Freddie Freeman Hitting Report (8/23/08 DH)

Scouting the Sally - Freddie Freeman, 1B, ATL

Freddie Freeman (0-7, 4 K) - Freddie Freeman seems to have come out of nowhere as a 2nd round pick in the 2007 draft to become arguably the 2nd best hitter in the Braves organization behind Jason Heyward. This year at Rome, Freeman exhibited a great combination of hitting ability and power with a .316/.378/.521 line including 58 extra base hits. with his raw numbers more impressive than those of Jason Heyward, many assume both to be relatively equal prospects. After watching both play poorly and seeing which made adjustments first hand, I still believe Freeman to be a fine prospect, but question the assumption that Freeman and Heyward will both crack the Braves lineup at about the same time.

• Looked smaller than his listed 6'5"; About an inch shorter than Heyward who is listed at 6'4"
• Did not look 220 lbs.; Thinner frame than Heyward/Johnson
• Forearms were thin; Build similar to Casey Kotchman
• Lower body is thin through hips/quads; Room for growth?
  
• Upper body can be better defined; May not gain much more size
  
• Stance/Swing reminded me of Doug Mientkiewicz
  
• Front foot hitter
• Slightly awkward load; Happy feet in the box; Toe tapping
• Timing seemed off; Herky Jerky
  
• Chased outside fastball; Jammed on inside fastballs
• Torched foul line drive down the 1st base line
  
• Frustration bubbled over on the field; Slammed helmet to turf a couple of times

Seeing Freeman at his absolute worst is obviously going to leave me focusing more on the bad than good as it pertains to bullet points. However, Freeman's problems on this night can definitely be rectified quickly and may work themselves out naturally as he matures both physically and mentally. The bat speed, size, and baseball ability are all there, but the hitches in his load caused a domino effect which hindered his ability to time pitches and transfer weight correctly. I remain bullish on his potential and future, but am left feeling Freeman will need to relax his approach some and continue to mature to remain a dominant force as he moves up through the system.