Ozuna is a cousin of former Major League utilityman Pablo Ozuna.

In 2008, Marcell signed with the Marlins.

In 2009, Ozuna finished fifth in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in batting (.313), sixth in on-base plus slugging (.863), and second with 39 RBIs.

In 2010, Marcell broke Jamestown single-season records for home runs (21) and RBIs (60), topped the New York-Penn League in both categories and finished two homers shy of the NY-P record, set in 1982. He also led the NY-P in strikeouts (94), illustrating his feast-or-famine approach.

In 2010, Baseball America rated Ozuna as the 12th-best prospect in the Marlins organization. They moved him up to #9 in the winter before 2011 spring training. And he was up to #2 in the Marlins' farm system in the spring of 2012.

They had Marcell at 5th-best prospect in the Marlins' farm system in the offseason before 2013 spring camps opened.

In 2011, Ozuna finished second in the SAL in runs (87), third in total bases (239), and fourth in homers (23).

In 2012, Marcell led the Florida State League in homers (24), RBIs (95), total bases (233), and slugging (.476).

In fact, Ozuna has hit 20-plus home runs in each season since 2010 and he flew up the prospect rankings. Despite that, Ozuna has a lot of issues with bat control and pitch recognition, which led to 116 strikeouts in 2012.

"When I saw him, he had one pant leg down, and one up here like this," Redmond said. "I was like, 'Man, what's wrong with this guy?' I don't know if it was on purpose or not. He looked like a mess out there. I kind of liked this guy. This guy is just having fun.

"He's aggressive. He's going to come out and swing the bat, but he's got a lot of power. I think he will always have to work on getting good pitches to hit. I think he has that ability to swing the bat. The way he plays, he has nothing to lose. Sometimes those guys with nothing-to-lose attitudes are really good."

The importance of playing hard was instilled by Marcell's father, Marcelino, when Ozuna was growing up in the Dominican Republic.

"Hustling is important," the rookie right fielder said. "Every time, you need to hustle to get better. My Dad, he would tell me all the time: 'Hey, keep going, keep going. Do everything right. If you do everything right, you will be famous.' You never know."

July 9, 2016: The first-time All-Star learned he would be in the starting lineup for the NL.

Feb 24, 2017: On any given day in the offseason, it's basically a Who's Who? of big league talent that gathers at Robinson Cano's baseball academy in San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. Cano opens his place up to his friends, and there's no shortage of star power that trains in his gym and on his field. Among the regulars is Marcell Ozuna, a fellow Dominican.

Ozuna's training partners were often Edwin Encarnacion, Jean Segura, Eduardo Nunez, Leonys Martin, Carlos Santana and Welington Castillo. Yasiel Puig has also stopped by to hit. "Monday through Friday," Ozuna said. "There was like seven or eight of us." In the mornings, they'd be in the weight room. Before noon, they took the field.

The past few years, Ozuna talked hitting with Cano. The advice and training routine paid off as Ozuna was an All-Star for the first time in 2016. After Yoenis Cespedes and Dexter Fowler withdrew due to injuries, Ozuna started in center field for the NL in San Diego. "It was one of the best days I've ever had in my career," Ozuna said. "My mom and dad were there. My wife, my sister, my family."

"He plays with a smile," manager Don Mattingly said. "He loves to play. He wants to be out there. He's not a guy that's looking for days off, ever." 

But after the All-Star break in 2016, it was clear that Ozuna's game still is a work in progress. His second-half numbers were .209/.267/.342 with 6 homers and 29 RBIs. For the season, he finished .266/.321/.452 with 23 home runs and 76 RBIs.

"I think everything is a learning process," Mattingly said. "He had the big first half, and after the All-Star Game, he seemed to struggle. I think all of that is part of the process of learning. Playing the full season, the consistency we're looking for, and how do we prepare for that? How do we deal with all of that?"

Ozuna also is starting off in a different position than last Spring Training. He's switched with Christian Yelich, who is now in center, with Ozuna in left. Mattingly added Ozuna will play all over the outfield, occasionally seeing time in center and right.

"His defense in left field was Gold Glove-quality," Mattingly said. "When we moved him out there, his numbers came back really, really good. He's a weapon for us out there." (J Frisaro - MLB.com - Feb 24, 2017)

May 3, 2017:  In the top of the fourth inning of Miami's 10-6 win over the Rays, Marcell launched a home run that threatened to reach escape velocity until it hit Tampa Bay's 2011 Wild Card banner:  

According to Statcast, at 468 feet, that blast was the fifth-longest homer of the year, the longest of Ozuna's career and the second-longest in the history of Tropicana Field.  (Landers - mlb.com)

Ozuna's nickname: Ozuna started being called Big Bear shortly after he signed as a teenager with the Marlins. A native of the Dominican Republic, bear in Spanish is "oso." A scout pinned the nickname on him. "He said, 'Why do you eat so much?'" Ozuna said. "I said, 'I'm like a bear.' From that day, they put that as my name. 'Hey, Big Bear.' I like it."

Dec 14, 2017: Ozuna called it a blessing to land in St Louis. The outfielder said, 'I'm going to give the Cardinal fans a reason to smile."

They had laughed about the possibility before, with Yadier Molina and Carlos Martinez telling Marcell Ozuna that they were going to find a way to get him to St. Louis. And sure enough, they did. Ozuna officially became teammates with Molina and Martinez, the latter of whom he has been close to for years. Ozuna celebrated his 27th birthday in Martinez's home, neither knowing at the time that the Cardinals would soon execute a five-player trade to acquire one of 2017's most productive National League players.

"That nervousness [about coming to St. Louis] went away when I started to reflect on those encounters and exchanges with Carlos and Yadi," Ozuna said, with Cardinals assistant general manager Moises Rodriguez providing the translation. "If I'm being traded to the Cardinals, at least I'm being traded to a group of guys that I know. That anxiety and that nervousness went away."

"I never thought I would be traded," Ozuna said. "I thought maybe the higher-salary players would be the ones [to go] and I would be one of the ones kept. When the rumors and what was being published was becoming more frequent and on the news every night, I started to get a little nervous." That nervousness has since faded to anticipation for Ozuna, who spoke excitedly about the opportunity to join a club that is a perennial postseason contender. In five seasons with the Marlins, Ozuna never played on a team that won even 80 games.

The key, Ozuna said, in making the leap from being a talented player to a budding star came in the offseason work he did leading into the year. He's following the same blueprint, one that former Marlins hitting coach Barry Bonds helped craft, over the winter. The only difference this time is that the results will play out in front of a new audience. (J Langosch - MLB.com - Dec 15, 2017)

March 23, 2018: The baseball education of Marcell Ozuna began 20 years ago, through a television screen in the Dominican resort town of Boca Chica. That's where St. Louis' new slugger was raised, first on fishing and dominos, before learning to rake. That's where he first saw Vladimir Guerrero swing with gloveless hands at any pitch in sight. And where Marcell resolved, at the age of 8, to play baseball like Vlady did.

"He was my idol," Ozuna said.

No Cardinals player turns more young heads in 2018 than Ozuna, St. Louis' splashy offseason acquisition. St. Louis hasn't seen a slugger like him in years, and because its postseason pursuit hinges on perhaps no player more. He hits 468-foot homers and swats 113.4 mph singles (per Statcast). He hits good pitching. But he's also the club's player to watch because his swing drives as many balls out as the people his persona draws in.

"He's a loose guy and a fun guy with a positive attitude," says new teammate Bud Norris. Ozuna bounces with energy. He smiles and swaggers. He wears an arm sleeve neon enough to both bring out Cardinal red and clash against Chicago blue. Teammates call him "Big Bear," but he runs as fast as Andrew Benintendi, according to Statcast. Scouts say he swings like Jim Rice while cheesing like Francisco Lindor. 

"He's the energizer bunny," said Royals assistant general manager Albert Gonzalez, who oversaw the Marlins' international scouting when Miami signed Ozuna as an amateur in 2008. "All he wants to do is play." Ozuna's personality never shuts off, and it helps him to cross social and industry fault lines in a seamless way. He pranks teammates in both English and Spanish. He jokes with reporters. He stands up to executives—and extends his arms.

"A lot of new players take a while to warm up to you," Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. "From Day One, he's hugging."

It's also made him the rare Dominican boy who grew up to find his heroes gravitating back to him. Ozuna talks hitting with Manny Ramirez. He pals around with David Ortiz. He was tutored by Barry Bonds, mentored by Pedro Martinez, managed by Don Mattingly, and bonded to the late Jose Fernandez, with whom he'll be irrevocably linked. (J Trezza - MLB.com - March 23, 2018)

March 23, 2018: Jose Fernandez invited Ozuna to join him on the seas that fateful night several years ago. They were best friends. "Brothers," Ozuna says. But Ozuna had relatives in town, and the Marlins an afternoon game the next day. Baseball and family took precedent, as they always have.

"I said, 'No,'" Ozuna remembers. "I have to go home." Fernandez's boat crashed in the darkness off Miami Beach, killing the Marlins' ace and two others, and sparking a chain of events that enveloped Ozuna and altered the trajectory of his life.

Harnessing the memory of Fernandez, the advice of Bonds ("he taught me how to be selective"), and Pedro's friendship, Ozuna conquered the consistency issues that plagued his first four big league seasons. He closed the holes in his swing and blossomed into one of the National League's most feared hitters, setting career highs in every offensive category and earning Silver Slugger and Gold Glove nods. Which is why the Cardinals pivoted—"instantly," according to Mozeliak—after learning Giancarlo Stanton wouldn't accept a trade to St. Louis. But the Cardinals certainly don't see him as a consolation prize.

"From a baseball standpoint," Mozeliak said. "He checked all the boxes." Under team control through 2019, the 27-year-old could power charge St. Louis' lineup for at least two more seasons at a team-friendly rate. The Cardinals had not had a hitter eclipse 35 homers since Albert Pujols.

"I'm working hard all the time, doing my best all the time," Ozuna said. "Now I'm here." "St. Louis is a perfect fit for the fans and for Marcell," Gonzalez said. "They're going to love him." (J Trezza - MLB.com - March 23, 2018)

June 25, 2018: Most hotels host guests who check in and check out. Not Milwaukee's famous Pfister Hotel. Sometimes their guests check in and never check out. That's right: The hotel is rumored to be filled with ghosts—kind of like a non-threatening Overlook Hotel. Often the first choice among big league teams when they come to town to play the Brewers, the hotel is known for its terrifying history of things that go bump in the night.

Clint Hurdle once comforted a Pirates player that was frightened while in the hotel. Ji-Man Choi experienced one of its many paranormal events while trying to sleep. Carlos Gomez heard voices when he got out of the shower.

The Cardinals, recently in town to play the Brewers over the weekend, were just the latest to confront the ethereal plane. Carlos Martinez posted a video Instagram on saying that he couldn't sleep in his room because of a free-floating, full-torso vaporous apparition. Same with Ozuna. So, the two of them—along with Tommy Pham and some Cardinals coaches—headed to Francisco Peña's room for comfort.

"We are here in Milwaukee," Martinez said in Spanish in the video. "I just saw a ghost. In Ozuna's room, he saw another one. We are all here. We are all in Peñita's [Francisco Pena] room. We are all stuck here. We are going to sleep together. If the ghost shows again, we are all going to fight together."

Not sure what Martinez's plan of attack was, but he may have wanted to contact Rockies pitcher Jon Gray, who hunts ghosts in his spare time. (Michael Clair and Javier Castellano - MLB.com @michaelsclair)

 January 2019: Ozuna's health is key to the Cardinals outfield in 2019. Ozuna is coming off right shoulder surgery that limited his baseball activity this past 2018 winter. The Cardinals expect him to be a full go by Opening Day, though there is still rehab to complete. (Editor's note: Ozuna was on the IL for six weeks in the middle of the season. Still, the Cardinals made the playoffs.)

2020 Season: Ozuna was sensational at the plate turning in one of the best 60-game stretches of his career hitting .338/.431/.636 while leading the National League in homers (18) and RBI (56). His Statcast metrics were once again excellent as he finished in the top 6% in barrel percentage and the top 4% in average exit velocity. He posted an XWOBA of .417 and a straight WOBA of .437. As this graphic from Baseball Savant shows, you could not ask for much more.

Ozuna also did not have any trouble fitting into the clubhouse and served as a mentor and partner in crime for young players like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies.

What went wrong in 2020?

Honestly, not much. There were questions about Ozuna’s defense coming in and he spent the majority of the season serving as Atlanta’s DH. UZR (minus-2.7) and UZR/150 (minus-16.1) paint an ugly picture of Ozuna’s defense. He came in at minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved but was surprisingly just a minus-1 in Baseball Savant’s Outs Above Average in a small sample so maybe the defense wasn’t quite as bad as some made it out to be. Again, Ozuna was brought in before the DH was approved for the NL, so the Braves were going to live with his defense provided he hit. (Kris Willis@Kris_Willis - Oct 31, 2020)

TWO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES

Ozuna was the victim of domestic abuse, with his wife being arrested after a two-week investigation.

While these allegations appear against ballplayers, it is not often that we hear of a player being the victim of domestic abuse. That was the case with Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna, whose wife, Genesis, was arrested and charged with domestic battery.

Ozuna's wife, Genesis, was arrested after a police investigation and charged with domestic battery.

According to reports, Ozuna’s wife hit him with a soap dish, opening a small laceration on his face. Marcell then drove himself to report the incident. Following her arrest, Ozuna’s wife entered a not guilty plea and was given a stay-away order. (David Hill - June 6, 2020)

May 29-Nov 3, 2021: Ozuna has been arrested on domestic violence charges, per multiple reports. Ozuna has been charged with aggravated assault strangulation and misdemeanor battery — family violence. The charges are out of Sandy Springs, Georgia, and the records are reportedly from the Fulton County website.

Ozuna will almost certainly be immediately suspended by MLB, based on what has happened previously with such cases, and at first blush it would seem extremely unlikely that Ozuna will play again this season. Ozuna, in the first year of a four-year, $64 million deal signed this past offseason, had just been placed on the injured list due to two fractured fingers suffered when sliding. (Adam J. Morris)

Sept 10, 2021: Ozuna was placed on the restricted list.

Nov. 29, 2021: Ozuna was given a 20-game suspension that was retroactively handed down by Major League Baseball for his role in a domestic dispute with his wife, Genesis Guzman. The suspension includes the 20 games he missed from the time he was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 10 through the end of the regular season.

 2021 Season: There was and is some squawking about Ozuna’s ability to play in the outfield without bleeding runs. The basis for that squawking has always seemed a little scant. While Ozuna only played about a third of a season in the outfield in 2021, the additional data once again failed to break on the side of “Ozuna’s outfield defense is a dramatic concern.”

In 411 innings, Ozuna posted +4 DRS, +0.8 UZR, +0 OAA with an actual success rate equal to his estimated success rate, +3.2 FRAA, +5 from Clay Davenport, etc. etc. His jump remained bad but not awful, and his OAA on anything harder than a Statcast “one-star” play was -1. Note that he even had +1 runs for his arm from DRS and -0.3 from UZR, so this wasn’t even a case of “few opportunities to throw prevented his defense from tanking.”

Ozuna’s sprint speed did fall pretty substantially from 2020 to 2021, as it also did from 2019 to 2020, which lines up to some extent with how we think about aging. Maybe 2022 will be the season when the squawking becomes justified by the numbers (since it seems reasonably likely that, preferences aside, he’ll get the opportunity to appear in uniform), but it hasn’t happened yet.  (Ivan the Great - Jan 12, 2022)

Aug 19, 2022: Marcell was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. According to Gwinnett County jail records, Ozuna was booked at 4:39 a.m. ET and released at 8:12 a.m. Norcross Police arrested Ozuna after he allegedly failed to maintain his lane on Beaver Ruin Road.

"I disappointed my team and I disappointed my family,” Ozuna said. “I don’t have anything to say more. It’s a legal matter.”

The Braves issued the following statement: “The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident. Our organization takes these matters very seriously and are obviously disappointed by the situation. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete.”

Ozuna has hit .214 with 20 homers and a .656 OPS in 107 games this year in 2022. He wasn’t needed during this week’s four-game Mets series, and there was already some doubt about whether he would factor into this year’s postseason plans. (M Bowman - MLB.com - Aug 19, 2022)

2022 Season: Ozuna’s downward spiral continued. After posting a pedestrian 102 wRC+ in his first 23 games, his offense cratered through his final 100 games, which garnered him an awful 89 wRC+ and .226/.274/.413, both a National League worst for qualified left fielders in 2022. Along with his recent legal issues off the field, Marcell Ozuna’s career is in hot water right now.  (CHRISTOPHERPUTNAM04 - Dec 15, 2022)

 May 9, 2023: Marcell Ozuna plead no contest to a 2022 DUI charge, ending the case. 

Ozuna hit a three-run homer, his 38th to top his previous career-best 37 with the Miami Marlins in 2017. Ozuna’s 36 homers since May 1 are the sixth most in the majors.

“It’s amazing,” Ozuna said of helping Strider get the 20-game milestone win. “I was imagining it before I got to the box, and I did it. I said, ‘Thanks, God, for giving me the opportunity,’ and being blessed with the talent to do that.” (O'Brien - Sep 30, 2023 - The Athletic)

2023 Season: After a disappointing 2022 season, many Braves followers and some media members were ready to run him out of town. 

Now look at him.

“The Big Bear” capped his five-month resurgence with two homers and four RBIs in Sunday’s 10-9 loss to the Nationals. The performance included a ninth-inning solo homer that gave Ozuna 100 RBIs and a career-high 40 home runs, and gave the Braves a tie with the 2019 Twins for the single-season homer record with 307. Numbers such as 40 and 100 for Ozuna, which made it four Braves with 100 or more RBIs for only the second time since RBIs became an official stat in 1920. Joining Olson and Ozuna were Ozzie Albies (109) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (106) The only other Braves foursome to accomplish the feat was in 2003, when Gary Sheffield (132), Andruw Jones (116), Javy López (109) and Chipper Jones (106) did it. Also, Ozuna’s two homers Sunday helped ensure the Braves became the first team in history to slug .500 or better for a full season. They finished at .501, while the next-best in the majors this season was the Dodgers’ .455.

“It feels amazing,” said Ozuna, who hit a three-run homer in the third inning, figured he was done for the day after drawing a seventh-inning walk, but got another chance to hit after Braves reliever Michael Tonkin gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to blow a lead. “People didn’t believe in me like the way that I believe in myself, and God gave me the opportunity to be in this spot where I am right now. So, I say thanks to everyone who believes, and everyone who doesn’t believe — I’m here for everything.” (O'Brien - Oct 1, 2023 - The Athletic)

Ozuna posted a hit in 68.9% of his 148 games last season, with at least two hits in 25.0% of those contests (37).He hit a home run in 36 of 148 games in 2023 (24.3%), which is 6.8% of his trips to the dish. Ozuna came around to score in 45.3% of his games this season (67 of 148), with more than one run scored in 13 of those contests (8.8%).He drove home a run 57 this year in 148 tries (38.5%), including driving in multiple runs in 18.2% of games (27 times) and producing three or more of his team’s runs on 11 occasions. In 92 of 148 games a season (62.2%), Ozuna struck out one or more times, and 37 of those games (25.0%) included an effort that resulted in more than one punchout.

July 2024: Ozuna was selected as a reserve in the All-Star Game. He also participated in the Home Run Derby. Ozuna might not have put on the show that he wanted, but he certainly had some fun before being eliminated in the first round of the Derby at Globe Life Field. The Braves slugger hit 16 homers, three shy of the total he would have needed to force a tiebreaker to determine who would go to the semifinals. 

On the one hand, the Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna has little or no chance of winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award, because no primary designated hitter has ever won his league’s MVP award and Ozuna is a DH exclusively.

On the other hand, so is Shohei Ohtani and right now he’s the overwhelming favorite to win NL MVP in a season when most other potential candidates have slumped or been injured. 

Ozuna knows that’s the case, even if his own spectacular season includes a few notable stats in which he ranks ahead of Ohtani including batting average, OBP and RBIs, where he leads the majors with 98.

“I don’t think I’ll get any votes, because he’s the best,” Ozuna said of Ohtani, dismissing any possibility of his contending for MVP in a year when the Dodgers’ star already became the fastest in history to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season.

As far as value to one’s team, Braves manager Brian Snitker says no player has been more valuable to a team this season than Ozuna to the Braves.

“Without him, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here where we are right now,” Snitker said before Thursday night’s 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in a much-anticipated series opener at Citizens Bank Park. 

He might not have a shot at beating out Ohtani for MVP, but Ozuna has a chance to do something else quite rare: Win the Triple Crown. No player has led the NL in average, homers and RBIs since 1937, when the St. Louis Cardinals’ Joe Medwick won the Triple Crown and league MVP.

The last AL player to do it was the Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera in 2012.

Since Medwick won it, the only players to even rank among the top two in the NL in all three Triple Crown categories — average, homers, RBIs — were Tommy Holmes (1945) and Hall of Famers Johnny Mize (1940), Willie Mays (1955) and Jeff Bagwell (1994).

Ozuna leads the NL in average (.308) and RBIs and is second in homers with 37, five behind Ohtani.

“I just produce the numbers. MVP, I don’t follow it,” Ozuna said. “Triple Crown is better than MVP for me, because you compete with everyone in the league, not just one.”

And because it’s not at all subjective. Just stats, no voting.

“Yes, that’s the best,” Ozuna said. Most of Ozuna’s traditional stats are fairly comparable to Ohtani’s, with the glaring exception of steals — Ozuna has none and Ohtani had 42, to go with 42 homers before Thursday’s late Dodgers game. 

Even if Ozuna has as good or better shot at winning the Triple Crown than Ohtani, he knows he doesn’t have a realistic shot at beating him out for MVP, barring injury.

“Yeah, it’s not the same,” Ozuna said of their comparable stats. “He’s better. He’s got all the publicity. He’s the face of MLB. I just make the numbers. I don’t worry about MVP, and I don’t worry about any of those awards. If it comes, it comes. But if it don’t, who cares?”

Ozuna is a throwback of sorts, to an era when the best all-around hitters strived to hit .300 and hit 30 homers. This season, Ozuna and presumptive AL MVP Aaron Judge are the only two hitters in the majors with .300 or better averages and at least 30 homers.

“I know, there’s only a few of them doing it this year,” Snitker said of Ozuna’s old-school hitting profile. “We go back to May of last year, where all this started (for Ozuna). His numbers are just phenomenal. What he’s done for us. He’s been the constant all year long. I mean, there haven’t really been a lot of ebbs and flows or whatever. He’s been consistent from Day 1 (this season).” (O'Brien - Aug 29, 2024 - The Athletic)

 2024 Season: Ozuna was able to stay healthy and finished the year slashing .302/.378/.546 with the 39 home runs and 104 RBIs. Ozuna alsoearned his third All-Star nod this year.

TRANSACTIONS

January 2008: Marcell signed with the Marlins, via scout Sandy Nin.

2016: Ozuna had a one-year contract for $570,000.

Jan 13, 2017: Ozuna and the Marlins avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract for $3.5 million.

Dec. 13, 2017: The Marlins traded Ozuna to the Cardinals, acquiring outfielder Magneuris Sierra and two RHPs: Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen.

Jan 12, 2018: Ozuna and the Cards avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal for $9 million.

Jan 11, 2019: Ozuna and the Cards avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal for $12.2 million.

Oct 31, 2019: Ozuna chose free agency.

Jan. 21, 2020: The Braves signed Ozuna to a one-year deal for $18 million. Because Ozuna received a qualifying offer, the Cardinals will receive a compensation pick after Competitive Balance Round B (No. 71) and the Braves will forfeit their third-highest selection (No. 99) and $500,000 of international slot money.

Oct 28, 2020: Marcell elected free agency.

Ozuna is a solid hitter for both average and for power. Long levered with a thin waist, Marcell reminds people of a young Vladimir Guerrero, and not just in his ability to hit balls out of the zone with authority and to all fields.

Marcell also attracts comparisons to Sammy Sosa and Raul Mondesi because of his body type and ability. He has plus-plus power, a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale with most scouts.

Ozuna can even hit line drive home runs. He is strong. He should hit 30 homers a year after he matures as a hitter.

Marcell uses a high leg kick and has to fight a tendency to rush his stride. He has a tendency to get pull happy at times, flying open with his front side instead of staying back and punishing the ball. He's a free swinging right fielder with a lot of power.

Ozuna handles off-speed pitches very well and has impressive plate discipline. When pitchers try to jam him inside, he shows the ability to stay back and shoot balls the other way. But Ozuna's righthanded swing gets long.

He can fight off an inside pitch and hit it to the opposite field. And in 2011, Ozuna learned to let the ball come to him. Before that he would chase breaking balls into the dirt and high heat. As long as he doesn't revert to his old habits, he should develop into a good hitter.

He has lightning-quick hands and can really punish fastballs, especially in fastball counts. He can drive a fastball out of the park in a hurry.

Marcell is now demonstrating a more disciplined approach to move all the way to the top. And the progress began in 2011, when he showed improved knowledge of the strike zone and patience at the plate. When he swings at strikes, he rarely misses, thanks to superb hand-eye coordination.

Ozuna still doesn't recognize breaking balls well and he chases pitches out of the strike zone. He does show signs of making adjustments, so his supporters believe he'll eventually become an average hitter. (Spring 2013)

Ozuna slumps when he gets pull happy, his stance gets too open, and he steps in the bucket. When he corrects his approach, he's very dangerous. The key for him now is to recognize sooner when he's falling into those bad habits and get back on track instead of flailing away for a month. (Spring 2013)

He is a high energy player, and aggressive hitter, who must show plate discipline to succeed at the big league level. He is pretty patient in the strike zone.

In 2013, Ozuna delivered in the clutch on numerous occasions. "He's gotten some huge hits for us," Marlins' manager Mike Redmond said. "He's driven in some big runs. He came up hitting fourth and he's stayed fourth or fifth, really, the whole time. He's probably still been one of our most productive guys."

Ozuna has endured his share of struggles, but the good outweighed the bad in a first half of the 2013 season. Perhaps what Miami likes best about Ozuna is that, despite his early success, he has not grown complacent.

Ozuna's torrid stretch to begin his MLB career included a 16-game hitting streak, which is the second-longest hitting streak ever compiled by a Marlins rookie.

While Ozuna wields a potent bat, offense is far from the only talent he has brought to the team. Even after a strong first half, Ozuna still has aspects of his game that require work. Most notably, Redmond wants the 22-year-old to work counts and show more patience at the plate. (Editor's note: Ozuna finished his 2013 rookie season with a poor .303 OBP.)

On September 11, 2014, Ozuna tied a franchise record with home runs in four consecutive games.

Well, in theory. In the fourth inning, Ozuna had what initially was ruled a two-run homer overturned on review. He regrouped and then came inches away from an RBI double, only to have that ruled foul. He ended up delivering a run-scoring single. All he needed was a foul triple. (J Frisaro - MLB.com - June 13, 2015)

In 2017, Ozuna won his first Silver Slugger Award.

June 2, 2018: Ozuna launched his 100th career home run. 

Ozuna holds the record for the longest home run hit by a Cardinal: April 3, 2018 vs. MIL.

Distance: 479 feet.

Ozuna's first Cardinals home run also established him atop his new team's home run distance leaderboard. Facing Brewers starter Chase Anderson, Ozuna connected with a 117.2-mph exit velocity and sent Anderson's offering deep to left-center—also setting a new Statcast mark for the longest homer at Miller Park.

2019 Season: Ozuna tallied 29 homers while producing an .800 OPS for the Cardinals. He then produced a .954 OPS over 39 postseason plate appearances, including two homers during St. Louis’ loss to Atlanta in Game 4 of the NLDS.

There are certainly reasons to anticipate a rebound for Ozuna, who according to Statcast produced a higher average exit velocity (91.8 mph compared to 90.7 mph), higher expected slugging percentage (.548 compared to .519) and hard-hit rate (49.2 percent compared to 45.2 percent) this past year, in 2019 than he did in the 2018 season.

September 1, 2020:  Marcell reached 1,000 hits in an incredible way.  Ozuna became the first National League player to have a three-homer game at Fenway Park when his eighth-inning, three-run homer sailed over the batter’s eye and hit the elevated camera well below the center field video board.  Ozuna also became the first Braves player to hit three homers in a game since Matt Kemp on April 29, 2017, in Milwaukee. He became the fourth Major Leaguer to produce a three-homer performance this year, joining Mookie Betts, José Abreu and Trent Grisham.

Sept. 2, 2020:  Marcell Ozuna blasting three homers in Fenway, Adam Duvall decided to have some fun and make history by becoming the first pair of teammates to have three-home run performances in back-to-back games.

Marcell Claims the NL Homerun and RBI Titles! 

Ozuna entered the day with an outside shot at becoming the first NL player since Joe Medwick in 1937 to win the Triple Crown.  Ozuna ended up leading the league in both home runs (18) and RBI (56), but his .338 batting average ranked third, behind Juan Soto (.351) and Freeman (.341).

Sept. 27, 2020: Ozuna will always fondly remember this season. His 468-foot solo shot in the first inning off Nick Pivetta gave him a National League-best 18 home runs. The last Braves player to lead the NL in homers was Andruw Jones, who hit a franchise-record 51 homers in 2005.

Nov 5, 2020: Ozuna proved to be one of the most valuable additions in 2020 for the Braves, pacing the NL in both homers (18) and RBIs (56) while hitting .338 with a 1.067 OPS. He was rewarded with his second career Silver Slugger after having previously won the award in 2017 as a member of the Marlins.

Dec 9, 2020: Marcell was recognized as First Team selection in the 2020 All-MLB First Team Selection.

Ozuna was second in the Majors with 18 homers and third with 56 RBIs and 179 wRC+. The veteran spent some time in left field but primarily served as Atlanta’s DH. He produced career highs in batting average (.338), on-base percentage (.431) and slugging percentage (.636).

Dec 11, 2020:  Marcell might not be ready to become a designated hitter on a full-time basis. But when introduced to the role this year, he proved to be one of the game’s best.

Ozuna was announced as the winner of the 2020 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. The 30-year-old slugger was only eligible for this honor because MLB allowed National League teams to use the DH as part of COVID-19 protocols this year.

While helping the Braves win a third straight NL East title and finish a win shy of the World Series, Ozuna showed he can still be one of the game’s top offensive threats. He hit an NL-best 18 homers while producing career bests in batting average (.338), on-base percentage (.431) and slugging percentage (.636).

 Though he was used as an outfielder in 15 of the Braves’ first 32 games, Ozuna ended up spending a majority of his time as Atlanta’s DH. A defensive decline will likely see him fill this role on a more consistent basis over the remainder of his career.

In the 179 plate appearances Ozuna logged at DH, he had a .362/.464/.691 slash line. His 1.155 OPS in this role trumped those produced by Nelson Cruz (.997), Franmil Reyes (.800), Miguel Cabrera (.743) and every other DH. (M Bowman - MLB.com - Dec 11, 2020)

2020 Season: Ozuna’s 179 wRC+ ranked third in the Majors, trailing only Juan Soto and Freddie Freeman, who won his first NL MVP Award while batting in front of Ozuna last year.

Yes, these numbers were compiled over the course of just 60 games. But some of the metrics from this pandemic-shortened season suggest that the 30-year-old slugger could continue to produce at a similarly high level over the next few seasons.

Ozuna’s average exit velocity (93 mph vs. 90.7 mph), hard-hit rate (54.4 percent vs. 45.4 percent) and barrel percentage (15.4 percent vs. 8.9 percent) were all higher last year than in 2017, when he hit a career-best 37 homers and produced a .924 OPS for the Marlins. (M Bowman - MLB.com - Feb 6, 2021)

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ozuna smacked a line drive off the wall in right field for a long single and his 1,500th career base knock. 

Marcell has a very good arm (a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale) for right field. He throws from over-the-top with his strong right arm. But his throws are not always accurate.

He uses his athleticism well in right field, where he shows above-average range. He can fill in well in center because of his solid-average speed to chase balls down.

Ozuna plays the game with a lot of energy, passion, and enthusiasm.

July 14, 2013: The rookie's arm and range make him a force to be reckoned with in the outfield.  He has committed only two errors in 154 combined chances between right and center field. And his eight outfield assists tied for the fourth-highest mark in the Majors.

In 2017, Osuna won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award as the Marlins left fielder.

Feb 5, 2021: Ozuna’s defensive limitations led to the Braves using him as an outfielder in just 21 games last year. The hope is that his offensive production will compensate for the defensive woes. 

In 2019, while playing 129 games as the Cardinals' left fielder, Ozuna was graded with -8 outs above average. That ranked 123rd out of the 135 outfielders who had at least 100 attempts that year. (M Bowman - MLB.com - Feb 5, 2021)

April–June 2010: Ozuna went on the D.L. after the first week of the season after breaking a bone in his left wrist making a play in the outfield. 

March 2013: Marcell was sidelined with a fractured left hand. He sustained his injury running into an outfield wall during a minor league spring training game.

July 23, 2013: Ozuna was on the D.L. with a torn ligament and avulsion fracture in his left thumb. He suffered the injury while making a diving catch in center field to rob Michael Cuddyer of a hit in the Marlins' 3-1 win over the Rockies at Coors Field. On the play, Ozuna's glove hand bent backward.

It's the second serious injury to the same general area for Ozuna during the 2013 season.

July 26, 2013: Marcell underwent season-ending surgery on his left thumb to repair a ligament tear.

Aug 22-Sept 1, 2018: Marcel was on the DL with right shoulder inflammation. 

October 30, 2018: Ozuna underwent a cleanup procedure on his right shoulder designed to address an impingement and lingering inflammation.

April 3, 2019: An MRI showed nothing more serious than a contusion for Ozuna, who notified the Cardinals’ medical staff of discomfort on his right side prior to the game. The issue originated from taking a pitch off his side during the final days of Spring Training. The Cardinals had previously been unaware of any lingering discomfort.

“Obviously, we would have liked to have known sooner that he wasn’t feeling quite right,” said president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. “But hopefully our medical staff can catch this early enough that it won’t prevent him from losing time and more importantly, it can get him on track from a baseball standpoint.”

“Clearly, it's significant enough for him to go on the IL,” manager Mike Shildt said.

Ozuna hurt the middle and ring fingers on his right hand, but he said the middle finger is of most concern. The hand was not wrapped after the game, but Ozuna reported swelling and soreness.

May 26-Nov 3, 2021: Ozuna was on the IL. He's out with fractures in his left ring and middle fingers.  He was evaluated by highly regarded hand specialist Dr. Gary Lourie.

May 27, 2021:  Ozuna suffered the injury as he attempted to advance from second to third base on Ozzie Albies' sharp grounder in the third inning.  Marcell dove toward the bag, attempting to beat second baseman Kiké Hernández's throw.  His ring finger appeared to bend awkwardly as his left hand crossed over Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers' left foot.