Ozzie Albies is a professional baseball player with the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Atlanta Braves. Born on the Caribbean island of Curacao, the youngster joined the Atlanta-based MLB team in 2013 as a free agent, blazing the trail for compatriots Andruw Jones and Andrelton Simmons who had played for the Braves in the past. In just 4 years, Albies aggressively worked his way up the Braves’ youth teams, scoring his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves on August 1, 2017. On August 2, 2017, the youngster hit his first home run, becoming the first in 1997- player born to homer in the major league.

Ozzie Albies Profile, Age

Ozhaino “Ozzie” Jurdy Jiandro Albies was born on January 7, 1997, to Jhadari and Osgarry Albies in Willemstad, the capital of Curacao, an island in the Dutch Caribbean region. He started playing baseball when he was 6 years old. Playing in his hometown, young Albies caught the eye of scouts from several parts of the world, eventually securing a deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2013. However, he lost his father Osgarry Albies even before his trip to the United States.

In his first season, Ozzie Albies played for the Gulf Coast Braves, the Braves’ minor baseball affiliate. In July 2014, he joined the Danville Braves of the Appalachian League. Albies ended the season as one of baseball’s most promising prospects. He was named one of the Braves’ top 5 youth system prospects.

In 2015, he joined the Rome Braves, another Braves minor league team. In July 2015, Albies was named to Team USA at the All-Star Futures Game, being the only Braves prospect to make the roster that year. He was only 18 at the time, making him the youngest player to play in this year’s game. The match ended 10-1 in favor of the United States. However, the remainder of his 2015 season was marred by a right thumb injury which occurred in the first week of August.

In early 2016, Albies joined the Mississippi Braves, another Braves affiliate team in Minor League Baseball. He hit .369/.442/.512 in just 22 appearances which earned him a promotion to the Gwinnett Braves, the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate team. After a 2 month stay with Gwinnett, he joined the Mississippi Braves at the end of June 2016 where he finished the season. Ozzie Albies returned to Gwinnett at the start of the 2017 season.

The talented player was finally promoted to the major league in August 2017. He made his MLB debut on August 1, 2017, as the Braves’ second baseman against the Los Angeles Dodgers. At 20 years and 206 days, Ozzie Albies was MLB’s youngest player at the time. On August 3, 2017, he hit his first career home run.

Career statistics

During his Minor League career, Ozzie Albies alternated between second base and the shortstop positions and he hit a .304 batting average and .790 OPS. After his stint with the Rome Braves in 2015, he put together a brilliant shortstop defense, hitting a .368 batting average with a .404 OPS in 439 plate appearances. In his first 2-month stint with the Gwinnett Braves, he hit 0.248 / 0.307 / 0.351. After joining the Mississippi Braves in July 2016, he hit .321 / .391 / .467 in 371 plate appearances.

Even though he was called up to MLB at a very young age, Ozzie Albies had quite an impressive first season. He hit .286/.354/.456 with six home runs in 244 appearances. He topped the league average of 100 after registering a 112 WRC+.

Screening reports

Due to his amazing talent, Albies was signed by the Atlanta Braves in July 2013. He moved to the MLB side as an amateur free agent for a fee of $350,000 which was considered a absolute steal for a player of his caliber. Initially, the amazing boy caught the eye of several MLB teams, but chose to settle with the Braves due to the team’s ties to fellow countrymen and former MLB pros Andruw Jones and Andrelton. Simons. With the Braves, Ozzie Albies maintained a critical balance of confidence and humility, which made him a favorite among coaches and officials.

Height and other facts

Ozzie Albies is at a height of 5 feet 7 inches (173 cm). It has an average weight of 75 kg (165 lb). In 2017, there were only 10 Major League Baseball players under 5′ 10′ or 170 pounds. Albies’ body stature may be unconventional for a typical MLB player, however, what he lacks in physical build he adequately makes up for in technical ability. He stands out for his speed, powerful punching ability and being a dynamic player there is definitely enough room for improvement.