Ozzie Albies has been a staple in Atlanta's lineup for quite some time now. He's respected by his coaches and teammates, and beloved by the fanbase and community. Now in his ninth big league season, Ozzie has a career 107 wRC+ and 20.8 fWAR to prove he's been one of the better second baseman of the last decade. However, his recent numbers may indicate his past days are behind him.
On the season Albies has a .228/.285/.368 slash line and 82 wRC+, which would be a career low. Snitker spoke on his struggles, and gave Ozzie a vote of confidence given his track record. At 28 years-old you would figure Ozzie should be firmly in the prime of his career. So, is Ozzie due for some hits to start falling, or are we witnessing the beginning of a career decline?
Albies underlying numbers suggest he could be moving toward a steep decline
The most concerning thing for Ozzie is the quality of contact he is making in 2025. His baseball savant page is littered with blue circles, and it's been rare for Ozzie to generate a ton of hard contact. He currently ranks in the eighth percentile in both average exit velocity and bat speed, and his .283 xwOBA would also be a career worst.
Warnings signs were there last season, but many chalked it up to an injury plagued season for Albies. However, Albies' start to the 2025 certainly hasn't quited any of his doubters from last season. One noticeable problem Albies is having is the amount of times an at-bat ends in a weak infield popup. His popup percentage is at 14.3% a career high, and nearly double his career average.
Normally some more at-bats against left-handed pitching would be just what Albies needs to get back on track, but he's even struggling in that department thus far. It's all very concerning stuff for Albies, but it's also too early to stamp a career worst season is on the horizon.
Albies is doing some things well thus far in 2025. Most notably his contact percentage is at a career high 82.7%. He remains one of the hardest guys to strikeout in the league, ranking in the 91st percentile in K%. So the contact and swing decisions are pretty solid, Albies just needs to start barreling up some baseballs. One solid week at the plate may be enough to do the trick, but if the weak contact continues to be a theme throughout the summer then fans may want to prepare themselves for a less enjoyable version of Ozzie Albies.