Freddie Freeman has become one of the most recognizable baseball players, but his career is winding down. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2007 and is 36 years old.
He has one of the best Spring Training clips of all time when he assured that a weak pop up by an Atlanta teammate would drop because "there's wind boys." Freeman is known for his cheery personality, but also for being one of the best first basemen in the league. He is also big on his heritage, with his parents both being from Canada. Freeman is a dual citizen and has chosen to represent Team Canada in international play, including in the World Baseball Classic.
Here is more on Freeman's Canadian roots.
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Where is Freddie Freeman from?
Freeman was born in Fountain Valley, California. Both of his parents are Canadian and were raised in Ontario. His mother is from Peterborough, while his father is from Windsor. Freeman holds dual citizenship between Canada and the United States. He said in an interview that his dad moved to the United States when he was 12 years old. Freeman also added that his mother had lived in the United States for 20 years before she passed.
Fountain Valley is about nine miles west of Irvine, California, and about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Notably, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, is directly across the Canadian border from Detroit, Michigan.
His mother passed when he was 10 years old from melanoma, which is why, no matter the weather, Freeman will always be found wearing long sleeves in her memory.
He grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Angels.
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Did Freddie Freeman go to college?
Freeman went to El Modena High School in Orange, California. His high school is about 15 miles from Fountain Valley, so Freeman's family largely stayed put while he was growing up.
He primarily played third base and pitched. Freeman hit.417 as a senior in 2007 and went 6-1 as a pitcher. He signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Cal State Fullerton, but never attended because he was drafted out of high school.
Was Freddie Freeman drafted?
The Braves drafted Freeman in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He was the 78th overall pick and signed for $409,500, officially giving up his chance to play college baseball at Cal St. Fullerton.
Freeman spent the next three seasons largely working his way up the minors in the Braves' farm system. He was first called up to the majors on September 1, 2010 as part of the team's September call-ups that season. He began the 2011 season as Atlanta's starting first baseman.
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Freddie Freeman nationality
Freeman is a Canadian-American. While he was born in California, both of his parents are Canadian, giving him dual-citizenship. Freeman played for the national under-15 team in the United States at the 2005 U15 Baseball World Cup in Mexico and helped the team win the silver medal.
He first chose to play for Team Canada at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, and again suited up for Team Canada in 2023. Freeman has not said if he will play for Team Canada in 2026, but he is expected to. He said in an interview that he chose to play for Team Canada in another way to honor his mother.
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What language does Freddie Freeman speak?
The only confirmed languages that Freeman knows are English and Spanish. He is fluent in English, but has been known to speak Spanish to teammates and opponents who reach first base. Given the French influence in Canada, there is a chance that he knows some French, but that hasn't been confirmed.