Ozzie Albies hopes to stay with Braves in 2026 — and beyond
MIAMI — Ozzie Albies is perhaps the best second baseman in Braves history. He’s been a staple in their lineup since late 2017.
But whether he’ll be their second baseman in 2026 remains to be seen.
Albies, amid his second consecutive underwhelming season, has an uncertain future with the only franchise he’s known. The Braves have a $7 million team option with a $4 million buyout for his services next season. If they opt for the buyout, Albies will hit free agency for the first time and the Braves will need a second baseman.
If Albies has his way, he’ll be back for 2026 and perhaps even beyond that.
The franchise signed him as an international free agent out of Curaçao in 2013, and he made his major league debut here four years later. Albies was among several youngsters promoted over a span of a couple of years who shaped the franchise’s core.
Albies played with Dansby Swanson in the minors, and he debuted the same month as Max Fried. He’d soon be joined by others, including Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018) and Austin Riley (2019).
Atlanta is where Albies grew up as a player and man. It’s where he received a life-changing $35 million extension in 2019. It’s where he became a champion in ’21. It’s where he met his wife, Andreia, whom he married in ’23.
It’s a community he considers family, one in which he’s been actively involved with several causes, including his own nonprofit foundation focused on animal rescue.
This is home. Albies wants to remain in Atlanta.
“Oh, 100% (I hope to stay moving forward),” Albies said. “That’s definitely the dream.”
But there’s a reason his return is in question. A contract once deemed extraordinarily team-friendly no longer appears to be a super bargain.
Albies had his finest season two years ago, posting an .849 OPS and was valued at 5.0 bWAR. He’s lost effectiveness since, slashing .237/.301/.362 over the past two years. His range and arm make him a below-average defender, while the offense is no longer atoning for it.
He’s simply not producing like years past, when he consistently provided above-average production for his position. Albies was often overshadowed by teammate and friend Acuña in his best seasons, but he was unquestionably among baseball’s best second basemen. He was an instrumental part of six division-winning clubs, including a World Series winner.
“He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen, as young as he is,” Astros future Hall of Fame second baseman Jose Altuve told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2018.
Indeed, Albies has gone on to enjoy an illustrious career. But this is the harsh reality of sports. The player who was a promising up-and-comer seemingly yesterday now faces an uncertain future with his team, at age 28.
Considering 2026
Maybe the Braves decide the value and upside — especially given the buyout and a weaker free-agent market — make the team option a palatable price. And Albies’ presence has been a crucial one in the clubhouse.
But there’s a chance this is his final season in Atlanta.
“I don’t think about those things; I just play baseball, to be honest with you,” Albies said when the AJC asked him about his future while the Braves faced the Mets in New York earlier this month. The three-time All-Star had just enjoyed a three-hit game, one of his better performances in recent weeks.
The circumstances seem to make his return likelier than not, unless his performance takes a further dip over the coming weeks. The $3 million savings in dropping Albies aren’t much. The alternatives are unexciting, to put it mildly. This is a barren free-agent class. The Braves could add a utility-type player to handle second base, but there isn’t an obvious upgrade available.
If the team trades for another second baseman, it’s using resources that could be invested elsewhere. It seems likelier the Braves would address shortstop, where Nick Allen provides very little offensively. It’s easier to envision running back nearly the same lineup, as the group continues its improved production in the second half.
Albies still has a sub-.600 OPS in August, though he’s been better lately. Before going 0-for-4 on Monday — in a game started by Miami’s Edward Cabrera, who’s twice carved through the Braves’ lineup this month — he was hitting .288/.300/.407 in his past 14 contests.
The slugging percentage highlights a concern. Since Albies hit 33 homers over 148 games in 2023, he’s combined to hit 20 in 230 games since. Even at his best, he was producing — despite unelectric exit velocity. Whatever his future looks like offensively, it probably won’t include a return to his old power numbers.
Lately, though, Albies seems to be improving. It’s a question of whether he can sustain it and what his upside at this stage entails.
“He’s getting decisions on balls he should now, not fouling them off,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s not expanding the zone as much. He’s righting himself, too, which (was) a big reason we’d been playing better.”
The Braves need more from Albies in 2026, assuming he’s back in their lineup. He’ll be a key player if the team is going to create the turnaround that it’ll aspire to entering the spring.
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
