The Atlanta Braves congratulate 1B Freddie Freeman on being named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year at first base. The awards, issued since 2012, recognize the top defensive player at each position across the majors and are the official MLB defensive achievement award. 
Freeman, 29, finished with 12 defensive runs saved and a 7.8 ultimate zone rating, both of which led qualifying National League first baseman. He appeared in all 162 games for Atlanta and led the majors with 1,415.0 innings at first base. Freeman was named to his third All-Star team this season, and was honored with his first Rawlings Gold Glove award last Sunday. 
"It's a great honor to win the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award," said Freeman. "Defense plays such an important part in winning games, and as an organization we had a goal coming into this season to improve ours. We are thankful for the efforts of our analytics department, and for our coaches who dedicated time to working with us every day to help us get better."
Freeman becomes the fourth Atlanta player to win a Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award, and the sixth Braves honoree overall. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons won three consecutive awards from 2013-2015, while outfielder Jason Heyward was honored in 2014 and outfielder Michael Bourn won the award in 2012.