If there's one person that the Atlanta Braves can point to as their offensive leader this season, it's far and away their designated hitter, Marcell Ozuna.
Ozuna likely wouldn't have been at the top of anyone's list of most offensive productive Braves players going into the 2024 season. Those spots would have likely been reserved for last year's National League MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr., or last year's home run leader, Matt Olson, or even the team's third baseman, Austin Riley. And that's even after he finished last season strong.
Like a lot of hitters, Ozuna has been extremely streaky throughout his career to where he's an untrustworthy hitter. A lot of his inconsistencies have been caused by a history of nagging injuries that date back to his time with the St. Louis Cardinals. In his only two seasons in a Cardinals uniform, Ozuna missed 46 games and hit a combined .260 with 224 strikeouts.
The same can be said for Ozuna once he came to Atlanta, where a mixture of injuries and legal issues only allowed him to make appearances in 48 games during the 2021 season. Then he missed another 38 games the following season. Those two seasons were the least productive of his entire career, collecting an average of just .222 with 168 strikeouts.
Many wondered what the future would hold for Ozuna after the 2022 season. With legal problems from a domestic assault case and another of DUI hovering over him, plus not producing at the plate, it was looking dim for his future in Atlanta, or in baseball, period. His offensive production, after all, was the sole reason Braves general manager signed him back in 2020. Ozuna was never going to be known for his defense in the outfield.
The 2023 season started off as a disaster for Ozuna. Through the first full month of the season last year, he was hitting just .085 with two homers in 66 plate appearances. He was without a doubt the worst hitter in all of baseball—and probably fighting for his job at that point. Then something happened at the beginning of May last year in a series against the Miami Marlins that completely changed the trajectory of Ozuna's career.
How Marcell Ozuna became the best hitter in baseball
On May 2 of last year, facing his old team, Ozuna decided it was time to get out of the worst slump of his career. That day he went 2-for-4, scoring one run, but it was the next day he unleashed. Batting seventh in the order, Ozuna finished the day going 3-for-5, scoring three of the Braves' runs, while knocking in five, with two homers. The Big Bear had officially made his return.
That series was a significant turnaround for the Braves' designated hitter. Since May 2 of last year, Ozuna has been one of the best hitters in baseball. He's currently tied with his teammate, Matt Olson, for most home runs during that span (54) and four better than Kyle Schwarber, even though he has fewer plate appearances than both. He's also knocked in the most runs (146), leading by three as of this writing. He's ninth in average, 15th in on-base percentage, and third in slugging, according to FanGraphs.
“Oh my gosh, I just got goosebumps thinking about it,” Braves' hitting coach Kevin Seitzer told Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That’s why we do what we do, just to be able to help guys get out of bad spots. It’s like, even when we’re winning games and doing really good, there are still two or three guys that keep you awake at night, that you want to try and get them going. It’s like, ‘Yeah, okay, good (that) we won, I’m glad we won, that’s the most important part.’ But getting the guys going that are scuffling—with Ozuna last year, having him turn it around, and then I’m so happy this year (that) he picked up where he left off last year.”
Ozuna miraculously got his average all the way back up to .274 last season and belted 40 home runs in the process. Right now, that's all thankfully carried over into this season where the Braves have needed it more than ever, as one of last year's most potent offenses has had a major setback this season.
The Braves need this version of Marcell Ozuna the most this season
While Ozuna has been going back and forth with some of the league's best in leading the league in homers—he currently has 16, in fourth place—and RBIs—he's second with 48—the rest of the Braves' impressive offensive roster has done nothing similar. Acuña, Olson, and Riley have all hit well below their normal standards.
Acuña and Riley are also on a list of multiple Braves players that have suffered injuries this season. Acuña's is the worst of them all, however, with a torn ACL in his left knee that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. But Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, and even Travis d'Arnaud have all been sidelined at some point with an ailment.
Needless to say, the lineup has been turned upside down.
Ozuna, batting third, launched another homer on Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals that helped the Braves win 2-0.
“I told the skipper, wherever he needs me in the lineup, I'm going to be there. I'll do my best and help the team,” Ozuna told reporters after Wednesday's game.
