Troubles Behind Him, Marcell Ozuna Shows Atlanta Braves His Swing And Swagger Are Back

In a resurrection only baseball could produce, Marcell Ozuna is back in the good graces of the Atlanta Braves.

After hitting .085 in 67 plate appearances over the first month of this season, he caught fire as the weather warmed. A talk with David (Big Papi) Ortiz helped.

“I’m always talking to Big Papi,” Ozuna said of his fellow Dominican, who parlayed his designated hitter duties into a Cooperstown berth. “He said, ‘Let me see the video to see what’s going on with you.’ After watching the video, he said, ‘Be patient, the results are going to come. Don’t rush.’”

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Ozuna, who signed a four-year, $65 million contract extension with the Braves before 2021 spring training, will earn $16,250,000 both this year and next before his deal expires. Only three teammates – Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Charlie Morton – have higher annual paydays.

After a strong spring training performance convinced the Braves to keep the 32-year-old slugger, his success suddenly started to sour like a carton of milk left too long in a hot car.

Unused in a May 1 double-header against the arch-rival New York Mets at CitiField, Ozuna worked hard to recapture the respect of manager Brian Snitker and his teammates. Suddenly, the old swing came back.

On May 2, he launched a lethal attack on opposing pitchers, posting a .319 average with 11 homers, five doubles, 27 runs batted in, and a 1.020 OPS in 131 plate appearances — second among all players with at least 130 trips to the plate over that span.

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Ortiz told Ozuna he saw how hard he worked, watching tapes and talking with coaches Kevin Seitzer and Ron Washington. He also adopted a new mental approach after two wasted seasons.

After nearly winning the Triple Crown during the virus-shortened 2020 campaign, Ozuna ran into trouble early the following year.

First he fractured two fingers with an ill-advised head-first slide into Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers at Fenway Park. Then he ran afoul of the law when he was charged with domestic violence against his wife Genesis at their Atlanta home.

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After missing the balance of the ‘21 season, Ozuna managed to keep his roster spot because the Braves couldn’t find a taker for his guaranteed contract. The team had to decide whether to keep him or cut him, eating the remaining money due on his deal.

Although the Braves pride themselves on clean living and clubhouse chemistry, they decided to give the veteran slugger another shot.

As the calendar approaches the All-Star break, they’re glad they did.

Not only are the Braves enjoying the best record in the National League but Ozuna’s swing, smile, and swagger are back, along with his former status as an elder statesmen whose experience rubs off on rookies.

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“It’s good to see the hard work pays off,” Snitker said of Ozuna, who endured a month of boos from fans in his own ballpark. “He’s never given up on himself and he’s worked really hard. We know it’s there. We saw it in the 2020 season.”

Teammate Michael Harris II, last year’s National League Rookie of the Year, responded to Ozuna’s pep talks much the same way Ozuna responded to the words of Ortiz.

“He’s been huge,” Harris II told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “In the clubhouse, he’s a great guy. Obviously, everybody saw those little struggles at the beginning. It’s baseball. He was hitting the ball hard and getting outs. Now everything’s falling for him and working in his favor.”

Atlanta leadoff man Ronald Acuna, Jr. agreed. “He’s always been that kind of guy,” he said through interpreter Franco Garcia. “Whenever he sees a young teammate with his head down or slumping, he’s always come and supported us or given us encouraging messages. That’s the kind of guy he is.”

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There was one little glitch along the way: Ozuna paused to admire a 415-foot drive he hit in Arizona, thinking it was a home run. Instead, it hit an overhang, fell to the field, and became the longest single of his career. It also resulted in a quick hook from Snitker, who pinch-hit for Ozuna when his DH spot surfaced again that night. He was contrite and apologetic afterward, admitting that the manager made the right decision.

In fact, Ozuna returned to the lineup as the Atlanta DH in Detroit a few days later. In the fourth inning, a 94 mph Garrett Hill sinker struck him on the right wrist.

“You never know when you get in the hand,” Snitker said after the game. “A lot of times they check out here, then you go to CT scans and MRIs that might show something.”

They didn’t and Ozuna was playing again when the team returned home for its Colorado series.

An All-Star twice before, Ozuna would love to be added to the National League squad by Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who will help nominate reserves for the 2023 NL team. He’d also like to help the Braves win their sixth straight divisional crown – the longest active streak in the majors.

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In his 11-year career, which also includes stops in St. Louis and Miami, Ozuna has never played in a World Series. He was not on the post-season roster when the Braves won their second Atlanta world championship in 2021.

In the meantime, Snitker has to continue a juggling act involving catchers Sean Murphy, Travis d’Arnaud, and Ozuna. He can only use one catcher and one DH per day but would like to fit all three bats into his lineup.

An outfielder by trade, Ozuna has not been able to throw with authority in the wake of shoulder surgery earlier in his career. But he did play a handful of games this year in left field, which is now shared by the left-right platoon of Eddie Rosario and Kevin Pillar.

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For now, the 32-year-old will concentrate on the DH job. The numbers prove it’s working; in his first 54 games, he hit .243 with 13 home runs and 30 runs batted in.

It may not seem like much but those stats are sensational when the dreadful start is considered.

“You can see it in my face,” Ozuna said. “I enjoy the game, have fun, and give it my best.”