NEW YORK — The baseball offseason has been the driving topic across sports these past 10 days or so. On Monday First baseman Matt Olson was traded to the Atlanta Braves. Tuesday, left-handed slugger Anthony Rizzo re-signed with the New York Yankees. And yesterday Kris Bryant signed a mega-deal with the Colorado Rockies. The phone is constantly buzzing from Twitter notifications with players being on the move. Every hour, MLB seems to have a trade or free-agent signing going down.
We can go on all day and night with new acquisitions, however. Latino Sports continues with our authentic Meet The Player thread. Today, we will go into depth on the star-studded switch-hitter: Ozzie Albies. He is constantly on the highlight reels for his spectacular defense along with his ability to hit in the clutchest moments. To add to that, Albies is a magician on the bases. With the blink of an eye, he can score from any base on what seems to be routine plays.
Ozzie Albies is a finalist for the 32nd Annual Latino Sports National League MVP Award.
Albies is from Willemstad, Curaçao. The town of Willemstad is the capital (chief) of Curaçao. Willemstad contains beautiful colorful houses on their major waterfronts. Located on the southwestern coast of Curaçao, Willemstad is known for the town’s shopping district.
He signed with the Atlanta Braves back in 2013 and was discovered by a Curaçao-based-scout, Dargello Lodowica. 10-time Gold Glove winner, Andruw Jones and current Chicago Cubs shortstop Andrelton Simmons played a major influence in where Albies signed. Both Jones and Simmons are from Curaçao.
Albies was called up to the big leagues in August of the 2017 regular season. He made his MLB pro-debut on August 1st against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Just two days later, on August 3rd, he recorded his first hit by jacking a 3-run homer.
Albies has been a huge spark for Atlanta on the playing diamond, but also in the clubhouse and dugout. He is consistently well-spoken on by current and former teammates on how he is such a great player to be around. Not just because of how impactful Albies is for his team’s statistics; nevertheless, because of his colorful personality.
The two-time All-Star, Albies is a cornerstone of the Braves franchise for the foreseeable future. In January of 2019, Atlanta and Albies came to terms on a seven-year contract extension totaling $35 million. He will be under contract with the Braves until 2027.
From the jump, Albies has proven to be one of the most durable players across MLB. He has played in 156 games or more in 3 of the last 4 seasons (2018, 2019, 2021). In the 2020 shortened regular season (60 games), Albies played in 29 games.
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 26: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves tags out Yuli Gurriel #10 of the Houston Astros trying to stretch a single into a double in the eighth inning during Game 1 of the 2021 World Series at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Ozzie Albies 2021 Regular Season Stats (156 games)
30 home runs, 106 runs batted in, 163 hits, 20 stolen bases
This past season, he won the National League Silver Slugger Award for the second time in his 5 year career (2019, 2021). However, in baseball your name is made and remembered from games played in October. Albies was a key contributor to the Braves 2021 World Series championship run. In 16 playoff games, he totaled 16 hits with a .319 on-base percentage.
On Opening Day April 7th, Atlanta opens up against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park. The Braves recently announced the team will be showcasing their championship rings that weekend along with raising the title banner in front of the home crowd. You can bet that Albies will get a loud standing ovation from the Braves fans.
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