Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman seems destined for third or fourth place in NL MVP voting and while it isn't first, it's been quite a season against stiff competition. He still has a chance to something special on an individual level, too. With just four games left on the Dodgers' regular season schedule, Freeman is sitting at 58 doubles.
As things stand, Freeman's 2023 is tied with Nick Castellanos' 2019 season for the 10th-most doubles ever. Of the top nine, only Todd Helton's 59 in 2000 came since the 1930s. All-time doubles leader Tris Speaker (he had 792 career two-baggers) had 59 in 1923 while Hall of Famer Chuck Klein collected 59 in 1930.
Let's zero in on 60, though. There have only been six seasons ever in which a player had 60 or more doubles and it hasn't happened since Tigers Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer did it in 1936. The all-time, single-season leaderboard:
1. Earl Webb, 1931: 67 doubles
t2. George Burnes, 1926: 64
t2. Joe Medwick, 1936: 64
4. Hank Greenberg, 1934: 63
5. Paul Waner, 1932: 62
6. Charlie Gehringer, 1936: 60
As noted, the Dodgers have four games remaining on the schedule. They are all road games, but Freeman has actually hit much better on the road than at home this season. Plus, 31 of his doubles have come on the road. The Dodgers play in Colorado's Coors Field Thursday night, which ranks second in the majors in doubles. They then close in San Francisco's Oracle Park, which ranks near the bottom of the league in doubles, but keep in mind the odd dimensions in right field and right-center. There's ample opportunity to find a spot for a two-sacker there for Freeman.
Given that the Dodgers are 98-60 and very likely locked into the second seed in the NL, some might worry about the Dodgers resting Freeman. It's possible he'll sit once, but I'd be shocked if it's more than that. Keep in mind, the Dodgers have a bye and, thanks to the new format, don't play again after Sunday's regular-season finale until Saturday, Oct. 7. Teams don't like their position players sitting around so long without game reps.
Freeman will get plenty of plate appearances here in the final four days of the 2023 season. Here's hoping he grabs two more doubles because seeing something that hasn't happened since 1936 would be pretty fun.
