When the World Series started, it was hard to figure out what Freddie Freeman would be able to provide for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He left no doubt about the MVP winner.
Freeman broke records with pitching in the first four games and matched the Fall Classic mark with 12 RBIs to lead the Dodgers past the New York Yankees for their second championship in five years.
“That means there were a lot of teammates on the team,” Freeman said after being presented with the World Series MVP award, which was named in honor of Willie Mays. “I’m glad I was able to burn at the right time.”
[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series]
The famous slugger delivered again on Wednesday night with a single by Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in the fifth inning of five runs that helped Los Angeles win 7-6 in Game 5.
New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson also drove in 12 runs in 1960 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the championship that year on Bill Mazeroski’s famous Game 7 homer.
Freeman tallied his total in just five games against the Yankees, setting several World Series standards along the way.
The 35-year-old won in each of his first four games, becoming the first player to do so. The streak began when he hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win the opening game in dramatic fashion in Los Angeles.
Freeman’s two-run drive in the first inning Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium made him the only player to go deep in six consecutive Series games, dating back to the 2021 title he won with Atlanta.
He was robbed of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning of Game 5 when Aaron Judge made a spectacular catch on his long drive while crashing into the fence.
The MVP award put a happy break in a difficult season for the Freeman family. Freeman missed eight games in July and August after his 3-year-old son fell ill while watching his father at the All-Star Game festivities in Texas.
When the family returned home, Max was hospitalized and put on a ventilator after he became partially paralyzed with his breathing. She was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré, a rare neurological condition that affects the immune system, nerves and muscles.
Max’s condition gradually improved, and Freeman returned to work Aug. 5. He was also greeted with a standing ovation from Dodgers fans that brought tears to Freeman’s eyes.
Freeman hit .282 this season with 22 homers and 89 RBIs. An eight-time All-Star and 2020 NL MVP with Atlanta, he is a .300 hitter with 343 homers, 1,232 RBIs and an .899 OPS in 15 big league seasons. He has hit .300 or better eight times.
Freeman sprained his right ankle on Sept. 26 against San Diego while trying to avoid a tag early on from Luis Arráez and he missed the last three games of the Dodger regular season. He had no RBIs in the NL Division Series against the Padres and just one in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.
Freeman missed three games during the NL playoffs due to an ailing ankle. He did not play in the NLCS final against the Mets and was six days out from the World Series, allowing time for the ankle to heal.
It showed at the plate, and now Freeman will have a second World Series ring and an accompanying MVP award to help him enjoy an October he’ll never forget.
It is reported by the Associated Press.
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