Atlanta Braves: Marcell Ozuna on Impressive Hit Streak
The Big Bear has been on fire in the month of August and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
The Atlanta Braves have the most potent offense in baseball, leading the league in runs per game. There are a lot of hot hitters on the Braves right now. We take a look at Marcell Ozuna's impressive hit streak.
Some fans have been calling for Marcell Ozuna to get traded or erased from the roster over the past couple of seasons. Now the "Big Bear" is enjoying some success in 2023. He is currently riding a 13-game hit streak after smashing his 24th homer of the season in last night's victory over the Yankees.
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The Rise & Fall of Marcell Ozuna with the Atlanta Braves
Ozuna's first year in a Braves uniform was a smashing success. In 2020, he led the league in home runs and RBI during the COVID-shortened season. Ozuna finished sixth in MVP voting with a 177 OPS+. Since then, it's been all downhill, and that's just on the field. Over the next two seasons (2021 & 2022), Ozuna played in 172 games with a .672 OPS. Add in the off-the-field issues and fans had seen enough.
Marcell Ozuna Looked Done After Awful April
After the first month of the 2023 season, it looked like his career might be over. It was that bad. Ozuna finished April with a .084 average. He had a putrid OPS of .397. He also found himself with just two home runs and two runs batted in.
The Big Bear Has Been Hunting Homers After Early Hibernation
Since May 1st, Ozuna has slashed .275/.344/.530 with 22 homers and 58 RBI. He's been a different player. While the Braves have had a plethora of hot hitters since the All-Star break, Ozuna has been on fire in the past 13 games. After collecting just five hits in all of April, Ozuna strung together 10-game and nine-game hit streaks in June.
Marcell Ozuna has 13-Game Hit Streak for Atlanta Braves
During his current 13-game hit streak, Ozuna is hitting .333, with a .418 on-base percentage, and a .563 slugging percentage. Ozuna has been a trusted source of power for Brian Snitker this season, despite the terrible first month. Like last night, Snit hasn't been afraid to put Ozuna back up in the fifth spot behind MVP candidate Matt Olson.
Shutout win ⛽️#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/dG3Av81zkG
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 16, 2023
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