Max Langer
First base is expected to be occupied by Freddie Freeman, who’s beginning his fourth year in Dodger Blue after leaving the Atlanta Braves in free agency back in 2021. Freeman has been one of the most consistent players in Major League Baseball since his debut in 2010, and has two World Series titles under his belt.
Injury History/Concerns
Unsurprisingly, Freeman did everything he could and more to stay on the field last year. He wants to play 160+ regular season games every year, but during the 2024 campaign, the left-handed star missed time due to his then 3-year-old son Max being diagnosed with a rare condition called Guillen-Barre syndrome. Freeman missed more than a week tending to his ill son before rejoining the team in early August during a series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
But Freeman took ill himself when he sprained his right ankle on September 26th against the San Diego Padres, when he crashed into Padres’ first baseman Luis Arraez trying to beat out a ground ball. During the postseason, Freeman was in and out of the lineup, constantly trying to manage the pain of not only the ankle injury he’d suffered but also the rib cartilage that had reportedly broken the day before Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres. Of course, Freeman battled through both injuries, and had one of the greatest World Series performances in recent memory.
Over the off-season, Freeman reported through his Instagram page that he’d had surgery on his ankle. He’s still building up here in spring training, and while he’ll play in Cactus League games, his usage isn’t likely to be excessive. Our own Anthony Arroyo wrote on Freeman’s injury last week, and reported that Freeman is “perfectly on track” to participate in spring training games later this month.
Numbers/Projections
In his first two years in Los Angeles, Freeman averaged a .328/.409/.539 slash line, with an average WRC+ (Weighted Runs Created) of 159, 59% better than the league-average hitter. Last year, however, Freeman’s regular-season numbers declined. He had a .282/.378/.476 slash line, with a WRC+ of 137.
This season, according to FanGraphs’ ZiPS projections, Freeman is projected to put up a .298/.384/.492 slash line, with a WRC+ of 143. Freeman hasn’t typically had large discrepancies between his first and second-half numbers throughout his career. You can expect these numbers to stay relatively consistent throughout the course of the regular season, barring injury.
On the defensive side, while still good, Freeman isn’t the elite first base defender he once was. While part of this is due, again, to that ankle injury, Freeman is also 35 years old, and will turn 36 before the postseason starts. Still, Freeman turned 93 double plays compared to only four errors last year. In 2023, he turned 126 double plays, with only one error. In 2025, expect Freeman to record similar defensive metrics and statistics to his 2024 campaign.
Other Options
Because first base is a position the Dodgers expect Freeman to play on an everyday basis, they won’t name a specific backup. Still, Los Angeles has a myriad of alternatives to play at the cornerman spot if Freeman goes down.
Kiké Hernandez, who the Dodgers recently re-signed on a one-year, $6.5 million dollar contract, expects to be a super-utility man to begin the season. He’s played every major league position except for catcher and prides himself on being above-average defensively. He’s a button Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts can press if Freeman gets hurt, and he could be used anyway to give Freeman a day off here or there during the season.
Another option is starting third baseman Max Muncy. The Baylor University graduate played first base for Los Angeles until 2022, when the Dodgers signed Freeman. Muncy got hurt playing first base during the final series of the 2021 regular season, when the Dodgers played the Giants up in San Francisco. Muncy, in fact, started at first base in Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS against the Padres, when Freeman couldn’t play.
The last likely internal option would be Chris Taylor. Now one of the longest-tenured Dodgers, Taylor struggled mightily last year. His playing time was sporadic, and he rode the bench for much of the year. Still, he’s in the final year of a 4-year, $60 million dollar contract extension, and he’s a trusted veteran who knows his way around a baseball diamond. If Hernandez and Muncy are needed elsewhere, Taylor could easily slot in at first base.
If all else fails, the Dodgers could opt to go to the free-agent market for an external option. Last year, the Dodgers signed Cavan Biggio to replace Freeman when he was helping his son Max recover. They could do something along those lines again if Freeman gets hurt, or is unavailable for a significant amount of time.
DodgersBeat Grade: A-
Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
