Ozzie Albies should look to Dodgers NLCS MVP for switch-hitting future

Ever since Ozzie Albies debuted, the Atlanta Braves second baseman has been a far better hitter against lefties than he has against righties. Because of this, there have been countless articles debating whether he should give up switch-hitting entirely.

This September, Braves fans got a glimpse of what a future full-time right-handed Ozzie would look like. However, did the nine-game sample prove that he shold abandon his left-handed swing, or could he use the Dodgers NLCS MVP as a model for what to do going forward?

Ozzie Albies should alter his switch-hitting approach

Before his nine-game stint this September, Ozzie Albies had only hit righty against a righty 17 times, and only six of those plate appearances were against an actual pitcher. He slashed .200/.333/.800 in those six PAs.

Once Albies got back from his abbreviated rehab assignment, the temporary full-time righty got 33 plate appearances, and only slashed .226/.273/.452 (98 wRC+). This was a higher wRC+ than Albies had as a left-handed hitter, but a far cry from his 136 wRC+ against lefties.

One big difference between Albies hitting righty against lefties and hitting righty against righties is his exit velocity and bat speed.

Against lefties, Albies swung his bat 69.4 MPH and averaged a 91.7 MPH EV. Against righties hitting lefty, he swung his bat 68.8 MPH and averaged an 88.4 MPH EV. Yet, as a righty facing righties, Albies 68.8 MPH bat speed and 86.3 MPH EV looked much more like his left-handed swing than it does his right-handed swing.

Of course, it's important to remember that Albies wasn't fully healthy (which is why he abandoned hitting left-handed for the final part of the season). His six appearances against lefties in September also showed a slower bat speed that was more in line with his left-handed swing than his typical right-handed swing.

Albies has already said he has no plans to ditch switch-hitting, and his results against righties as a non-switch hitter may justify him continuing to hit left-handed going forward. However, the soon-to-be 28-year-old should at least consider situational switch-hitting.

One switch-hitter who has done this for years now is Los Angeles Dodgers utility player, Tommy Edman, who also took home the NLCS MVP this season. Edman has been a much stronger right-handed hitter in his career, with a career 124 wRC+ against lefties, compared to a 92 wRC+ against righties.

Since 2021, Edman has taken 70 plate appearances against righties as a right-handed hitter, including five this postseason against Jeremiah Estrada, who has a filthy splitter, and Tommy Kahnle, who throws changeups 80% of the time.

Edman has opted to hit righty against righties with dominant offspeed stuff that he might struggle to hit left-handed. Although the results haven't fully worked out in his favor, Edman has a .227 AVG when facing righties as a righty, his xBA is over 40 points higher than his actual average.

Albies could copy this model, primarily switch-hitting and sticking to the platoon advantage, but hitting right-handed in higher leverage situations against pitchers with plus-plus stuff, like he did this September against Edwin Diaz.

While Braves fans finally got their wish seeing Ozzie drop switch-hitting for a time, it's worth it for the franchise cornerstone to see what he can do when fully healthy, if only on a situational basis.

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