Braves bountiful on 2020 All-MLB Team

ATLANTA -- First baseman Freddie Freeman headlined the list of four Braves players named to the 2020 All-MLB Team on Wednesday night.

Freeman, starting pitcher Max Fried and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna were recognized as First Team selections. Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was a Second Team selection.

The Braves had more First Team and overall selections than any other Major League club.

? All-time All-MLB winners

Both the First and Second Teams included one catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop and designated hitter, plus three outfielders, five starting pitchers and two relievers. Winners were based on fan voting and the selections made by an expert panel.

Catcher Travis d'Arnaud was the only Braves’ finalist not selected to either the First or Second Team. The Royals’ Salvador Perez was selected as the First Team catcher, and the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto was placed on the Second Team.

Here are the Braves’ All-MLB representatives:

Freeman: He was named the National League’s MVP in November and was honored as the NL’s Hank Aaron Award winner on Tuesday. This selection adds to the long list of deserved honors Freeman has received since helping the Braves cruise to a third straight division title and finish a win shy of the World Series.

Freeman and the Indians’ José Ram_i_rez led all Major League players with a 3.4 fWAR. The Braves’ veteran hit .341 with 13 home runs and a 1.102 OPS during the 60-game regular season. He led the NL with 51 runs scored and ranked second in batting average, on-base percentage (.462), slugging percentage (.640), OPS and wRC+ (187).

American League MVP José Abreu and the Yankees’ Luke Voit were the other first-base finalists. Abreu was trumped by Freeman in both fWAR (3.4-2.6) and wRC+ (187-167).

Fried: While Freeman might have been the NL MVP, nobody was more valuable to the Braves than Fried over the season’s first six weeks. The left-hander went 7-0 and posted a 2.25 ERA while limiting opponents to a .211 batting average over 11 starts this year. He was a strong NL Cy Young Award candidate before lower back discomfort limited him to 11 innings (three starts) in September.

Fried produced a 1.60 ERA through the eight starts he made before his back became an issue. His emergence allowed the Braves to overcome the absence of ace Mike Soroka, who tore his Achilles tendon on Aug. 3.

Fried, Trevor Bauer, Shane Bieber, Yu Darvish and Jacob deGrom were the starting pitchers on the All-MLB First Team.

Ozuna: When Freeman won the NL MVP Award, he gave credit to the opportunity to bat between Acu?a and Ozuna. Ozuna was second in the Majors with 18 homers and third with 56 RBIs and 179 wRC+. The veteran spent some time in left field but primarily served as Atlanta’s DH. He produced career highs in batting average (.338), on-base percentage (.431) and slugging percentage (.636).

The Twins’ Nelson Cruz, who was placed on the All-MLB Second Team, and the Astros’ Michael Brantley were the other designated hitters recognized as finalists.

Acu?a: Though he missed two weeks with a left wrist ailment that developed in August and continued being problematic into October, Acu?a still ranked second among all Major League outfielders with 46 runs scored. The young outfielder hit .250 with 14 homers and a .987 OPS.

Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and Juan Soto were honored as the First Team outfielders on this All-MLB list. Acu?a, Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski were placed on the Second Team.