Braves Ozzie Albies on fire at the plate: Worth a waiver wire add?
By Brad Kelly
Ozzie Albies is heating up at the plate for the Braves. But, should the top prospect be a waiver wire add moving forward?
The Atlanta Braves are not in contention for a playoff spot this season, but that does not take away from the fact that they have one of the brighter futures in the game. While they have multiple prospects that should excite fantasy owners, Ozzie Albies stands out as one of the more intriguing ones.
But, as he has heated up at the plate as of late, should he be a waiver wire add?
The Curacao native signed with the club as a 17-year-old and methodically rose up the minor league ranks. He showed a polished bat, solid speed and slick fielding at shortstop, allowing him to rank on the top prospect lists.
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After Dansby Swanson was drafted by the Braves, Albies shifted to second base. The Braves had Brandon Phillips locking down second in the majors, offering the Braves the chance to get Albies more seasoning at AAA.
At AAA this season, he posted a .285/9 HR/41 RBI/21 SB/.771 OPS line as a 20-year-old. The Braves finally called him up on Aug. 1, kicking Phillips to third base. He got off to a slow start, but as it seems that he has legs under him now as he has heated up over the last few weeks.
He has notched a .326/3 RBI/9 R/2 SB/.967 OPS line over that span. He is serving as a spark plug for the Braves’ offense, and as he has got on base more, he has started to snag bases. The Braves quietly have a solid lineup from top to bottom, Dansby Swanson has also heated up behind him, offering him a chance to build his counting stats.
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He should be a waiver wire add because of the SB potential and his bat skill. He has never batted below .285 in any minor league season while also posting four 20+ SB seasons. With SB being so hard to find in MLB today, and the fact that owners can add Albies as an MI, he could provide a much-needed boost down the stretch.
Make the move.