South Atlantic League: Braves shortstop Ozhaino Albies is on a tear

Already considered a rising star in the Braves organization, Ozhaino Albies continues to establish himself as a player to watch after a hot start in May. For the first two weeks in the month, Albies is batting a cool .367 with eight stolen bases. Even more impressive has been the shortstop's plate coverage, with five walks to just four strikeouts.

Signed as an International Free Agent for $350,00 out of the same Caribbean location which produced Andruw Jones in Willemstad, Curacao. Albies has outperformed at every stop, hitting .381 in the Gulf Coast league and .356 in the Appalachian league last season.

In 2015 the switch hitter has continued his success, batting a slash line of .304/.361/.393 on the year. Baseball America lauded Albies for his speed and raw tools when he first signed with the organization, and the shortstop has demonstrated those weapons producing four triples to start the year.

Defensively, Ablies is undersized at just 5-foot-7, but makes up for it in athleticism. Some reports have indicated his lack of arm strength could make him a better fit for second base, but his manager disagrees.

"He's the full package," Rome manager Randy Ingle said to the Augusta Chronicle. "He's the real deal with his defense, his arm, his speed, he can hit. He's made some outstanding plays. He's an electrifying player."

Already considered a Top-10 Braves prospect by most publications, his actions to start the year have definitely justified his worth.

Player notes:

• Hickory starter Luis Ortiz continues his near-perfect assault on SAL hitters, allowing just one earned run through five starts on the season. At just 19-years-old, Ortiz is already three years younger than the competition and striking out batters at a rate of one-per-inning. The Texas Rangers prospect is allowing a high amount of contact however, as opposing hitters are batting .270 against the righthander.


• Jonah Arenado is heating up in the South Atlantic league and the 20-year-old third baseman is batting .366 through the first two weeks in May. The right-handed hitter is the younger brother of Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and is on the league leaderboard in several categories, including runs scored and home runs with five for the Giants organization in Augusta.


• With four home runs in the month of May, Royals prospect Ryan O'Hearn has overtaken the league lead with eight overall. The first baseman struggled in April batting just .203 for the Lexington Legends, but has turned that around with a .340/.414/.620 slash line this month. Contact continues to be an issue however, as the left-handed hitter has nearly as many strikeouts as the previous month in about half the plate appearances.

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Highlights of the Month

Mets: Savannah's Casey Meisner strikes out his ninth batter of the night.

Giants:- Jonah Arenado pulls an inside pitch over the left field wall for a home run.

Red Sox: Rafael Devers with a fast triple.

Red Sox: Javier Guerra drives a ball into the gap for his eighth double of the year.