Atlanta Braves infielder Ozzie Albies is not far removed from being one of the best offensive second basemen in baseball. A switch hitter, Albies has a short 5-foot-7 frame, but possesses power from both sides of the plate. This was on full display in 2023, when he hit 33 home runs and drove in 109 runs. This came two seasons after a 2021 campaign in which he hit 30 home runs and drove in 106.
It has been a bit more of a struggle for Albies in recent years, as his production has not gotten back to that level. That said, he headlined the roster for Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic and delivered some huge moments. Most notably, Albies hit a walk-off home run against Team Nicaragua.
Unfortunately, Team Netherlands was eliminated and did not advance to the quarterfinals. On Thursday it was reported that Albies had returned to Braves camp where he will finish out spring training with his MLB club (via Chad Bishop of Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
There has been a lot of discussion about the buy-in, or lack thereof, of Major League Baseball players in this year’s World Baseball Classic. There have been several who joined their country for a game or two before returning to spring training with their big league club. The situation with Albies is of course different, as he returned once his team was eliminated.
Albies will have a big role on the Braves this season, especially after the news of Jurickson Profar’s 162-game suspension for PEDs. A switch hitter like Profar, Albies gives the Braves versatility and lineup options.
While he is subpar defensively at second base, his track record at the plate has Atlanta hopeful he can be a positive contributor offensively this season. It was a disappointing 2025 campaign for the Braves, as they missed the playoffs entirely. Injuries played a part in that, and with guys getting healthy again, there is a reason to believe Atlanta will be right back in the postseason mix in the National League East division.
The team will need a healthy and productive version of Albies in order to make that happen, and his performance in the WBC was certainly a good sign. He now rejoins his club for the stretch run of spring, as Opening Day is fast approaching.
Atlanta opens its season on March 27 against the Kansas City Royals.