Freddie Freeman has been a model of consistency throughout his 17-year career, which makes any stretch of a slump all the more pronounced for the future Hall of Famer.
Freeman went into his fifth season with the Los Angeles Dodgers carrying three personal goals: to improve defensively at first base from last year, bat .300 and play in all 162 games. His offensive production early was close to meeting that batting average goal but then struggles set in.
That prompted Freeman to adjust his batting stance by turning his right foot inward, much like Corey Seager. It was done in mind to prevent his hip from opening, and the results have been more in line with what’s typically seen from Freeman.
“I was in Houston one day, in the morning, and I was like, ‘You know, I can’t keep pushing balls to left field,’” Freeman recalled. “I’ve always done little tweaks mentally, externally. I’ve always done like a hip in. And this time, I just did a foot turn in, to do the same thing.
“Sometimes you’ve got to think differently. I went with a foot turn in, and it’s worked. I’m not going to try to figure it out, but it’s working right now.”
After a 3-for-25 slump over the final homestand in April, during which Freeman has explained he was having trouble hitting velocity, the 36-year-old started to find his swing again on the road trip.
Freeman went 5-for-13 with one double and one RBI during a weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals. But after helping the Dodgers salvage it by avoiding a sweep, he remarked to still not being fully comfortable with his swing. That brought about the adjustment implemented the day the Dodgers started their series with the Houston Astros.
Freeman had back-to-back games with a double, both of which went to the opposite field. A tell-tale sign when the former National League MVP winner is going right.
“I’m making better swing decisions. My hip is in a little bit longer, so I can let the ball travel longer, too. So there’s a lot more to it,” Freeman said of how his right foot is now positioned. “Even my misses are better. Obviously trending in the right direction. To say it’s my foot turning in, I mean, obviously that’s helped a lot.”
Freddie Freeman praises Chris Sale
Freeman extended his hitting streak to seven games on Friday and not only did so by hitting a home run, but by driving through another extra-base hit. That it came against Chris Sale was all the more encouraging.
“I would’ve taken a broken-bat bloop against Chris,” Freeman quipped after the Dodgers’ 3-1 win. “He’s probably the toughest lefty you’re going to face in this game. As a left-handed hitter, he’s coming from behind you, so you’ve got to be willing to get hit by a pitch.
“That’s the mentality you have to go up there against him.”
The home run was also Freeman’s 100th of his Dodgers career.
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