When the Atlanta Braves’ 2026 All-Stars were revealed just over a week ago, Ozzie Albies earned the distinction for the fourth time in his career. Though it might seem rote for a veteran player by that point, Albies believes this may be his most meaningful trip to the midsummer classic yet.
Beginning with a key home run on Opening Day, Albies appeared poised to return to his slugging ways and once again become a difference maker in the Atlanta lineup. The past three months only strengthened that notion as Albies earned the opportunity to start the All-Star Game for the first time in his 10-year career.
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“It’s one of the most exciting things you can get named for,” Albies said of earning his spot on the National League All-Star team. “It makes your whole year. You work so hard since Day 1 in spring, the offseason, putting the work in. It’s nice to get the recognition that, hey, you’re an All-Star and you play your butt off every single day.”
Albies, who was previously an All-Star in 2018, 2021 and 2023, built a reputation as one of the game’s top offensive threats at second base. He surpassed 65 extra-base hits four times, compiled seasons with 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBIs twice, and surpassed 100 runs scored on three separate occasions.
Of course, hard work has never been an issue for Albies, who’s built a reputation as one of the most dedicated players on the Braves roster and routinely goes the extra mile in both his offseason and daily preparation. Injuries, however, took their toll on Albies’ ability to go to the post and produce.
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In 2024, a fractured right wrist cost Albies just over two months of playing time and factored heavily into his slow start last year. After finally hitting his stride in the second half, Albies then suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand which ended his season in late September.
Overall, 2025 was a disappointing year in which Albies batted a career-low .240 and hit just 16 homers to go along with a .671 OPS in 157 games. Those numbers coupled with subpar defensive metrics, resulted in a career-low 1.7 fWAR for Albies in 2025.
That was a sharp departure from the player who’d been such a major cog in Atlanta’s lineup since debuting in 2017.
Prior to last year, Albies averaged 4.0 fWAR in each of his four full seasons from 2018-2023. During that stretch, Albies dealt with several major injuries, however. He missed 31 games due to a bone bruise in his left wrist during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and lost 98 games in 2022 because of both a fractured foot and a fractured finger.
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Having overcome that laundry list of setbacks, once again being recognized as one of the best players in the game was even more meaningful to Albies this time around.
“When they told me, I got tears in my eyes immediately,” Albies said of finding out he was an All-Star again. “Dealing with (injury) issues here and there in baseball, it’s part of the game. But to come back and have a better season, it’s huge. It’s amazing. Like I said, we work every single day. Each and every single one of us works our butt off every single day on this team. That’s why it’s great when we get recognized like this.”
New Braves manager Walt Weiss, who was an All-Star for Atlanta in 1998, experienced the challenge of overcoming injuries multiple times during his 14-year playing career. Given a front row seat to watch Albies on a daily basis while serving on the Braves coaching staff since 2018, Weiss believes his second baseman should be held in high regard for his perseverance.
“I told Ozzie that I have a deeper level of respect for guys that get kicked down in this game, then fight their way back and get back to a high level,” Weiss said. “It’s not easy to do and he’s had to deal with injuries the last couple years and has worked hard to get back to where he’s at. Now, he’s being recognized for it… It’s a credit to him, because that doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of work and a lot of patience, but it’s great to see him playing the way he is.”
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With all of those injuries in the past, Weiss was counting on Albies to once again contribute to the Braves lineup in meaningful ways in 2026.
“I liked what I saw from Ozzie this spring, especially right-handed,” Weiss said as the season got underway. “For the majority of his career, he’s been one of the best hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching. I know last year was a bit of an outlier. He got off to a slow start like a lot of our guys did, but I still believe in the guy, especially right-handed. I think he’s a beast. So, part of the lineup construction is going to be putting him in a position to get as many right-handed at-bats as possible.”
That strategy paid off for Weiss and the Braves during the first half of the season.
Albies owns a .798 OPS in 172 plate appearances with 19 extra-base hits and six of his 14 home runs against left-handers this season. That comes after posting just a .708 OPS with only four homers against southpaws in 186 plate appearances in 2025.
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That boost in production against lefties has helped Albies’ overall 2026 numbers return to form. He finished the first half slashing .267/.320/.439 with 21 doubles, 14 homers, 51 RBIs and 61 runs scored in 95 games.
As for starting the All-Star game for the first time, Albies shared his appreciation with the Braves fans who put him in that position. He received a total of 1,498,141 votes and edged out Bryson Stott of the All-Star host Philadelphia Phillies for that honor.
“I want to say thank you to the fans,” Albies said. “They’re cheering us on in every moment. Even when we’re down, they’re still cheering for us. It’s gets us hyped, especially coming to the plate in big moments and you listen to your name get chanted out there. It helps you out to even have a better at-bat. We’ve all been there. I want to tell them thank you for voting for us, supporting us, and coming to give us all the energy we need every single day. It makes the game better.”
