Freddie Freeman is a implausible baseball participant. For the reason that starting of 2020, he’s tied with Juan Soto for fourth in wRC+, sitting at 157. He’s additionally as sturdy as another place participant within the league, rating third in video games performed in that very same span. However wRC+ and sturdiness aren’t why I’m right here to debate Freeman at this time. As an alternative, I’m all for his baserunning.
Baserunning is actually not crucial side of Freeman’s sport, however he’s darn good at it. Earlier than I get into how and why, although, I need to speak about his lack of pace. At 26.6 ft/s on common, Freeman is a Thirty fifth-percentile runner; within the panorama of the league and different good baserunners, he’s a little bit of a tortoise. However that doesn’t cease him on the bases.
With regards to baserunning, your chances are high a lot better of being above common on the basepaths for those who can boogie. If you happen to peruse the BsR or Statcast Runner Runs leaderboards, you’ll see principally Ninetieth-percentile runners and above, with the underside line being within the mid-70s. Not often does a reputation like Freeman’s pop up, however he ranks seventeenth of 139 in BsR and thirty seventh of 295 in Runner Runs. For him, these outcomes come about due to different elements of the sport that you just don’t want pace for: instincts, reads, and preparation. The additional down you’re within the pace division, the extra vital these abilities turn out to be. This wasn’t at all times a constructive a part of Freeman’s sport, however in the previous few years, he has been constantly above-average.
If you’re watching a sport on tv, you don’t at all times catch nice baserunning selections at first look. The sport is centered across the pitch, the swing, and the fielding try; that’s what the cameras observe. However on replay, you see a runner realized the nook outfielder was taking a diagonal route and was going to want two additional steps to make a powerful throw. These two steps are the distinction between secure and out, however the runner didn’t hesitate and took an additional base. Baserunners must see and course of this in a break up second, weighing their very own pace towards a fielder’s arm energy. It’s not like Freeman is an enormous threat taker, however he actually understands when and when to not go.
With Statcast’s new baserunning leaderboard, we’re capable of see precisely what number of runs above common had been created from a single play. So let’s have a look at some performs the place Freeman scored at house, performs the place he was secure at second or third on his or a teammate’s hit, and performs the place he was secure at second or third from a stolen base. We’ll begin with performs on the plate:
If you’re on the basepaths, you may have a guidelines of issues to know earlier than the play really occurs. First, be sure you’re on the bottom earlier than you begin trying across the subject and discover who has the ball. Second, examine the place of every outfielder. Are they shading towards the strains or the gaps? Third, know the arm energy of every outfielder. Lastly, see who’s on the plate. If you play with guys day by day and watch them take batting observe day by day, you get a good sense of what their tendencies are. Mix all this info, and also you’re higher geared up to make split-second selections.
Within the first GIF, Freeman knew that Randy Arozarena needed to run to his proper and make a throw off his again foot. Sometimes, you gained’t take off for house if the participant fields the ball earlier than you even get to 3rd base, however Arozarena doesn’t have a powerful arm and didn’t have his momentum stepping into the fitting route. Freeman made a rapid choice, and Arozarena didn’t hassle going for the out.
Within the second GIF, Jordan Luplow ran in from deep proper subject to catch a skyscraper pop up with no time to get round and behind the ball. His momentum took him towards third base as an alternative of house. This was a shallow spot, however Freeman knew it might be too tough to make an ideal throw and comfortably took house.
The final play — a fly ball to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. — was a easy case of realizing your outfielders. This too was not a deep fly ball, however for those who problem the fitting thrower, that is greater than deep sufficient. Gurriel made a throw approach off line, and Freeman cruised into the plate. I need to reiterate that none of those are massive dangers; moderately, they’re the proper time for a runner like Freeman to drive a participant to make a play.
Now let’s have a look at another sound selections Freeman has made:
Jason Heyward is the precise kind of participant to hook a single down the road. Freeman knew off the bat this was going to be a first-to-third alternative; he doesn’t even peek at Mark Mathias after the ball is hit. He’s absolutely ready to drive Mathias to make the most effective play of his life. He didn’t, and Freeman reached third with one out and an opportunity for a sac fly to drive him in.
If you hit a line drive deep down the fitting subject line, you possibly can clearly see the route a fielder takes to the ball. Nolan Jones tried to be too direct, and he paid the value. Even together with his One hundredth-percentile arm energy, he nonetheless couldn’t catch Freeman, as a result of he took one too many steps. It’s the identical story within the third GIF, a line drive into the left-center hole. You’ll be able to clearly see all of it play out: Michael Conforto set the desk earlier than eliminating the ball, and it was sufficient for Freeman to make it a bang-bang play. There’s nothing like an emphatic secure name from an umpire once you’re sliding into second on a play this shut.
Lastly, we’ve to understand Freeman’s potential to steal bases. He solely has 82 in his profession, however 16 of them have come this 12 months — a brand new profession excessive, breaking a mark set… final season, when he swiped 13. He’s 16-for-17 in makes an attempt, and the next two performs completely characterize his cleverness in selecting his spots:
Any good baserunner is aware of how simple it may be to get an enormous soar towards a lefty reliever. If you happen to’ve executed your scouting, who these guys are and what their tells are. Kirby Snead appears to be a long-hold-and-stare type of dude. Freeman knew this and received such an enormous soar that solely an ideal throw would have gotten him. This can be a basic case of stealing on the pitcher’s lack of a menace to select you off.
The opposite efficient strategy to take a bag, even when a pitcher has a fast transfer, is to select the fitting pitch. In Will Smith’s first-inning plate look towards Blake Snell, he went yard to left subject; Snell didn’t throw him a single curveball within the at-bat. Within the third inning, he walked Smith however began the at-bat together with his patented crazy curveball. He went to the pitch once more to begin his third matchup with Smith. That is most likely the most effective instance of Freeman realizing the scouting report and taking a slight threat that Snell would observe it. No pitch is tougher to throw right down to second on than a glove-side breaking ball; you must transfer the ball throughout your physique, and there may be a lot room for error. That is what I wish to name a stolen base ambush.
There aren’t many runners within the league like Freeman; constantly making the fitting selections on the basepaths will not be simple! However he makes it look easy and is as instinctive as they arrive on the market, and it’s turn out to be one in all my favourite tendencies to trace all through this season. If Freeman continues on this monitor, he has an opportunity of claiming the unbelievable title of being a 20–20 participant for the primary time in his profession on the age of 33.