Freddie Freeman wins NL MVP; Dodgers’ Mookie Betts finishes second

With the coronavirus impacting everyone in the country on one level or another, anyone who can overcome it deserves an award.

Freddie Freeman got his.

The Atlanta Braves first baseman was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player for 2020 on Thursday, receiving 28 of the 30 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, who was the 2018 AL MVP while with the Boston Red Sox, got the other two first-place votes plus 21 second-place votes and five third-place votes to finish second overall. San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado finished third.

Freeman, 31, is the first Braves player to win the award since Chipper Jones in 1999 and the Orange County native makes it 11 consecutive seasons with a first-time winner in the National League, a streak that started after Albert Pujols won his third career MVP award in 2009.

Freeman’s 2020 season – delayed like everyone else in the sport – began precariously. On the first Friday night in July, Freeman’s temperature climbed to 104.5 degrees as his body tried to fight off COVID-19.

“I said a little prayer that night,” Freeman said later. “My body was really, really hot. So I said, ‘Please don’t take me.’ I wasn’t ready. It got a little worrisome that night for me.”

Freeman, a second-round draft pick out of El Modena High in 2007, recovered in time to start the season with the Braves and led them to the NL East division title. Freeman finished no lower than third in the National League in batting average (.341, second), on-base percentage (.462, second), slugging percentage (.640, second), OPS (1.102, second), runs scored (51, first), hits (73, third), total bases (137, second) and RBIs (53, second).

Two weeks into the season, Braves manager Brian Snitker shuffled his lineup, moving Freeman into the second spot between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Marcell Ozuna. The trio took off with Freeman leading the majors with a .384 average and 1.220 OPS from Aug. 9 through the end of the season.

Betts, 28, was bidding to join Frank Robinson as the only players to win the MVP in both leagues. Traded by the Red Sox to the Dodgers in February, Betts hit .292 with 16 homers and 39 RBIs and was the catalyst in the Dodgers’ run to their first World Series championship since 1988.

Machado hit .304 with 16 homers and 47 RBIs as the Padres made their first playoff appearance since 2006.

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager finished ninth in the voting.

Chicago White Sox slugger José Abreu earned the AL MVP, a reward for powering his team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

More to come on this story.



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