Freddie Freeman is among Los Angeles Dodgers statistical greats. When they signed him last spring, they couldn’t stop gushing about having Freeman and Mookie Betts. With the newest addition, the Dodgers had the most fearful one-two punch in the majors. But for Freeman, he has been the steadiest of presence over the past year and a half. There’s an increased level of appreciation after hitting .325 with 21 home runs and 100 RBI.
In fact, he’s one of four Dodgers to hit those marks in their careers since the start of the divisional era in 1969. Hitting .325 or higher with 20 home runs and 100 RBI or more. Freeman is very much on pace to do so again this year. As for the other three players, who accomplished the feat? One’s already a Hall of Famer, the other won a World Series, and the third could find himself in Cooperstown next summer.
Statistical Dodger Greats Since 1969
Mike Piazza, 1996 & 1997
In 1996, Piazza batted .336 with 36 home runs and 105 RBI. But 1997 was arguably the best offensive season for a catcher in baseball history, even for the Dodgers. He batted .362/.431/.638 with 40 home runs, 124 RBI, 32 doubles and 201 hits. Nine different players in baseball history have a 1.000 OPS or higher, batted at least .360 with 200 hits, 30 doubles, 40 home runs and 120 RBI. Piazza became the first player since Stan Musial in 1948 to accomplish the feat.
Gary Sheffield, 2000
Cody Bellinger just hit his 40th home run of the season – it took him 118 games, tying Gary Sheffield (2000) for the fastest in @Dodgers history.#LABleedsBlue
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 15, 2019
Sheffield had a successful, albeit short, run with the Dodgers, making two All-Star appearances over three full seasons. 2000 was his best season, clubbing 43 homers and drove in 109 runs. Those 43 home runs were the most he’d hit in a single season of his career. He finished in the top 10 in multiple hitting categories, including second in OPS+(176), third in on-base percentage(.438), third in OPS (1.081), sixth in home runs (43), and ninth in batting average (.325).
Adrian Beltre, 2004
Cody Bellinger hit his 39th HR yesterday, matching his career high
No #Dodgers player has hit 40 in a season since Adrian Beltre in 2004 https://t.co/YOcBDx2LVo pic.twitter.com/tdvC21kwM5
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) August 14, 2019
The third baseman had a spectacular 2004 season in which he had an-MVP like production for the Dodgers. Beltre batted .478 with three home runs in the season’s first week. Despite hitting .227 and .247 in May and June, he kept producing as the season progressed. After his All-Star snub, Beltre kept rolling by season’s end. His 48 home runs lead the NL, hitting .334 and 121 RBI to go with that power. He garnered six first-place votes in the NL MVP balloting, finishing second to Barry Bonds, the only player to exceed Beltre’s 9.6 bWAR.
Freddie Freeman, 2022
An awkward beginning turned into a dominant first impression for Freeman. He helped the Dodgers set a new franchise record for wins in a single season. Los Angeles upped their 2021 win total from 106 to 111 in 2022, as Freeman was a point shy of winning the NL batting title. Among NL players, the 34-year-old finished first in on-base percentage and runs scored, second in batting average, wOBA, and wRC+, and third in WAR.
Photo Credit: © Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Mike Piazza, Stan Musial, Gary Sheffield, Adrian Beltre, Barry Bonds
