The end of the 2026 regular season draws near, and the Atlanta Braves are preparing themselves for a return to the postseason. It's pretty safe to assume they will get into the playoffs and, hopefully, as NL East champions.
There was a good bit of uncertainty if they would have a chance at the division after the offense fell off a bit. The Phillies gained a good bit of ground on the Braves in the last couple of months. But thanks to Atlanta's domination of Philly in the season series, that lead has gotten comfortable again.
However, the concerns now turn to the offense's ability to be consistent enough to make a deep playoff run. There have been some encouraging trends from some of the top bats in the lineup who were struggling. Ozzie Albies is one of those bats that the team desperately needed to turn things around. Albies has really struggled since the All-Star break. September has been especially rough for him.
Walt Weiss' decision to move Ozzie Albies down in the lineup couldn't have come at a better time
Over the first 13 games Albies has played this month, he slashed .122/.170/.286 with three doubles, one triple, one homer, two RBI, three walks, nine strikeouts, and a .456 OPS. Braves manager Walt Weiss finally made the right call ahead of Tuesday's game against the Cubs to move Albies down in the order. He clearly is struggling to hit everywhere else in the lineup.
That decision seemed to pay off immediately, as Albies was a huge part of the Braves' comeback win against Chicago. He went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 7th against former Braves reliever Jacob Webb.
Ozzie Albies go-ahead homer deep into the bleachers! pic.twitter.com/w6NDqEL5uP
— MLB (@MLB) September 16, 2026
It's a great thing to see Albies with clutch hits again. However, even if this was just a fluke and he doesn't become consistent, Weiss made the right decision. Atlanta cannot afford to keep fumbling in high-leverage moments.
What's bizarre is that Albies has been relatively good in high-leverage spots most of the season with a .278 average, eight doubles, five homers, 30 RBI, and an .816 OPS over 86 games. He's just not been very clutch over the last month. Hopefully, this gives Albies some time to work out any kinks he has and become a force in October. If he's unable to, there's a chance the Braves might consider moving on from him in the offseason.
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