Freddie Freeman is a bit puzzled about his recent change in performance.
After a rough start to the season, he realized something had to give. Just a week ago, his batting average was over 40 points lower than his usual .300 mark.
During a recent series in Houston, he decided to try a different approach at the plate. He angled his front foot inward, similar to Corey Seager, and made a point to keep his hips stable, which helps him maintain a more upright posture.
His main focus was to drive the ball down the left field line, something he’s done throughout his 17-year career, rather than just hitting it anywhere.
“And, you know,” he remarked with a grin after seeing quick results, “obviously, it worked.”
Since making these small changes and resetting his approach, the 36-year-old slugger has returned to his familiar form. In the recent Houston series, he recorded four hits in 11 at-bats, including consecutive doubles—his first since mid-April. Moreover, in the opener against the Atlanta Braves, he seized a fastball from former Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale and launched his first home run since April 6.
“Swinging like that,” he commented, “I haven’t done that in a month.”
His recent extra-base hits have been encouragingly aimed toward left field.
With each game, Freeman felt himself regaining confidence in his swing mechanics. Even the nine-time All-Star admitted he was in search of that for a while.
“One morning in Houston, I thought, ‘I can’t keep sending the ball to left field,’” he shared. “I’ve always made minor tweaks mentally from the outside. This time, I just turned my feet in to achieve the same goal.”
The fact that he was already looking for change just a month into the season shows the hurdles he’s encountering at this stage of his career.
Earlier this spring, he mentioned how good his swing felt, even batting .299 in his first 22 games. Back then, he was only lamenting a few deep fly balls that fell short.
But during a homestand at the end of April, he hit a rough patch, suffering through a three-game slump. He felt slow to catch up to fastballs, and even when he made contact, his hits weren’t sharp line drives like he was used to.
“If I had known what was wrong,” he said during that difficult stretch, “I would have fixed it by now.”
So, he opted for some adjustment—modifying his foot positioning and even engaging in on-field batting practice for three days in a row.
Manager Dave Roberts noted Freeman’s effort to adapt, saying, “It’s hard for him to try different things. But he’s a smart player who knows adjustments are necessary, especially at this point in his career. It’s great to see him switch things up a bit.”
While Freeman’s statistical upswing began before these changes, with a solid performance last weekend in St. Louis and a current seven-game hitting streak, he still felt unsure about his mechanics.
He explained how he had been trying to manipulate his swing to achieve more speed, saying, “This is the opposite of what I’ve been doing throughout my career. I felt like I was getting beaten by fastballs. So I thought, ‘Let’s completely switch it up and aim to hit the ball right in front of me.’”
He’s optimistic these changes will stick as he moves forward.
Not only has he regained his hitting ability, but he’s also hitting the way he prefers.
“I’m making better swing choices. My hips are moving better, so I’m hitting the ball further. There’s still work ahead,” he stated. “Even my mistakes are looking better. So I feel like I’m heading in the right direction. My feet are facing inward—that clearly helps a lot.”
