Player Profile #53: Freddie Freeman | 1B | ATL

Despite seeing his batting average plummet to .259 after an impressive rookie season that saw him bat .282, Freddie Freeman actually had a much better 2012 campaign. His line drive rate rose to 26.0%, the fourth-best rate in the league, and both his walk rate (10.3%) and strikeout rate (20.8%) improved as well. Freeman’s hitting profile was that of a .310 hitter last year. The .295 BABIP that led to his disappointing numbers was unlucky to say the least.If there is a negative note to be made about Freeman, it’s that he suffers from the same affliction as Allen Craig: Idon’twannahitaflyball-itis.Freeman has enough pop in his bat to consistently hit 30-35 homers, but he still prefers line drives over fly balls. That’ll be great for his batting average, but it’ll hamper is home run production. Perhaps in the coming seasons he’ll transition towards the fly ball as Atlanta makes him the centerpiece of their offensive attack in the clean-up slot, but for now it seems you’ll have to settle...