Freddie Freeman Is The New Chipper Jones For New York Mets

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

After their win on Wednesday, the New York Mets are done playing the Atlanta Braves in the 2013 season. The 2013 season was the first season in two decades that the Mets didn’t have to deal with Chipper Jones, who was an infamous Mets killer for much of his career, drawing both the ire and respect of Mets’ fans.

However, it didn’t take long for the Braves to find a replacement for Jones as Mets’ crusher: first baseman Freddie Freeman.

Freeman has been a thorn in the Mets’ side all season long. In 19 games between the two teams, Freeman has hit .338 with six home runs and 17 RBIs. The Mets have done their best to be careful with Freeman every time he steps to the plate, but somehow he continues to hurt them.

The most devastating hit Freeman got against the Mets this season came back in June when Dillon Gee had made arguably the best start of his career and was two outs away from a complete game shutout against the Braves. A home run by Freeman gave the Braves a walk-off win. That was the moment he first emerged as a Mets’ killer, and it hasn’t stopped.

If not for that home run, or any one of several key hits Freeman had against the Mets this season, they may have ended up winning the season series against the Braves (Atlanta won 10 of 19 meetings). That wouldn’t mean much in the overall standings, but it would be a little victory to hang their hat on heading into next season.

Alas, they’ve been unable to keep Freeman from hurting them, and he’s done so in a way that’s eerily reminiscent of what Chipper did against the Mets for years.

Freeman hasn’t reached the same level of hatred from Mets fans that Chipper had, but he’s getting there. After all, Chipper finished his career with 49 home runs against the Mets, while Freeman already has 12. He has a lot of years left to crush the hopes of the Mets and their fans, who may actually might start to wish they could bring back Chipper instead — that’s how much Freeman has killed the Mets this season.

Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.