Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was named Wilson defensive player of the year at first base. The honor comes shortly after he won the Gold Glove for first base in the National League, tying Anthony Rizzo to split the distinction.
Freeman has long been one of the best defenders at his position despite a lack of acknowledgement. In 2018, he produced 12 defensive runs saved and a 7.8 ultimate zone rating, both best among eligible NL first basemen.
“It’s a great honor to win the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award,” Freeman said in a statement. “Defense plays such an important part in winning games, and as an organization we had a goal coming into this season to improve ours. We are thankful for the efforts of our analytics department, and for our coaches who dedicated time to working with us every day to help us get better.”
The Braves hadn’t had a Wilson defensive player of the year since Andrelton Simmons won the award three times (2012-15).
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