It took a little while for Freddie Freeman to get going this year, a fact which may have been scrutinized more due to the expectations that follow an MVP campaign. After all, batting .202 after the first 30 games of a season which came on the heels of a .341 60-game performance is no way to follow up such a great year, you know?
Luckily, Freeman turned around that tough first quarter-ish of the season and turned it into .294 production the rest of the way leading up to the All-Star break. And though Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy (18 HR, 42 RBI, .983 OPS) may be more deserving of the starter spot, no one is going to argue against the choice of Freeman (17 HR, 45 RBI, .836 OPS) to man first base.
It's Freeman's third consecutive time named to a roster — there was no All-Star Game for the 2020 season — and his fifth time in all. And obviously, his son Charlie is excited for the festivities once again. However, there's another reason that the four-year-old is looking forward to heading to Coors Field for this year's action-packed weekend, and it's the same reason that a lot of people are planning to tune in: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis Jr., coincidentally, also mentioned Freeman as someone who he is very excited to take the field with for the first time, making up an awesome infield along with Nolan Arenado and Adam Frazier.
Tatis Jr. is taking the MLB community by storm, similarly as to what he did in his rookie season... but even better. Take a look at the two side-by-side and you'll see that, despite fewer opportunities, Tatis is making more happen with his bat and showing much better discipline in what has been scary improvement.
So, can you blame Charlie for being excited to meet the great generational superstar of today's MLB? I sure can't, and I doubt Freddie can either.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram