Atlanta Braves fans have plenty of reason to be excited about the infield combination of Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies.
The Atlanta Braves, as we all know, have struggled to win a series since the All-Star break, and Saturday night was no different. Atlanta failed to secure a series win against the current NL Wild Card-leading Colorado Rockies, 7-6.
Saturday night’s contest was one of the best games the crowd at SunTrust Park has seen all season as the Braves mounted a rally to tie the game at 4-4 halfway through. But after the bullpen gave up the lead late, even a ninth-inning Matt Adams two-run homer wasn’t enough.
Losing aside, it’s insane to think how far this organization has come in just a year’s time. One year ago, shortstop Dansby Swanson made his major league debut and he is now a major piece of this team’s climb to relevancy. The Braves have lost a lot, and while it’s been extremely painful to see this team go from a surprise playoff contender to what everyone expected them to be, there remain bright spots throughout.
For years, the talk has been about the dynamic duo of Swanson and Ozzie Albies. The duo tore up AA Mississippi together, and did so on a level that made fans eagerly await their arrival to the major leagues. When Albies was called up to Atlanta there was slight hesitation, at least from me, about whether or not he could come in and make an immediate impact.
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As for Swanson, his first year in the big leagues has been far from easy. The hype was big for him going into the year, and many, including myself, thought he was going to be in the running for Rookie of the Year. After being hot and cold for a majority of the season, Swanson was sent down to AAA Gwinnett, but since his return to Atlanta he has been a major player in the team’s performance.
In the last 10 games, the Braves are a measly 4-6, but as I have stated multiple times in the past few weeks, the bright spots are all that matter heading into September. With that being said, the duo of Albies and Swanson has been phenomenal. Since Albies’ slow start, in his last 10 games he has batted .368 at the plate with 14 hits, eight of which went for extra bases. Swanson since returning to the lineup has been a spark to the offense, batting .385 in his last 10 games with 10 hits and 5 RBI.
Is offense all that matters? No, not at all. Defensively, there is no concern because both of these guys look like they’ve been playing together since they were kids. The decision makers that foresaw the pairing of these two should get a raise solely for what they’re going to do for years to come.
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The Atlanta Braves are one of the youngest teams in baseball, and as I have discussed with multiple fans and writers, 2018 is shaping up to be the season that Braves Country will see the re-emergence of a playoff contending team. The duo of Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson will have be at the forefront of that team, and quite possibly could be the duo that brings home the first World Series title since 1995.