Get To Know Your A's: Nate Freiman
As the 2015 baseball season approaches in Nashville, the affiliate switch to the Oakland Athletics' organization brings about excitement. With that excitement comes a fresh batch of talented prospects. In the time leading up to the season, we will elaborate on a few of the different players that could be heading to Nashville and expand on the anticipation of another year of Triple-A baseball.
Nate Freiman was drafted out of Duke University by the San Diego Padres in 2009. He was claimed off waivers by Oakland before the 2013 season and made his Major League debut on April 3, 2013. The first baseman is a member of the A's 40-man roster and has spent time in the big leagues the past two years.
Freiman's success began to bloom during his time as a Blue Devil. Before graduating with a degree in history in 2009, he became the first player in school history to receive the ACC Baseball-Scholar Athlete of the Year award. The slugger led the team in hits and batting average as a sophomore. He finished his time at Duke with 43 home runs and a .616 career slugging percentage, both school records.
The 28-year old spent four years in the San Diego organization, climbing to the Double-A level. He was quickly claimed by Oakland in March 2013, and bypassed the Triple-A level by making the Athletics' Opening Day roster.
The first baseman compiled solid numbers in his first year at the MLB level, posting a .274 average in 70 games. He was named the American League Rookie of the Month in May after playing in 14 games with a .351 average and nine RBIs. Freiman's biggest moment of the year came on June 13 when he knocked a RBI single off New York Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 18th inning for the 3-2 win.
Freiman bounced around in 2014, posting a .371 on-base percentage with 15 home runs at Triple-A Sacramento. He spent the month of September with the Athletics and also made his postseason debut in the Wild Card game against Kansas City.
The infielder has several other notable points on his baseball resume including playing in the Cape Cod League, representing Israel in the World Baseball Classic, earning Texas League and California League post-season All-Star selections and participating in the Arizona Fall League following the 2012 season.
Freiman will be fighting for a spot on the Athletics' bench for 2015, but his likely landing spot will be at first base in Nashville.