Braves back up Ozzie Albies as one of baseball's best second basemen

It wasn't long ago that Ozzie Albies was snubbed by MLB Network, being left off of their Top 10 list of best second basemen right now. MLB Network's fan-voted list did mention Albies as the fourth-best second baseman in baseball but to be left off the official list is criminal.

It would be one thing to have him ranked low and that be the discussion fans are having. To leave him off altogether is absolute insanity and someone at the network needs to reevaluate the business they are in.

Rookie Zach Gelof being featured on this list after playing just around 70 games in the bigs drives this point home even further. Gelof is a great talent, there's no mistaking that, but choosing him over a three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and two-time MLB All-Second Team winner is wild.

The list reads as more of a what have you done for me lately list and a popularity contest over choosing the actual best. Mookie Betts being at the top is slightly irritating considering he's only played that position for around 80 games total in his career (70 of them coming in 2023).

However, he's done a good job defensively and his offense speaks for itself so it's not as egregious as it seems at first glance. Choosing a true second baseman like Altuve or Albies would have made more sense but again, MLB Network is playing off of the fact Betts is an MVP runner-up and one of the biggest names in the sport.

Fans weren't the only ones to take notice of this absolute travesty of a list. Atlanta Braves players also had something to say. A few of Ozzie's teammates were interviewed recently and they didn't hold back supporting their boy.

Sean Murphy mentioned the decision to leave him off as "criminal" and stated "I'd put him at one. There's nobody else I'd rather have." Murph has been here for just one season and even he knows how special Albies is.

A.J. Minter and Michael Harris II went the route of hoping that it was simply a mistake leaving Albies off the list. Minter described Albies perfectly stating: "He can literally do it all. Hit home runs, speed, field." He continued, "How can you forget about Ozzie? He does it all."

I mean they aren't wrong. Albies hit 33 home runs and drove in 109 runs in 2023 for Atlanta. Despite having a down year defensively, he is still one of the best defensive infielders in the game and his baserunning ability is fantastic.

Braves fan-favorite Tyler Matzek always has something great to contribute to any conversation and provides us with unforgettable quotes. He didn't hold back in giving his opinion on why Albies was snubbed.

He just goes out there every year and proves why he should be on that list. You know, it's okay... I think we just have so many stars on the field that it would just be a Braves list if we were actually honest.

Matzek may be on to something there. Looking at each position on the field, you could make a case for each Atlanta starter being the top 10 best at their position. Atlanta has representatives for every other list released so far excluding left field, shortstop, and third base. Third base is a list they have yet to release but we all know Austin Riley will be on that list, right? I guess we will find out...

Bryce Elder and Matt Olson also gave praise to their infielder and thought it was "outrageous" that he was left off. Elder stated "I don't know who would beat Ozzie out. And I know he's at least top 3... if not 2 or 1, I promise you that."

Ozzie's teammates and Atlanta Braves fans know how special and talented he is. At the end of the day, these lists don't matter very much. It matters what you do on the field and Albies has consistently proven he is one of baseball's best second basemen.

Surely Albies cares more about the opinion of his teammates and peers across the league than what so-called experts on MLB Network think. Whether they believe he is the best at his position or not, Ozzie will continue to prove to Braves fans that he is.

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