Alex Freeland’s ‘drastic’ swing change could be fueling his early Dodgers surge

Alex Freeland's inclusion on the Los Angeles Dodgers' Opening Day roster was the most controversial decision the club made. After a disappointing big league debut in 2025, it didn't seem like he showed much this spring.

Hyeseong Kim hit .407/.448/.519 in Cactus League action, which, to those of us on the outside, seemed to be significantly better than Freeland's .125/.302/.229 line. Yet it was Freeland, perhaps by virtue of his 20.6% walk rate versus Kim's 3.3% mark, who won the MLB opportunity.

Through five games, Freeland looks to be proving Los Angeles right. He's only hitting .182, but with a .357 OBP and a .545 SLG, he's been plenty effective. It's all due to a silly swing change that may or may not be sustainable.

Alex Freeland's simple adjustment could unlock the young Dodgers infielder

The difference in the Dodgers' confidence level in Freeland is pretty stunning. Over the offseason, it seemed as if they didn't have confidence in the switch-hitter to hit left-handed pitching and worried about his overall contact ability. It made it appear as if the youngster was destined to be trade bait.

However, during the spring, they came to appreciate his pitch recognition and strike zone awareness. But there was a problem; he wasn't making hard contact consistently.

Working with hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, the two devised a plan. Freeland felt his hands were too tight to his body, so as a cue to remind himself to extend his arms, he reached out as far as he could. Van Scoyoc told him to keep doing it. It's been working.

“It’s super drastic,” Freeland told The Athletic. “The biggest change I’ve ever made.” He also pointed out that if it worked so quickly, it must be good.

Even during his troubling major league stint last year, Freeland showed that he knows the strike zone. He chased pitches outside of the zone just 19.3% of the time and walked 11.3% of the time. It might not have seemed like it, but it was a solid foundation.

There were two problems, though. Freeland whiffed too much, coming in at a 30.5% rate. Since he didn't chase much out of the zone, those whiffs came on pitches he should be hitting, and he finished his 29-game stint with just a 78.2% zone-contact rate. When the bat did connect with the ball, it didn't often bring much authority as he posted a below-average 38% hard-hit rate.

In the early going this year, he's still not chasing outside of the zone, but he's making a lot more contact on those offerings within the zone, coming in at a 87.5% rate. These aren't cheap swings either, as he's showing a massive improvement in hard contact with a 57.1 hard-hit rate.

It's obviously very early, and we'll need to see him keep it up over a larger sample, but the indication right now is that his .182 average is bound to rise, and he could be in line for a serious breakout. If he can regularly generate hard contact alongside his plate discipline, defensive prowess, and versatility, then LA could have a rising star on its hands.