Freddie Freeman is a World Series champion, MVP, and seven-time All-Star. He's played for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, two franchises with plenty of popularity. Despite all of this, is it possible that Freeman is underrated?

Freeman is a great player and everyone agrees with that assessment. When people think of MLB's current best players though, Freeman doesn't always come up in the conversation. Shohei Ohtani tends to lead the talks, while Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, and Ronald Acuna Jr. are also frequently mentioned. But is it time to start including Freeman in the best player conversation?

Is Freddie Freeman MLB's most underrated player?

What Freddie Freeman is doing in 2023 is unbelievable. Yes, everyone is well aware of his pure hitting ability. In fact, I'd argue most fans consider Freeman to be among the game's best hitters. He could easily hit 40 home runs if he wanted to, but routinely opts to hit line drives and post .300 batting averages while still clubbing 25-35 home runs. Freeman's led the league in doubles three times and is currently leading the league in the category as well.

Acuna Jr. would probably win the NL MVP if the season ended today. Freddie Freeman wouldn't be far behind though. He's slashing .320/.397/.542 with a .939 OPS. He's also tallied 15 home runs and 30 doubles for the Dodgers.

But Freeman's ability to run the bases and play quality defense cannot be overlooked. He may not be the best first baseman in the game in terms of defense, but he's reliable to say the least. Freeman's also on track to shatter his previous career-high in stolen bases. MLB's new rules have been kind to him, as he's already swiped 12 bags, just one less than his career-high of 13.

The Dodgers have been hampered by injuries in 2023. Nevertheless, they trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by just a half-game in the National League West. If Freeman wasn't with Los Angeles though, they likely would be much further back in the division.

Freeman may not be MLB's best overall player, but he deserves to be in that conversation on a more consistent basis.