Ozz the Great and Powerful
Ozzie Albies (ATL): 3-4, 2B, HR, R, 3 RB
The Braves entered last night’s game against the Mets 15 games under .500. I don’t think many saw that coming. But alas, Murphy’s Law has struck Atlanta hard. They have had a ton of problems, especially injuries to their starting staff. Ozzie Albies has been another problem, too. The switch-hitting Curaçaoan entered last night’s game hitting a career-low .227. His 74 wRC+ is the fourth-lowest among qualified hitters.
This is the same guy who just two seasons ago paced all second basemen with 33 home runs and 109 RBI. Last night, we saw a fleeting glimpse of that Albies in the sixth inning when he parked an 0-1 fastball from Kodai Senga into the Mets bullpen at Citi Field, tying the game 1-1. That’s his 20th home run over the past two seasons, a span of 947 plate appearances. Maybe there is a silver lining in Albies’ case for redemption somewhere, but I can’t find it, other than to simply say, he can’t be this bad. No Way. You won’t find anything fun in his PLV metrics, that’s for sure (83 Power+, 79 Process+, and a 91 DV+). He has historically mauled lefties, but even that is nowhere to be found; he is hitting .248 as a righty without a home run. His teammate Michael Harris, was having a similarly awful season before recently righting the ship. Maybe Albies can mimic the act? But for now, at least, Ozz the Great and Powerful is gone and nowhere to be found.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Boyd was cruising!! He had a 1-0 lead at the Rogers Centre through six, but walked Davis Schneider to lead off the seventh. Yeah, the bespectacled, righty-hitting second baseman/outfielder who had us breathless for a fleeting moment two Augusts ago. Remember that? Like it was yesterday. Anyway, a sac bunt from Ernie Clement pushed Schneider into scoring position. Boyd had Vladdy down 0-2 but left a curveball over the plate, and voila, that was your ballgame (401 feet, 106.5 EV). Vlad’s power has been a little disappointing, this being his 20th; 26 is the fewest he has hit over the past four years. Still, he’s been a monster otherwise, hitting .300 on the nose with a 148 wRC+, the latter ten points above his career mark.
Michael Harris (ATL): 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, SB.
That’s six consecutive multi-hit games. I have a confession. Nobody cares. Fine. Here it goes anyway. I dropped Harris in a dynasty league. Idiot! Ha, why didn’t you trade him? Good point. It is an OBP league; no one wanted him, and I’m not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to trades. Nobody cares. Yes, I know. Anyway, kudos to the managers who hung tough and benched him, or those who scooped him off waivers. You deserve the recent stretch. He entered last night’s game hitting .366 with a 197 wRC+ in the second half (25 games). Yes, I have regrets. Many. Hmm, perhaps you should have considered trading him before the season started. Yes, thank you Captain Hindsight. Where would we be without your indispensable insight? There could be some parallels between him and PCA. They’re both incredibly talented, but their propensity for poor swing decisions (66 DV+ for Harris and 65 DV+ for PCA) leaves them susceptible to extreme peaks and valleys.
Owen Caissie (CHC): 0-4.
Caissie didn’t get a hit in his debut, but his hitting fifth was pretty neat. And he’s Canadian, so this must have been a huge friends and family event. His playing time seems a little murky right now; he was the DH with Seiya Suzuki and PCA getting the day off. However, the 23-year-old lefty-hitting outfielder deserves your attention, having hit .289 with a 143 wRC+ and 22 dingers across 404 plate appearances with Triple-A Iowa. His 28.2% strikeout rate is a little high, but scouts adore his power. And, shoot, he would have bagged his first hit in his first at-bat, if not for a great diving catch by Davis Schneider. So close!
Lourdes Gurriel (ARI): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, SB.
The D’Backs handed the Rockies their 89th loss, and Gurriel started the action in the first with his 15th longball, a three-run shot off right-hander Bradley Blalock to right-center (416 feet, 99.5 EV). Big night aside, rostering Gurriel hasn’t been too pleasant, with the 31-year-old Cuban hitting .244 with a 90 wRC+, both career lows. Still, I wouldn’t bet against Gurriel’s average trending more toward his career mark of .274. At the very least, he should remain a decent source of RBI as long as Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte keep clicking.
Dylan Crews (WSN): 1-3, BB, SB.
Long time, no see! Crews’ first at-bat after a long stint on the IL with an injured oblique ended with a ground ball hit off Jesús Luzardo, which deflected off Trea Turner’s glove and into center field; the single pushed his average to .199. Yes, we are almost off the interstate. Batting average aside, Crews’ 27.7% strikeout rate is a little worrisome and corroborated by an 80 Contact Ability+. However, his 114 Power+ is encouraging, and so is his swiping a base in his first game back. That’s 12 on 14 attempts. Not bad! Yes, the results haven’t been great for Crews, but we’ve also barely seen him (309 PAs). His upside hasn’t disappeared. Now, let’s see what he can do.
Tyler Freeman (COL): 2-4, SB.
Two more hits, both singles, pushed Freeman’s batting average to .304. His ability to put the bat on the ball is pretty darn good. How about a 9.6% strikeout rate and a 120 Contact Ability+? He also has 15 stolen bases. Just don’t expect many home runs. Sounds a little like Nico Hoerner, no? The Rockies are home for the next seven, including a four-game set against the Dodgers, so this might not be a bad time to pick up their leadoff man.
Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Camden Yards was nearly vacant thanks to a long rain delay when Rodríguez put the Mariners on the board with a two-run big fly off righty reliever Rico Garcia (381 feet, 103.6 EV). Regardless, that’s 24, eight away from matching his career-best from two years ago. He entered the afternoon hitting .258 with a 118 wRC+, trailing his career marks of .273 and 127. However, as you might’ve noticed, his power has come around lately. And it is a good thing too, with Eugenio Suárez slashing .125/.173/.208 13 games into his second tenure with Seattle. Cal Raleigh, who sat yesterday, has also fallen lately, hitting .184 with an 80 wRC+ across 24 games since the ASB.
Francisco Lindor (NYM): 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.
The Mets still lost, but their shortstop’s 22nd home run at least spared them from being shut out by Bryce Elder through seven innings. As you may have noticed, Lindor’s .744 OPS pales a bit compared to his career mark of .813. Sure enough, his batted ball metrics aren’t nearly the same; his Power+ has plummeted from 119 to just about average at 102.
José Ramírez (CLE): 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB.
Lindor’s former teammate, meanwhile, has been just as good as ever. His .298 batting average is his best since 2017. He entered last night with a 141 wRC+, identical to last year. And now, he is the first player to reach 35 steals and 25 home runs. And, oh, by the way, he needs 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases to become the ninth player to join the 300/300 club.
Kyle Manzardo (CLE): 1-4, RBI, BB.
Not a huge line last night from Manzardo, but he has been quite productive lately, posting a .957 OPS since July 1st. As you can see below, his batted ball data support the recent surge. Manzardo’s 25.5% strikeout rate isn’t too bad as a first base slugger. His splits against lefties remain a weakness, but at the same time, 60 plate appearances is hardly a representative sample size. I’d like to see him get more chances against lefties. Either way, he has done a yeoman’s work, providing the Guardians with much-needed punch in the middle of their order. 21 homers and a 123 wRC+ are nothing to sneeze at.
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire | Featured image by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X) and adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky
