Ozzie Albies Hits .316/.355/.491 While Moving Between Third and Sixth
Ozzie Albies is hitting.316/.355/.491 nearly 30 games into the 2026 season, and the Braves are using him from third through sixth depending on the matchup. That flexibility has become part of an offense that leads the majors in runs scored, hits and RBIs.
Braves Move Albies Around
Manager Walt Weiss has placed Albies in the middle of the lineup at four different spots, and he has at least 13 at-bats in each of them from third through sixth. He typically hits third against a left-handed starter and sixth against a right-handed starter, a pattern that lets the Braves change the look of the order without changing the player at the center of it.
Weiss said opposing managers are put in a tough place by the way Albies is used. If they try to match up for him, the hitters behind him can still force a problem, with Michael Harris II and Dom Smith waiting to follow.
Nationals Park Seventh Inning
The setup showed up Thursday at Nationals Park. After Cionel Pérez walked Drake Baldwin, allowed a single to Matt Olson and issued a free pass to Austin Riley, the Nationals turned to right-hander Gus Varland to face Albies batting left-handed.
Albies lined a two-run single to right on the second pitch of the at-bat after a run-scoring wild pitch. Michael Harris II then doubled to center and scored Albies from first, and Dominic Smith followed with a single to right field as the Braves turned a 2-2 game into a 6-2 lead.
Albies’ Left Side Edge
The numbers back up the split. Albies is hitting.349 against left-handed pitching and.296 against right-handed pitching, while four of his five home runs have come against righties. He has also driven in 12 of his 16 RBIs against right-handed pitching, and six of his seven walks have come against right-handed pitching.
When he bats third or fourth, Albies is 19-for-45 for a.422 average. He has three home runs when leading off an inning and has driven in eight runs in those spots, giving Weiss enough production to keep moving him around without taking the bat out of the middle of the order.
Albies said, “Wherever I am in the lineup, I’m gonna do what I gotta do to help my team win with whatever I can.” He added, “So even if it’s moving a runner, even if it’s put the ball in play, prevent a double play or something, hustle — I’ve been that type of guy. Wherever they put me I’m gonna do my job best I can.”
The Braves have the offense to keep leaning on that kind of production, and Albies is giving them reasons to keep shuffling him between third and sixth. If he keeps hitting from both sides the way he has early, Weiss has a lineup piece that can change the shape of an inning without changing the core of the order.
