All-Star snub another reason for Freddie Freeman to regret leaving Braves

Missing out on the MLB All-Star Game is another reason why Freddie Freeman should not have left the Atlanta Braves for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his free agency.

Had Freddie Freeman stayed with the Atlanta Braves, he is probably heading to the Midsummer Classic instead of to a beach somewhere.

Freeman has played up to his standard since turning heel to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the year, he is slashing .304/.381/.494 with 11 home runs and 55 runs batted in over the course of 85 games in Dodger blue. Unfortunately, Freeman was not selected to his sixth All-Star Game this season. While he may be a replacement player in due time, Atlanta Freeman makes it in.

It is only fitting the 2022 MLB All-Star Game is being played at none other than Dodger Stadium.

Freddie Freeman All-Star snub: Why he gets in if he was with the Atlanta Braves

On paper, Freeman certainly has the numbers to play in this year’s Midsummer Classic. Sadly, he was not one of three first basemen selected to represent the Senior Circuit. Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals won the fan vote. Pete Alonso is having a fantastic year for the division-leading New York Mets. C.J. Cron is the lone Colorado Rockies representative to make the squad.

So you may be asking yourself why does Freeman make the roster if he is still in a Braves uniform and not playing for the Dodgers? Let me explain. Not only would he be in the heart of a lineup he knows so well playing in front of 41,000 of his closest friends on a nightly basis, but he would not have had another high-quality first baseman taking votes from him at the polls with Matt Olson.

Had Freeman put pen to paper to stay in Atlanta, Olson is still playing for the losing Oakland Athletics franchise. Obviously, the Lilburn native and former Parkview star is in a way better place now, but the same cannot be said for Freeman. All those members of Braves Country who would have voted for him online voted for Olson instead. Coming up short on the ballot proved costly.

Factor in playing for a new franchise in the same metroplex where you grew up in, and you can feel the stress start to consume you. Freeman was universally beloved in Atlanta. That is no longer the case. For a few less million dollars, he could have played truly unencumbered baseball in his early 30s. Instead, Freeman has to prove himself nightly that he is loyal to the Dodger blue uniform.

In short, the combination of a boost at the ballot box and slightly better stats at the plate could have gotten him in over potentially Alonso. Heck, if Braves Country really wanted to make a mess of it, could you even imagine Freeman winning the vote to start at first base over MVP frontrunner Goldschmidt? This would be just another example of loyalty winning out in professional sports.

Maybe his former manager Brian Snitker calls upon Freeman to be a last-minute replacement?