It’s difficult to locate a player in 2023 who was subjected to more justifiable scrutiny than Marcell Ozuna. Marcell had to perform in 2023 after having troubles outside of baseball and an incredibly bad 2021 and 2022 season, all while earning a hefty salary. Marcell was hitting through May, so things were not looking good.Despite having a terrific 11 home runs, the rest of the lineup wasn’t looking good at 213/.293/.460.
It’s difficult to locate a player in 2023 who was subjected to more justifiable scrutiny than Marcell Ozuna. Marcell had to perform in 2023 after having troubles outside of baseball and an incredibly bad 2021 and 2022 season, all while earning a hefty salary. Marcell was hitting through May, so things were not looking good.Despite having a terrific 11 home runs, the rest of the lineup wasn’t looking good at 213/.293/.460
Ozuna received excellent assistance from the Atlanta Braves during a challenging start to the season. They were aware of his amazing clubhouse skills and his capacity to enable individuals like as Matt Olson and Michael Harris II to reach their greatest potential. For that reason alone, it was worthwhile to let Ozuna work through his difficulties.
In 2024, what may supporters and the organization anticipate?
Really, who knows? Will Marcell Ozuna of 2023 come to pass? or the 2021–2022 one? Marcell will virtually be locked in for the DH position in every game this season if the former is the case. It’s also possible that Marcell plays some first to give Matt Olson a couple days off after putting in some work in Spring Training.
He looks to become a huge piece in a Braves offense that looks to continue to wreak absolute havoc against major league pitching. Most projections have Marcell coming back down to Earth a bit with around a .250 batting average, a .320 on-base percentage, and a .470 slugging percentage which would result in around a .800 OPS. Certainly a dip from last season, but still a good number for a major league hitter.
Ozuna is expected to drive in 78 runs and hit 25 home runs this season, according to Fangraphs’ ZiPS predictions. The 25 home runs feel like a solid pick, but the RBI total feels a little bit low.
In 2023, he reached his highest fWAR of 3.3 since 2017, so expecting a season similar to the previous one might be a bit ambitious. Marcell has a club option through 2025, so this is a big year for him. As such, anticipate a player who is committed and trying to get an extension.
