It's still unclear how good this Marlins rival bat really is

What a bad season for the Miami Marlins...This is especially frustrating since The Fish were so good last season. I predicted that amazing run, but sadly it wasn't meant to be this season. Right now we're just left thinking about last month's MLB Draft, as well as the Trade Deadline. It makes sense to also take a look within the division. A rival team might be on the decline...

Will the Atlanta Braves remain major division favorites over the Miami Marlins?

The Atlanta Braves have dominated the NL East since 2018, winning the division every year. Things haven't been the same this season however. The staggering amount of injuries certainly hasn't helped, but that's just one of the things affecting the team. The bad farm system and questionable long-term pitching are serious issues as well.

Braves Alex Anthopoulos has been brilliant at locking up players to extensions. I certainly hope that Miami Marlins PBO Peter Bendix learns from that. One of Anthopoulos's extensions happens to be 2B Ozzie Albies. Albies seemed like a bargain signing, but have his results warranted his status as a long-term foundational block.

Ozzie Albies currently has a left wrist fracture and is out until late in the season. He hasn't been that great this season so far... he's batting .258/.310/.407, with 8 home runs and 46 RBI in 90 games and 361 AB. Last season, he batted .280/.336/.513, with 33 home runs and 109 RBI in 148 games and 596 AB. He looked like a star back then and was worth 4.7 WAR.

The problem with Albies is that each season he seems to be a slightly different player. He's just not consistent enough and it shows. From 2017 to 2022 he batted .271/.322/.470, which is a solid but not superstar type of line. Ozzie Albies is a free agent after the 2027 season if Atlanta picks up his team options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. I see Albies as a solid regular, but not a true foundational piece as he's been just too inconsistent and injury-prone throughout his career..