The Los Angeles Dodgers used No. 4 prospect Alex Freeland in an extremely limited fashion in 2025, keeping him in the majors for just over a month from late July to early September.
Freeland, a utility infielder, spent most of his time playing during Max Muncy’s spell on the injured list, but with the Dodgers picking up Muncy’s club option for an additional season in LA earlier in the offseason, he is once again blocked at the major league level.
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The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya spoke about Freeland’s status within the organization, as well as what the 24-year-old would need to do to break into the Dodgers’ starting lineup.
“I think much of it depends on where Alex Freeland shows his ceiling to be,” Ardaya wrote. “He’s a switch-hitter, but the Dodgers appeared to only trust him as a left-handed hitter against big league pitching in his first stint in the big leagues. Freeland’s minor league numbers backed that up, with an .840 OPS hitting left-handed and a .676 OPS hitting right-handed. He’s seen as a good defender at second and third base, but not as an everyday shortstop at this point. His chance at regular playing time this season largely depends on whether an injury opens up a spot, as the roster is currently constructed.
“Freeland’s still clearly a development success story, especially if his gains at making contact in the strike zone stick once again in 2025. If he can do that more regularly against big league pitching — his contact rate was 72.2 percent in the bigs last year, as opposed to 78.8 percent in the minors — then maybe his offensive profile plays a little bit better.”
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Through his 29 games in the majors last year, Freeland posted a .602 OPS with two home runs and a batting average south of the Mendoza line. As Ardaya mentioned, he batted much better from the left side than the right, posting a .643 OPS against righties compared to a .393 OPS against lefties.
If Freeland can sort out his troubles at the major league level and cut down on his 36.1 percent strikeout rate, he has a shot a breaking into the big league club’s lineup, especially with the 36-year-old Muncy’s contract set to expire at the end of 2026.
Photo Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
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