Projected by many to have a mere .500 season, the Atlanta Braves are at the peak of their rebuild as they take the number one spot in the NL East. Coming off a sweep of the New York Mets, the Braves sit at 19-11 with great potential for more wins ahead. This newfound success, however, did not come without great change. Two players, in particular, have sparked a youthfulness in the Braves, and although they are among the youngest players in the league, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies have jumpstarted the Braves' offense and hopes of making the playoffs. With veteran Braves like Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis still among the top offensive producers of this team, the youthful additions of Acuña and Albies have been nothing but beneficial.

After a year of leading every league he played in, the Venezuela native Ronald Acuña Jr. was one of the most highly anticipated players entering the major leagues in the 2017 season. At a mere 20 years old, Acuña Jr. is the youngest player in the league, but arguably the most talked about.

His record stats in the minor leagues lead the Braves to take the leap and call him up to the big leagues for the 2018 season, and the outfielder has done nothing but prove himself worthy of the spot. Acuña leads the team's slugging average at an impressive .706 and falls short to only Markakis in terms of leading batting averages.

Consistency at the plate has been something that Braves have been lacking in recent years, and Acuña has shown signs of being exactly what the team has been looking for offensively. Although he is only eight games into his major league career, Acuña is still projected to remain at the top of the offense for the Braves for the rest of the season.

Coming in a smaller package standing at only 5'8", Ozzie Albies has been the Braves' breakout player of the season. With ten home runs, Albies leads the Braves in that category and is tied for the spot of RBIs with fellow outfielder Markakis. A native of Curaco, Ozzie Albies has the speed and energy the Braves have been looking for in their big rebuild. Albies opened his major league career in August by recording his first big-league hit as a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has continued to produce offensively, as well as defensively, for the Braves this season. With his early success, Albies has been compared to many successful players in the league, but his size, speed, and power gives him an edge in the league. Similarly to Acuña, Albies' youth is a spot of concern for many, but his bat is hot (as well as his glove) and the Braves have little reason to be concerned currently.

With these two explosive additions to an already talented lineup, the Atlanta Braves could be in store for a winning season, one that has been a long time coming. Fans have suffered through the the extent of this rebuild, and veteran players like Freddie Freeman and Ender Inciarte lead them through tough seasons, but there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

The combination of speed and power throughout this developing lineup restores hope for fans and players. As long as players such as Suzuki, Markakis, and Swanson continue to generate that stats they have been early in the season, this youthful team is in for a great season.