The top of the Los Angeles Dodgers features an embarrassment of riches with former MVP winners in Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, but thus far only their leadoff hitter has enjoyed a particularly successful start to the season.
Ohtani was slow to hit his first Dodgers home run and continues to struggle with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, Freeman has yet to find much of a rhythm and is in the midst of a slump that has seen him go hitless in three consecutive games entering play Saturday.
“Same thing since last September, same swing I’ve had,” Freeman said after his 0-for-5 effort with three strikeouts in the Dodgers’ loss to the New York Mets on Friday. “Just pulling off the ball. Very rotational, trying to fix it. Gone through everything about 20 times, tomorrow will be number 21.
“My hips, gone, which causes my whole swing to cut. I’m in the zone for at least two inches, that’s about it. So all I can really do is hit an offspeed pitch down the right field line or foul balls off like you saw tonight, or swing and miss.”
Freeman recently started taking batting practice on the field before games, which isn’t common for the 15-year veteran. He’s poised to take matters a step further in effort to break the slump.
“Luckily, I’ve been around a long time, I’ve been through stuff like this before. In 2021 it was a lot worse than this when I started out. You guy have seen me strike out seven straight times in the playoffs against the Dodgers,” Freeman recalled.
“Had some low moments, but all you can do is come in the next day and work. And you’ll see a new thing tomorrow, I’ll be hitting BP on the field for a day game.”
Freddie Freeman staying positive
Freeman notoriously has a bright personality and finds silver linings in difficult situations. That mindset is partly what he hopes to carry him through the early-season struggles.
“I take the positive in those questions because they don’t happen very often,” Freeman answered when asked how he navigates slumps. “I take pride in that. I take pride in being consistent, and I’m not being consistent right now.
“But I will be out here tomorrow and I will work hard and I will try to right the ship like I do every single day. And I will continue to do that until it rights.”
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