Braves infield prospect Ozzie Albies made outs in his first seven at-bats this season, and was 1-for-11 after two games. Since then, he’s been a red-hot Albies.
The Gwinnett Braves second baseman, and the Braves’ No. 2-rated prospect, extended his hitting streak to eight games Friday night. In the last seven of those, Albies is hitting .355 (11-for-31). That streak has raised his average from .091 after two games to .286.
He has 12 hits this season, and five of them have gone for extra bases — four doubles and a triple. He also is 4-for-4 in stolen-base attempts.
The downside for Albies at the plate is that he has eight strikeouts (once every 5.25 at-bats) and one walk.
This comes after Albies hit .248 in 222 at-bats at Gwinnett last season, which brought him a demotion to Double-A on June 30 for the rest of the season. The past eight games show that he isn’t as overwhelmed by Triple-A pitching as he was in his last stay there.
Albies fractured a bone in his right elbow during a playoff in September and wasn't cleared to resume playing until early March. He was sent to minor league camp March 21, and at the time, Braves general manager John Coppolella said, "Ozzie is a very special talent and person. … We expect him to be here soon and for a very long time. "
In an interview a few days later with AJC Braves beat writer David O'Brien, Coppolella said of Albies, "Ozzie is a special kid with a really bright future, and when he is ready to help us in the major leagues, nobody is going to stand in his way. "
If Albies, who turned 20 on Jan. 7, keeps up this pace, he could soon force Coppolella to make a decision about clearing the way for the youngster to have a spot in the big leagues.
