LOS ANGELES — There was a time when the thought of Freddie Freeman in anything but an Atlanta Braves uniform was unfathomable. Now, it’s impossible to imagine the Los Angeles Dodgers without him.
They would not be back-to-back World Series winners without Freeman, whose heroic walk-off efforts in each of the past two championships will be etched in Dodgers lore. But Freeman has never been one to take the spotlight, only share it.
Despite his likely Hall of Fame credentials, Freeman isn’t satisfied. There is much he wants to prove as he enters his age-37 season. In a one-on-one interview with The Athletic that spanned nearly 30 minutes, Freeman opened up about what makes him tick, why his play has gotten better with age, how he’s changed since signing with the Dodgers and why he wants to finish his career in Los Angeles — but needs to earn it.
Note: Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.
You’re entering your 17th MLB season. What about this season feels different?
I think every season feels a little different. But I think when you do win back-to-back, there’s just a massive bull’s-eye on your back. When you put on this uniform, there’s an expectation to win. And we embrace that, we love it. When you have that expectation, that means something good is going on around here.
To be part of an organization that expects to win, that wants to win every single year, as you get older and play longer, that’s what you want to be a part of. You see guys wanting to be a part of this organization, and when they get here, they see how special it is, how hard everyone works. They want to keep putting banners up every single year.
Along those lines, the last two years have obviously resulted in back-to-back World Series championships. But it seems there’s disappointment about your personal on-field production. Is that fair to say?
When you look back at the last couple of years, if I don’t hit .300, I feel like I’ve had a down year. I think the media does like to play into that. I’ve had people tell me in spring training that I’m coming off a down year, and I would say, “Oh, I thought an .870 OPS was OK.”
But that’s the thing. It’s not what people are used to, but it’s still good. And when they tell me that, I appreciate it because that means they have really high standards. And I have high standards for myself. Have I played like I wanted to last year? I mean, I throw 2024 out, just because of the personal side of everything that was going on. I was playing pretty well until my son got sick, and then I couldn’t even tell you what happened when Max did get sick. I was just out here being a body. I wasn’t really here, but we were just trying to grind out 2024, and then I got hurt. So, I throw 2024 out. I was just happy I was able to get through it and that Max is OK.
People still ask you about batting average?
Last year, I came in third in (National League) batting average. When I get asked that question, I chuckle like, “Gosh, they expect really high out of me,” and I love that. In my eyes, I want to hit .300 every year. I know batting average has kind of gone out the window. It’s not really harped on a lot in today’s game. But for me, playing every day, if I hit .300 and the way I walk, that means I’m getting on base a lot and I’m helping the team. That’s how I view things. I like to hit. I like to be a hitter. If I were to go 1-for-4 with a home run in a game, people who know me are going to know I’m not happy about it. I’d rather get three hits on three singles. That’s just who I am. But if last year was a down year, hopefully I’ll play up to par with what people want me to play like this year.
You are someone rational about the numbers you post and the career you’ve established. But it also seems like you’re never satisfied. How difficult is that to manage?
Well, in 2023, I hit .331, and you can ask my wife, I was still mad. She’ll tell you I was upset because I should have hit .340. If I hit .340, I’m upset because I should have hit .350. Unfortunately, in my brain and how I work, everyone says oh that’s why who you are, but it’s usually never good enough for me. It’s a blessing and a curse.
Obviously, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve appreciated what I’ve done in the game a lot more. But if I were to hit .310 this year, I’ll tell you in spring training next year that I should have hit .320. That’s just how I’m wired. Unfortunately, I think for people very close to me, I’m just really hard on myself. That’s just how I am. I don’t know if that’s what drives me; I don’t ever try and put a thumb on it.
When you talk about it out loud, it sounds kind of crazy. Until the cleats are off, I’ll think I’ll have never fully lived up to what I should have done. But as I’ve gotten older and people start talking about the career numbers that I’ve achieved already, I do appreciate what I’ve done in this game. That’s not ever lost on me. But yes, I am very hard on myself.
This will be your fifth season in Los Angeles. How do you feel you’ve changed as both a player and a person from your time in Atlanta?
The player, I think, is the same. I played really well here in these four years. I think it’s more of the person. I’ve gone through a lot in my life, starting when I was 9 years old and seeing my mom get sick. I’ve seen a lot of hard stuff, and I’ve been through a lot. Even coming here was hard. I think as a person, it’s just really made me slow down and see things bigger instead of being so close to what I’m trying to do. Now, I try to open up and see everybody and just appreciate things.
Life is hard. You don’t know what people are going through. My life has been out there, but there are still so many things that are not out there that have been extremely hard for Chelsea and me in the background. What’s changed as I’ve gotten older is that you gain experience and wisdom. You learn where you can help people. I’ve gone through everything in life, so I can help my kids and other people if they ever have to go through what I’ve gone through personally and professionally. I always view things as “OK, I was supposed to go through this. This is something that’s going to help someone later in life, where I’m going to be able to share that experience.”
And that’s what’s really changed me as a person.
How did you handle it before?
When I was younger, I was just so focused on baseball. Blinders on, nothing else matters in this world. Then, as you get older, there’s so much more. This is a treat, it really is. It’s fun to come to the job every single day. But there’s so much more outside the lines. I never thought I was going to leave Atlanta, but then you’re here, and you meet so many of these wonderful people, and life changes for the better.
I wonder if that’s related: In each of your last four seasons, you’ve been an All-Star. While most of the stars often hit their stride in their 20s, you can make the argument that you’ve hit yours in your 30s. Do you feel like, as you’ve matured, it’s helped you unlock even better baseball?
I’ve been asked why my 30s have been different than my 20s. I’ve always said, once I had kids, if you look at my career numbers prior to (first child) Charlie, I was just so focused on being the best baseball player, which sometimes can be hurtful. Nothing is ever good enough. But then you’re having your first child and your perspective changes.
I’m also very stubborn about my routine, my approach, my plan. If I go 1-for-20, you’re not going to see me do something different, except maybe take my second round of batting practice outside. But I never change. It’s the same routine.
I’m never searching for something, and I think that’s where if guys go 1-for-15 and you start tinkering with your swing, then that’s going to take a week or two to feel good with that. I trust myself and who I am as a player to know I will come out of it.
As I’ve gotten older, it’s just easier for me to let the 0-fers go and focus on the next day.
You have two years remaining on your contract. You’ve said you want to play until age 40. That would require an extension. Would you prefer to finish your career as a Dodger?
I would love to stay here. Obviously, I’m from Southern California. My dad gets to see me play whenever he feels like it. My grandfather, who is 90, gets to come and see me play. I have everyone here in Orange County, 40 minutes from this stadium, except for my older brother.
When you come here, you’re a part of a place where they just want to win. As you get older, you realize that nothing else matters other than winning championships. When you’re a part of a team, you just want to win. To be part of a group that from ownership to front office to coaches, everyone is pulling on the same rope. It’s amazing, it really is. And the fans, they’re spending their hard-earned money coming here, and they see ownership and the front office putting it right back into the guys. It’s fun to be a part of this.
But also, I understand that if I’m not good enough and they don’t want me here, I’m OK with that. I get it. And that’s the thing — I would love to stay here, but I would not want to be here if I’m hindering things. Andrew (Friedman) and everyone know that I love being here and want to be here the next four years. But I’m also not one to go up to him and say, “I want to stay.” I’ll let it happen organically.
I do think this is a big year. It’s my first healthy offseason in a couple of years. If I can play good defense at first base, that will obviously help. I don’t want to be some lug over at first base and not be able to move, or where the team doesn’t feel comfortable with you out there. So yes, I would love to stay, but I’m not blind to the fact that I need to be a good baseball player.
The goal for this year is as straightforward as it gets: win the World Series for the third straight year. What about the clubhouse culture helps with that?
That’s the thing. We have the greatest baseball player to ever live in our clubhouse, and right when (Shohei Ohtani) walks through the doors, the name on the back is gone, completely. That’s what is so beautiful about here. Our whole lineup is All-Stars. Our whole starting staff is either Cy Young winners or could-be Cy Young winners. Our bullpen has relievers of the year, up and down. And when you walk through that clubhouse door, it doesn’t matter who you are; it’s what can we do to win a baseball game for the Dodgers?
If you have egos, that’s only going to complicate things. It’s a testament to Andrew and Brandon Gomes to go out and find the right guys who will fit into the puzzle. You can have superstars and sometimes you don’t get along. But when you see everyone here, right when you get to the doors, it just drops.
We have created a beautiful thing around here. It’s fun to be a part of it. Young guys see it, and it makes them better. The next generation of Dodger baseball that we get to watch is going to be even better than ours.
