With Shohei Ohtani constantly stealing the spotlight in Dodgerland, you’d think any collectible craze in Los Angeles would start and end with him. It feels like a no-brainer—slap Ohtani’s face on a bobblehead, and you’ve got the hottest item of the MLB season. But here’s the twist: despite his worldwide stardom, it’s actually another Dodgers star whose bobblehead is turning out to be the most sought-after this year.

Turns out, it’s first baseman Freddie Freeman behind the collectible buzz. No bobblehead is more coveted in Major League Baseball this season than Freeman’s World Series grand slam pose figurine. Adding to the excitement, this season, the Dodgers hold 16 of the top 25 buy-in prices for their bobbleheads.

Freeman made a comeback from his ankle injury on Friday night. As fate would have it, it was also his bobblehead giveaway. Interestingly, the first 40,000 fans had a pre-season buy-in average of $145 on each ticket, the highest so far. Mostly, the ones who attended the matchup against the Chicago Cubs couldn’t wait to go back to their homes and place Freeman nicely on the shelves.

But other bobblehead recipients wanted to whip out their phones as soon as they got theirs, just to take pictures and list them for sale at their desired price.

It’s worth noting that this season, the Dodgers are all in on giving fans by far the most opportunities to get their hands on a free bobblehead of any MLB team. In 21 out of their 82 home games, the Dodgers will be giving away the bobbleheads. Did you know that’s up from 18 last season? Not to mention, it’s even more than double the 10 they offered in 2021.

Let’s just say it was great to witness how the Dodgers never fail to win the hearts of the entire Dodgers’ nation.

Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman finally opens up on his ankle injury recovery

The Los Angeles Dodgers have witnessed a curveball of injuries this season. Somehow, they did manage to keep a winning streak going despite injury setbacks. But some players are downright irreplaceable. One such player is Freddie Freeman, who got sidelined early in the season due to an ankle injury.

The Dodgers’ future Hall of Famer is well known for his versatility and durability throughout his 16-year MLB career. Coming back from a nagging ankle injury, Freeman opened up about it before his comeback game against the Chicago Cubs. He stated, “I feel the best I’ve felt since I got hurt.” He continued, “Better than before the (Detroit) Tigers series… I feel really good. Hate to say it, but I might have needed the 10 days.” Well, it’s ironic how this injury has provided him a much-needed reset.

His last appearance was against the Detroit Tigers on March 29th. He crushed a home run in a 7-3 win. And now, Freeman has been feeling much closer to health than he has ever felt in months. On the other hand, the Dodgers finally seem to have the depth they require to weather injuries.

But let’s not forget that the National League West is somehow shaping up to be much more competitive than expected. Hence, Freeman being back stronger than ever before is exactly what the Dodgers required at this point.