Freddie Freeman has trash talk for Padres ahead of playoff series

Jun 25, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Despite it being just his first career season in the NL West, Freddie Freeman is fully embracing the intradivisional hatred.

Addressing reporters on Monday, a day before the start of the NLDS, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Freeman was asked about the challenge of facing the San Diego Padres in the series.

“They’re hot, and we’ve been hot for seven months,” replied Freeman, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

That sounds like a lot of confidence, almost arrogance even, for the veteran Freeman. But it is probably justified since the Dodgers just won a franchise-record 111 games with Freeman chipping in 21 home runs and 100 RBIs on a .325 batting average. The Dodgers were also a convincing 14-5 against the Padres in the regular season.

But the Padres just disposed of the 101-win New York Mets in the Wild Card round and look to be peaking at exactly the right time. A lot of unpredictable things tend to happen in the MLB postseason, and the Padres will be hoping that another upset (this time of a team that they really hate) is one of them.