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Why are the New York Yankees still pitching to Freddie Freeman? He has hit home runs in six consecutive World Series games dating back to his Atlanta Braves career. Freeman is on fire right now and it is difficult to imagine him slowing down anytime soon. On Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN explained why the Yankees “can't pitch around” the Los Angeles Dodgers star while speaking on The Pat McAfee Show.
“The problem is you can't pitch around Freddie Freeman,” Passan said, “because you've got Teoscar Hernandez, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernandez and Tommy Edman behind him… The level at which he's playing right now, it's other-worldly. And it's been incredible to watch.”
Freeman has been phenomenal in the World Series. He had to miss some time during the playoffs due to injury, and he is still feeling the effects of the injury. Yet, the Dodgers first baseman continues to play at an elite level.
“Freddie Freeman has hit a home run in six consecutive World Series games going back to 2021 with Atlanta,” Passan said. “It's just an absurd run that he's on right now. Maybe even more absurd by the fact that he's in for hours of treatment, that his body feels like it is breaking down right now… I would have said start pitching him away because he's turning on inside pitches, no, Freddie Freeman is so locked in at this point that he can take the ball that Luis Gil puts on the outer-edge of the plate and still yank it onto that short porch.”
Is there a solution for the Yankees to limit Freddie Freeman?
The Yankees may need to start unintentionally intentionally walking Freeman. What does that mean? Well, it is when a pitcher works either on or just off the corners in hopes that a hitter will swing at a difficult pitch. Pitchers are especially hopeful that hitters will chase a pitch out of the strike zone with this approach.
If the batter is patient and lays off the difficult pitches, though, then the pitcher is willing to surrender a walk. MLB also has an intentional walk where a manager can simply tell the umpire that they are not going to pitch to the batter, and the hitter is then awarded first base.
But by utilizing the unintentional intentional walk, it leaves the door open for Freeman to potentially chase a pitch out of the zone which could lead to an out. The risk with this approach is that if a pitch is left in the middle of the zone, Freeman is going to crush it given how locked in he is right now.
In all reality, the Yankees should be willing to take their chances with Hernandez, Muncy or anyone else batting behind Freeman at the moment. The baseball looks like a beach ball to Freddie Freeman right now, and there is no reason to risk giving him anything good to him.
Aaron Boone may be on the hot seat if the Yankees lose the World Series. His strategy for pitching to Freeman will be something the Yankees closely monitor as New York tries to keep the series alive. The Dodgers currently lead the World Series 3-1 as Freddie Freeman and LA look to clinch a Fall Classic victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
