Atlanta Braves Ozzie Albies Emerging as Potential All-Star
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves have gotten off to a fast start this season, with no bigger contributor than Ozzie Albies. Albies has started the year out on fire, looking like a potential star.
Ozzie Albies is the Atlanta Braves starting second baseman and only twenty-one years old. Achieving his role at his age alone is an accomplishment. Add in his production early in the year and the Braves could have a future star on their hands.
Albies started slowly but made key contributions through the first two series. Since then he has exploded. He is currently hitting .313 with 5 homers and 8 doubles.
Those numbers are good for the current team-best to go along with 11 runs driven in. Albies was impressive when he joined the team last season, but nothing close to the level he is currently playing at.
Last season in 57 games for the Braves, Albies hit .286 with 6 homers and 9 doubles, with 28 runs driven in. His numbers this year are already comparable in only 14 games for the young stud second baseman.
It isn’t the stats alone that tell the story of what Ozzie brings to the team. Even early in the year when his hits weren’t coming, Ozzie contributed. He brings a great explosive energy to the team, something they have lacked in seasons past.
It is a contagious energy that stretches singles to doubles and fires up a clubhouse. This fast start for Ozzie may be just that, a fast start. But there is plenty of reason to think that Ozzie can maintain this numbers.
The first is the fact he is facing good pitching and has great plate discipline. The second being that he is only 21-years old, and has been able to produce these numbers. Numbers that speak to his talent, not simply a hot streak.
Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies look to be the Braves future through the first month of the season. With the Braves new middle infield combo getting it done both at the plate and defensively.
Ozzie Albies is proving what many Braves faithful hoped to be true; he is not only the Braves future at second base but possibly a future All-Star. Ozzie is a player who will help bring the Braves back to postseason relevance. Relevance the Braves have lacked since Chipper Jones decided to hang it up in 2012.