WASHINGTON -- Braves manager Brian Snitker had no shortage of positive things to say about Ozzie Albies after Atlanta's 5-3 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. Albies is intelligent, Snitker said. Fearless. Confident.
"I could just go on and on with adjectives about this kid," Snitker said.
The Braves' offense had been stagnant the previous two days in losses to the Nationals, but in the first inning of the series finale at Nationals Park, Albies flipped the script with a solo homer that gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Albies sent right-hander A.J. Cole's first pitch 414 feet to right-center field at an exit velocity of 108.7 mph, according to Statcast™. It was Albies' fourth blast of the year, bringing him into a tie with Charlie Blackmon for the third most home runs in the National League.
Albies added two more singles before the day was done, tying a career high of three hits.
"It's fun watching that kid. It's fun watching him adjust on the fly. We always talk about making adjustments in this game, and it's been really neat to watch this kid as he's been up here to do that," Snitker said.
In 217 at-bats last season, Albies had six homers and 28 RBIs. He's on pace to exceed those numbers by a large margin in 2018, and his manager is just happy to be along for the ride.
"The sky's the limit for a guy like this," Snitker said.