 32 hits with the Braves before Sunday went for extra bases. In the period beginning May 21, the day of his Braves debut, Adams ranked second in the majors in RBIs, tied for second in extra-base hits and tied for third in home runs.
