Success of Albies, Kim clarifying Braves' middle infield questions

ATLANTA -- For most of the 2025 season, there have been myriad question marks regarding the Braves’ middle infield, especially when the season got away from Atlanta and looking ahead to 2026 became the main focus for the remainder of the campaign.

Longtime Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies and newly acquired shortstop Ha-Seong Kim could be the answers to those future questions.

Albies, a three-time All-Star and career Brave, struggled mightily at the plate in the first half as he slashed .220/.290/.316. His performance at the plate drastically improved in the second half, though, as he entered Sunday’s 8-3 win over the Astros with a .270/.327/.456 slash line.

The first-half offensive struggles called into question whether or not the Braves would exercise his $7 million option ($4 million buyout) for 2026.

Albies once again reminded the skeptics what he can do on Sunday as he went 2-for-5 with three RBIs as Atlanta avoided the sweep and its fifth straight loss.

Kim, who was claimed off waivers by the Braves from the Rays on Sept. 1, showed glimpses of what he can do at the plate as he went 3-for-4 with one RBI on Sunday.

Albies has 39 RBIs since the All-Star break (54 games), compared to his 29 in the first 95 games.

“It feels amazing,” Albies said. “Anything to help the team win is special. I’m just putting good [at-bats] up, and I’m looking forward to more of those.”

The switch-hitting Albies continues to torment left-handed pitching. He is batting .448/.467/1.034 vs. lefties since Aug. 26, and his 1.501 OPS is the highest in the Majors against left-handers in that span (minimum 20 at-bats against left-handed pitchers).

“He’s the real deal against left-handers and has been for a while now,” said manager Brian Snitker. “I’ve always said he’s always [going to] give himself a chance to get right. He’s not [going to] panic, and he has unbelievable confidence in his abilities and himself as a ballplayer. He’s the same guy every day. You don’t know if he’s hitting .300 or .200 when he walks through the door and how he does his work and how he approaches the game.”

Snitker has been managing Albies since the 28-year-old made his MLB debut in 2017, and they go back to ‘16, when Albies was in Triple-A and Snitker was the Gwinnett Braves’ manager before being named interim manager of the big league club in May of that year. The two just celebrated a milestone together when Snitker earned his 800th managerial win on Sept. 8.

“It’s a blessing for a manager [to have a player like Albies],” Snitker said. “I’ve been with him a long time now. He’s a wonderful person. His wife is an unbelievable lady, and he’s just a pleasure to be around every day.”

Kim has spent much of the year on the injured list and has played just 35 games this season (11 with the Braves). He has a career slash line of .242/.325/.377 and won a Gold Glove in 2023. Kim hit a game-winning home run in Chicago on Sept. 3, the first home run by a Braves shortstop since Orlando Arcia homered on Sept. 20, 2024.

“The more I play consistently, I’m able to get my feel back,” Kim said through interpreter David Lee. “In terms of movement, I feel good. I’m on the right track.”

Kim, who signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Rays ahead of the 2025 season before he was waived, could exercise his $16 million player option and be back with Atlanta next season. Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos could also sign him to an extension to lower Kim’s average annual value. For now, Snitker will take what he can get with Kim at shortstop.

“He’s been showing me something ever since he’s been here,” Snitker said. “I’ve been really impressed with his total game. His focus, what he brings, he’s a very impressive guy. … He does a lot of things really well. He’s a solid ballplayer.”

Albies has a locker next to Kim and echoed Snitker’s sentiment about his fellow middle infielder.

“He’s a great player,” Albies said. “Over the course of the years, we’ve seen him away from our team. He’s now with us. He’s always played hard and tries to do anything in his power to help the team.”