| Period | Org | Lg | Age | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | K | BB | HBP | GDP | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | Field | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year to Date | STL | NL | 29 | 567 | 501 | 70 | 147 | 25 | 1 | 20 | 79 | 3 | 3 | 122 | 57 | 7 | 19 | .293 | .372 | .467 | .839 | .368 | 5.9 | 3.8 |
| Rest of Year | STL | NL | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .268 | .336 | .433 | .769 | .336 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Full Year | STL | NL | 29 | 567 | 501 | 70 | 147 | 25 | 1 | 20 | 79 | 3 | 3 | 122 | 57 | 7 | 19 | .293 | .372 | .467 | .839 | .368 | 5.9 | 3.8 |
| Year | Org | Lg | Age | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | K | BB | HBP | GDP | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | Field | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | STL | NL | 29 | 391 | 350 | 46 | 94 | 19 | 1 | 12 | 50 | 1 | 1 | 78 | 33 | 4 | 11 | .268 | .336 | .433 | .769 | .336 | 2.6 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | STL | NL | 30 | 465 | 412 | 56 | 112 | 23 | 1 | 15 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 93 | 44 | 6 | 13 | .271 | .347 | .437 | .784 | .344 | 3.1 | 2.0 |
| 2014 | STL | NL | 31 | 497 | 440 | 59 | 118 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 62 | 2 | 1 | 100 | 47 | 6 | 14 | .268 | .344 | .429 | .773 | .340 | 3.3 | 2.0 |
| 2015 | STL | NL | 32 | 515 | 456 | 60 | 121 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 63 | 2 | 1 | 105 | 49 | 6 | 15 | .265 | .342 | .421 | .763 | .336 | 3.4 | 1.9 |
| 2016 | STL | NL | 33 | 510 | 452 | 58 | 118 | 23 | 1 | 14 | 61 | 2 | 1 | 105 | 49 | 6 | 15 | .261 | .339 | .412 | .751 | .332 | 3.4 | 1.7 |
| 2017 | STL | NL | 34 | 518 | 459 | 58 | 117 | 23 | 1 | 14 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 108 | 50 | 6 | 15 | .256 | .334 | .399 | .733 | .326 | 3.4 | 1.5 |
| Year | Org | Tm | Lg | Class | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | K | BB | HBP | GDP | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | Field | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | STL | MEM | PCL | AAA | 131 | 510 | 464 | 83 | 142 | 29 | 3 | 26 | 91 | 5 | 2 | 111 | 39 | 3 | 11 | .306 | .361 | .550 | .911 | .387 | 8.0 | 4.6 |
| 2008 | ORN | ORN | Win | 14 | 55 | 51 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .235 | .273 | .451 | .724 | .305 | -1.4 | -0.2 | |
| 2009 | STL | STL | NL | MLB | 17 | 34 | 31 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .323 | .353 | .484 | .837 | .358 | -0.4 | 0.1 |
| 2009 | STL | MEM | PCL | AAA | 56 | 225 | 200 | 34 | 60 | 15 | 0 | 10 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 22 | 1 | 9 | .300 | .369 | .525 | .894 | .383 | -0.1 | 1.6 |
| 2009 | STL | CDS | GCL | R | 4 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .455 | .500 | .909 | 1.409 | .579 | -1.5 | 0.1 |
| 2009 | STL | SPR | TEX | AA | 4 | 18 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .375 | .444 | .625 | 1.069 | .457 | -1.5 | 0.1 |
| 2010 | STL | STL | NL | MLB | 70 | 270 | 240 | 28 | 71 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 59 | 21 | 4 | 7 | .296 | .356 | .404 | .760 | .337 | 2.0 | 1.0 |
| 2010 | STL | SPR | TEX | AA | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .667 | 1.000 | 1.667 | .653 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| 2011 | STL | STL | NL | MLB | 98 | 363 | 333 | 41 | 99 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 55 | 1 | 1 | 75 | 24 | 4 | 18 | .297 | .350 | .441 | .791 | .347 | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| 2011 | STL | MEM | PCL | AAA | 5 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .231 | .286 | .308 | .594 | .269 | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| 2012 | STL | STL | NL | MLB | 144 | 567 | 501 | 70 | 147 | 25 | 1 | 20 | 79 | 3 | 3 | 122 | 57 | 7 | 19 | .293 | .372 | .467 | .839 | .368 | 5.9 | 3.8 |
| Year | Org | Lg | Class | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | K | BB | HBP | GDP | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | Field | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | STL | NL | AAA | 522 | 69 | 139 | 29 | 3 | 23 | 82 | 3 | 2 | 150 | 35 | 2 | 12 | .266 | .314 | .464 | .778 | .334 | 6.7 | 2.2 |
| 2009 | STL | NL | MLB | 262 | 35 | 73 | 18 | 0 | 11 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 23 | 1 | 11 | .279 | .337 | .470 | .807 | .348 | -3.6 | 0.8 |
| 2010 | STL | NL | AA | 244 | 32 | 74 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 58 | 22 | 4 | 7 | .302 | .366 | .420 | .786 | .348 | 2.0 | 1.3 |
| 2011 | STL | NL | MLB | 346 | 46 | 104 | 17 | 1 | 11 | 50 | 1 | 1 | 75 | 25 | 4 | 19 | .300 | .352 | .452 | .804 | .352 | -0.4 | 1.6 |
| 2012 | STL | NL | MLB | 501 | 75 | 151 | 25 | 1 | 23 | 83 | 3 | 3 | 116 | 56 | 8 | 20 | .301 | .378 | .490 | .868 | .379 | 5.9 | 4.4 |
Freese overachieved in batting average as a rookie in about the same measure as he underachieved in extra-base power. The result was an uncharacteristic batting line that called to mind Bill Madlock. Freese actually profiles as more of a David Bell-type hitter, with moderate averages and solid extra-base power. His season was cut short by an ankle injury for the second straight year.
A solid rookie-of-the-year candidate halfway through the year, Freese has been one of few disciplined hitters in the Cardinal lineup. The St. Louis native was batting .377 at home through June 19, .238 on the road.
Freese figured to get a long look at third base last spring while Troy Glaus rehabbed from shoulder surgery, but he hurt his ankle in a car accident on icy roads before training camp and ended up on the surgeon’s table himself.
He has hit and fielded well at every minor-league stop, yet he enters his age-27 season with only 34 big-league plate appearances. Prospects of this type have struggled to get a shot in St. Louis this decade. Freese earned some brownie points with La Russa late last year by taking an emergency inning at catcher — a position he’d never played professionally. But then he blew them after the season by getting a DWI, something the Cardinal franchise takes very seriously after La Russa’s spring 2007 arrest and the subsequent drunk-driving death of Josh Hancock.
His power stroke showed up just in time. Through the All-Star break last year, Freese only had eight career homers and an isolated power of just .112. He swatted seven dingers in the second half with an ISO of .169, then another five bombs in October (plus eight doubles) with an ISO of .397. Freese is a good player, but his transcendent postseason performance may inflate expectations to an unrealistic level; he is neither young (entering his age-29 season) nor experienced (just 667 career plate appearances), and he has chronic ankle problems.