Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is a Canadian and American professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Freeman made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2010 and played with them for 12 seasons. After the Braves won the 2021 World Series over the Houston Astros, Freeman entered free agency and signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers.
A 10-time MLB All-Star and three-time World Series champion, Freeman won a Gold Glove Award in 2018; the Silver Slugger Award in 2019, 2020, and 2021; and the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in 2020. In 2024, he won World Series MVP after setting a record for consecutive World Series games with a home run, including the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
In international competition, Freeman plays on the Canadian national team.
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Early life
Frederick Charles Freeman was born on September 12, 1989, in Fountain Valley, California, to Fredrick and Rosemary Freeman. Both of his parents are Canadians from the province of Ontario who moved to California because of Fredrick's work commitments; his father is from Windsor, while his mother was from Peterborough. Rosemary died of melanoma when Freeman was 10; Freeman always wears a long-sleeved shirt during games to honor her memory. Freeman has two older brothers, Andrew and Phillip, and is a sixth generation Salvationist. Because Freeman's parents were both born in Canada, Freeman holds dual Canadian and American citizenship.
Freeman grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Angels. At age six, he practiced with Little League ballplayers from Orange, California, who were older. At age seven, he was placed on a team of nine-year-olds. When Freeman turned nine, he was assigned to play with 12-year-olds. Freeman attended El Modena High School, where he was a third baseman and a pitcher. As a senior in 2007, Freeman hit for a .417 batting average and had a 6–1 win–loss record as a pitcher. The Orange County Register named him its 2007 player of the year. He signed a letter of intent with California State University, Fullerton to play college baseball for the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
The Atlanta Braves selected Freeman in the second round, with the 78th overall selection, of the 2007 MLB draft. Freeman signed with the team for $409,500, forgoing his college scholarship. He made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Braves in 2007 and played for the Rome Braves of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2008. He was named the Braves' fifth-best prospect according to Baseball America before the 2009 season.
Freeman started the 2009 season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League and was promoted to the Mississippi Braves of the Class AA Southern League during the season. Baseball America ranked Freeman the 11th-best prospect overall in their 2009 mid-season top 25. In August 2009, he suffered a wrist injury. After the 2009 season ended, Freeman joined the Peoria Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League. He began the 2010 season with the Gwinnett Braves of the Class AAA International League.
Atlanta Braves (2010–2021)
Freeman was called up to the Braves on September 1, 2010, as part of the team's September call-ups, and made his MLB debut that same day. On September 5, 2010, he got his first career MLB hit off Florida Marlins pitcher Clay Hensley, and on September 21, 2010, he hit his first MLB home run off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay. He played 20 games with the Braves and batted .167. Freeman was not a part of the Braves' playoff roster. He returned to the Arizona Fall League, this time to play for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
Freeman began the 2011 season as the starting first baseman for the Braves. After a slow start, his performance improved and he had been mentioned as a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. On July 4, 2011, Freeman hit two home runs against the Colorado Rockies, for his first multi-home run game. Freeman was the first Braves rookie to reach 50 RBIs by July 18 since Hank Aaron accomplished this feat in 1954. He was named NL rookie of the month for July; during that month, Freeman led all Major League rookies with 38 hits, a .362 batting average, and a.433 on-base percentage in 27 games. He also led all NL rookies with six homers and 17 runs. His 18 RBIs tied for the most in the NL among rookies.
In August, Freeman and Dan Uggla became the first members of the Braves to have concurrent twenty-game hitting streaks in the modern era. Freeman's streak ended at 20 games on August 7. Freeman finished the 2011 year batting .282 with 32 doubles, 21 home runs, and 76 RBI in 157 games played.
Freeman finished second to teammate Craig Kimbrel in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting. Kimbrel and Freeman were the first teammates to finish first and second since 1989, when the Chicago Cubs' Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith came in first and second. The only other time two Braves finished in the top five, the organization was still located in Milwaukee—Gene Conley was voted third-best rookie of the 1954 season; Hank Aaron came in fourth.
In 2012, Freeman had an NL-leading nine sacrifice flies along with batting .259 with 33 doubles, 23 home runs, and 94 RBI in 147 games played.
In 2013, Freeman was selected as a finalist for the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Final Vote, where he won with a record-setting total of 19.7 million fan votes, but was unable to play because of a thumb injury suffered three days before the game. Freeman finished the 2013 season with a .319 batting average, along with 23 homers and 109 RBI in 147 games played. He finished fifth on the National League Most Valuable Player award voting.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2022–present)
Other teams pursued Freeman during the offseason, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, and, with no future in Atlanta, Freeman opted to return home to Southern California. On March 18, 2022, he signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers.
Freeman made his Dodgers debut on April 8, 2022, batting second in the lineup and going 1–3 with a walk against the Colorado Rockies. On April 18, before a game between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium, Freeman was presented his 2021 Silver Slugger Award, with Braves manager Brian Snitker and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer attending the ceremony. In the game that followed, Freeman hit his first home run as a Dodger in what was also his first career at-bat against his former team. Freeman was presented his World Series ring before the Dodgers played the Braves at Truist Park on June 24. Several days later, Doug Gottlieb falsely reported that Freeman had fired his agent and management team.
Freeman was named an All-Star on July 17, replacing Starling Marte on the National League roster. In 159 games in 2022, Freeman led MLB with 199 hits and 47 doubles as well as leading the majors in line drive percentage (27.5%). His batting average was second in the National League at .325 and he had 21 home runs and 100 RBI.
On May 18, 2023, Freeman hit his 300th career home run, a grand slam off of Génesis Cabrera of the St. Louis Cardinals. About a month later, Freeman earned his 2,000th career hit, becoming the 295th MLB player to do so. At midseason, Freeman was named starting first baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game, his third consecutive selection. On September 8, Freeman hit his 53rd double of the season breaking the Dodgers franchise record held by Johnny Frederick with the 1929 Brooklyn Robins. On September 22 against the San Francisco Giants, he picked up his 200th hit of the season, the first Dodger to do so since Adrián Beltré in 2004. He became the only first baseman in history to have 20 home runs, 20 steals, and 200 hits in the same season. In 161 games, Freeman finished with a .331 batting average, 211 hits, 29 home runs, 102 RBI, 102 runs scored, and an MLB-leading 59 doubles. Defensively, he committed only one error in 1,260 total chances in 1,3781⁄3 innings played for a league-leading .999 fielding percentage at his position.
On May 20, 2024, during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Freeman hit his sixth career grand slam against pitcher Slade Cecconi. Freeman hit another grand slam on July 19 against Boston Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino. He played in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game. However, his three-year-old son came down with a viral infection during the event and was later paralyzed, hospitalized, and put on a ventilator. Freeman missed 8 games to care for his son. He played in 147 games, with 22 home runs, 89 RBI, and a .282 batting average, his lowest since the 2015 season.
International career
As a high schooler, Freeman played with the United States national under-15 team at the 2005 U15 Baseball World Cup in Mexico, where they earned the silver medal.
Freeman, who holds Canadian citizenship through his parents, changed his representation to Canada for the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), something he had always wanted to do. In the tournament, Freeman hit .182/.182/.182 with two hits and three strikeouts. In the 2023 WBC, Freeman again played for Canada. He slashed .200/.273/.200 in 10 at-bats, with two hits and one walk. Canada finished third in Pool C, behind the U.S. and Mexico, eliminated from the tournament but qualifying for the next WBC. Freeman withdrew from the 2026 WBC citing personal reasons.
Player profile
Freeman's powerful swing, in which he moves his shoulders slightly before lowering his hands, has been described as "unorthodox" and compared to a tennis forehand. His hand-eye coordination and ability to adjust to pitchers from one plate appearance to the next have also drawn praise.
He formerly wore contact lenses while playing, and occasionally even wore glasses, a rarity for position players in MLB, until finally having his vision repaired with Lasik surgery.
Freeman is viewed positively by fans and competitors who have described him as kind, humble, and a good leader. He is noted for his propensity to strike up conversations with opposing baserunners. Braves manager Brian Snitker described Freeman as "my rock" and "everything that the Braves stand for." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described him as "the modern-day Tony Gwynn."
Personal life
Freeman married Chelsea Goff in 2014. She appeared in season 8, episode 15 of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta. The couple has three sons and one daughter. Freeman's youngest son, Maximus, was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome in 2024. While he played for the Braves, Freeman and his family lived in Atlanta during baseball season and in California during the off-season. Shortly after signing with the Dodgers, he commuted to Dodger Stadium from Corona del Mar and planned to maintain his Atlanta residence. Later, he began renting a home in Studio City.
During a 2014 winter storm, Freeman was stuck in a traffic jam that was not moving. Freeman stayed stuck for hours until former teammate Chipper Jones arrived on his ATV and rescued Freeman. In January 2016, the Atlanta Braves announced a "Chipper Rescues Freddie" bobblehead night for the following season. This was used as a promotional night for the franchise.
Freeman's cousin Carson Branstine is a professional tennis player.