The Atlanta Braves open the 2021 season Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies as defending NL East Champions and they also have the reigning NL MVP, Freddie Freeman.
For Freeman, securing the MVP came down to the last week or two of the season as he held off Juan Soto and fellow Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna, who led the league in both home runs and RBI.
For Ozuna, it was a year that netted him a massive four-year, $65 million deal with the Braves, and for Freeman, it was a season that netted him the national recognition he's long deserved outside of Atlanta.
So which guy is more likely to repeat his production from the shortened 2020 season and which guy is bound to fall off a bit?
Former MLB GM and analyst for MLB Network Jim Duquette takes a look at the heart of the Braves order and who he feels can lead the way offensively again.
“The most consistently good player I can remember in the last 10 years is Freddie Freeman,” says Duquette. “You can almost bet 30 (home runs) and 100 (RBI) is what Freeman gives you every year and especially this year going into a contract year.”
Marcell Ozuna had 18 home runs in 60 games last season, which would have equated to just under 50 home runs if he were to play 162 games.
Ozuna's current career-high in HRs is just 37, so to expect that sort of a jump for a second consecutive season would be a bit more of an anomaly than it would for Freeman, who has hit 23 or more home runs six times in his career and was on pace to do that again last year.
To hear all of Jim Duquette's comments regarding the Braves leading up to Opening Day, click here.
