\u201cYeah, I would say so,\u201d answered Freeman<\/a> when asked if there was added meaning to overtaking Jones. \u201cI know he\u2019ll tell me he\u2019s still got me in homers. But yeah, Chipper has meant a lot to me. My approach and the inside line of the batter\u2019s box, try to keep my hands through it, he\u2019s the one that told me that. He told me to hit the ball through the wall, not over the wall. There\u2019s a lot of things that I took from him when I first came up. He definitely meant a lot to me earlier in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n It’s hard for young players to thrive without a mentor in place to show them the ropes. Jones was Freeman’s mentor and guiding light at the beginning of his career. That’s what makes Freeman passing Jones while wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> uniform much more painful<\/a>.<\/p>\n Freddie Freeman was supposed to be the next Chipper Jones Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hugs former player Chipper Jones | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Jones meant a lot to Braves fans for two reasons. First, he was a Hall of Famer on the field. That, obviously, is very important. Second, the Braves were the only team Jones ever played for. Jones was selected in the first round of the 1990 MLB Draft by Atlanta and hung around with that franchise until he retired after the 2014 campaign. Freeman has been a great player ever since he set foot on a MLB field, but he failed to follow in Jones’ footsteps by staying with the Braves.<\/p>\n Freeman spent 12 years with the Braves and was nothing but fantastic. It felt like a sure thing that he’d re-sign with Atlanta as a free agent, especially after leading them to a World Series title, but he wound up signing with the Dodgers instead.<\/p>\n The break-up has worked out for both sides, if we’re being honest. Freeman is still an awesome player, and he’s won a pair of World Series titles with the Dodgers. The Braves haven’t won it all since Freeman left, but it’s not as if that’s his replacement, Matt Olson’s fault. Olson is one of the best first basemen in the league, and he’s also far more durable and four years younger.<\/p>\n The Braves are fine without Freeman, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t miss him.<\/p>\n Freddie Freeman had a chance to follow in Chipper Jones’ footsteps Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Freeman could have stayed with the Braves if he wanted to. The Braves offered him a five-year, $135 million deal, which he turned down. This is obviously within Freeman’s right, and to his credit, he was able to get the sixth year he coveted from the Dodgers. Sure, the Braves could have gone the extra mile to get Freeman to stay, but why bother if they had a chance to get a younger and cheaper option in Olson?<\/p>\n Freeman would’ve been just fine on a five-year deal that was set to pay him over $30 million annually, but he chased the money and the Dodgers over enhancing his Braves legacy. That’s what sets him apart from Jones among Braves fans. Jones himself was not happy with Freeman’s decision to turn the Braves down.<\/p>\n![\"Atlanta](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01knhg5brqmyy1dj2qrk.jpg\" "\\"Atlanta")
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