It was just a few months ago that the idea of the Atlanta Braves moving on from Ozzie Albies was an actively crazy notion. His club option for 2026 is dirt cheap and comes with a pricey buyout and Albies was so good for so long with the Braves. Injuries caused some problems, but no one really thought Atlanta would part ways with him. However, the 2025 season has brought more uncertainty as to Albies’ future outlook than we could have imagined.
While Albies has been adamant that he hasn’t focused on what this offseason could bring, it has been clear that the Braves have been pondering his future with the club. A down year in 2024 could be understood, but Albies has been worse in 2025 and on July 13, he had just a .606 OPS including an anemic .220 batting average and .316 slugging percentage. All of a sudden, the $7 million Albies would get next year didn’t seem like money well spent.
However, the picture is even murkier now. If Albies had continued to decline or got hurt again, it may have even been likely that the Braves declined his option or traded him in the offseason. Instead, Albies has seeming turned things around a bit and Atlanta now has to decide which version of Ozzie they would be getting if they bring him back.
Braves have a lot of conflicting information to consider when it comes to Ozzie Albies
Overall, Albies’ season has been bad and he would probably be the first one to say so. Albie is no longer a menace when hitting right-handed and every aspect of his game has slowed down since his days of making All-Star teams.
However, something seems to have changed for Albies in the second half of the 2025 season. Since July 18 right out of the All-Star break, Albies has slashed .265/.327/.435 which is a huge improvement and also far closer to the version of Ozzie that Braves fans have grown to know and love. There were certainly some high and lows in the second half, but the Braves have to be encouraged particularly by his work recently. After demolishing the Marlins this week, Albies has a .304/.314/.551 line over his last 16 games. He still refuses to walk (sigh), but Albies has been great other than that.
So what should we believe? Albies’ previous track record as an All-Star second baseman, the decline that we all have seen the last couple of years, or the return to form in the second half? It is really hard to say. However, the odds are greater now than they were a month ago that Atlanta just takes their chances and keep Ozzie for the 2026 season. After that, whether or not he stays with the Braves is going to be up to him and his body.
