Parts of this season for Freddie Freeman and his family felt like the deepest of valleys. But the Los Angeles Dodgers star first baseman capped the 2024 campaign on the proverbial baseball mountaintop.
After missing time in August when his 3-year-old son, Max, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, Freeman on Wednesday was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after helping lead the Dodgers to the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.
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He hit home runs in each of the first four games, including a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of Game 1, becoming the first player to go deep in the first four games of a World Series. Freeman didn’t hit a homer in Wednesday’s series-clinching Game 5 win, but he drove in two runs as the Dodgers erased a 5-0 deficit to close out the New York Yankees. His 12 runs batted in tied a World Series record.
“This is everything,” Freeman told FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt after the game. “I wouldn’t be here without the support of everybody in these shirts tonight. It’s been a grind these last three months, but this organization … my teammates, my family, it’s been a lot. But this is it right here.”
He was referring not to the MVP trophy, but to the World Series trophy circulating amongst his teammates. For Freeman, it’s the second World Series of his career after winning with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
WORLD SERIES MVP. 🏆
A storybook season for @FreddieFreeman5 🙌 pic.twitter.com/laxPRbSZYo
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2024
Freeman had his organization’s full support when he stepped away during a pennant chase to be with Max, whose condition had sent him into full-body paralysis and required an emergency hospital stay. Freeman eventually returned in an August game against Philadelphia and received a lengthy standing ovation from Dodgers fans.
He told CBN Sports before the World Series that he and his family have leaned on their faith in God heavily throughout this trying season.
“There was many times when you see your 3-year-old on a ventilator, you start just thinking about a whole bunch of things,” he said. “When you have the support system that we’ve had, the family that’s faith-based, it truly does help. During the All-Star Game, all my kids were sick. I didn’t know it was going to lead to that.”
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Freeman said Dodgers team chaplain Brandon Cash has also been a source of comfort and teaching.
“We’ve been having a great network of people to keep us strong, keep the faith, and it’s been really good,” Freeman said.
Dating back to his time with the Braves, Freeman’s World Series home run streak reached six games, setting a World Series record. His Game 1 walk-off grand slam not only set the tone for Dodgers offense the rest of the series, but it also brought back memories of Kirk Gibson’s famous walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Not only did Freeman’s cap a come-from-behind win, but like Gibson, he was hobbled when he hit it due to a sprained ankle.
FREDDIE FREEMAN WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM. #WORLDSERIES pic.twitter.com/5MIY5CaX6a
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 26, 2024
In 11 career World Series games, Freeman has hit .310 with six homers and 17 RBIs, the most RBIs in history by any player through his first two World Series appearances.
“I’ve said it before … all encompassing, he’s my favorite player to be around, as far as what he does for the culture, the organization, the team,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
The National League MVP in 2020, Freeman became the 12th player to win a regular-season and a World Series MVP. Ten of those players are now in the Hall of Fame.
Freeman’s career is likely headed toward Cooperstown as well, but for now he’ll set his sights on winning another World Series while also making known his faith in God.
“He’s at the forefront of everything,” Freeman told CBN Sports during the 2024 All-Star Game. “It’s a big part of who I am and what I want to exude to other people and try to be for my kids, lead them into the path of that as well. That’s just who I am. Christ means a lot to me.”
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