Freddie Freeman Can't Stop

 

After Kirk Gibson hit his Game 1 home run against Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series, he was never the same. Never hit 25 homers again, never even touched 100 RBIs. Had a decent enough year in 1990 but it couldn't match up. He retired a few years later in Detroit, capping off a very full career. But the prevailing idea is that Kirk Gibson sort of faded off after his big, heroic moment. And fading off really isn't Freddie Freeman's style.

Obviously the home run in last year's World Series was the hero-making move he'd needed after a decade and a half of steady, respectable work. He was already a borderline Hall of Famer, that cemented it. He's in his age-35 season, he's already over 1000 career RBIs, and he's the active leader in both hits and doubles. Hell, he's even got 2 World Series rings, the same amount Kirk Gibson won. But Freeman is a legendary talent, and a remarkable hitter, and even at 35 he's got way more to do.

So, this season, Freddie Freeman has already broken 350 career home runs, gotten off to the lead in batting average in the NL, outweighs all Dodgers not named Ohtani in OPS, and has helped the Dodgers stay in first despite sharp competition. There was a fear that he'd be sliding off his peak within a year of coming to LA, but that hasn't happened, and in a shakier season from Mookie Betts, Freeman has stepped up to become one of the best things about his team. A lesser player would continue to skirt on by off the fumes of the home run, but not Freeman. He's still performing at the best of his ability, and that's why he's a future Hall of Famer.

The Dodgers, even in first, have gotten themselves in some potential trouble. The rotation merry-go-round is still an issue, as now Justin Wrobleski and Ben Casparius are stacking on top of each other to cover the fifth spot for Emmett Sheehan, who should be returning this week. Though, considering how long Tony Gonsolin lasted, who knows when a spot will open back up. Dustin May and Landon Knack are doing their best, but both have been shaken by injuries and are having some tough starts. The great news is Clayton Kershaw truly looks like his classic self, and had a terrific start last night against the Giants, but...he's 37. That's unsustainable for 33 games these days. This is still a factor, and good teams like the Padres and Giants, now armed with a famed Dodger-killer, are looking to exploit it. 

This Dodgers team can still outhit people, and having Shohei Ohtani certainly helps, but unless the rotation stops getting hurt every five seconds, these aren't gonna be runaways. Once a team like this is equalized, everything that made it intimidating doesn't matter anymore. So hopefully Freddie Freeman can keep this team moving before the injury issue gets even worse.

Coming Tomorrow- A first baseman I used to dislike til the moment he started hitting .300 for my team.