One National League star who has stood out this season is the Atlanta Braves MVP candidate Marcell Ozuna, but he has struggled massively to keep up with his early numbers and has not hit a homer since August 20th. Unfortunately, Ozuna may be taking his team down with him.
Marcell Ozuna’s Struggles Costing Him Chance at the NL MVP and Batting Title
Marcell Ozuna, at one point this season, looked like the frontrunner for NL MVP. However, his severe power drought, along with the fact that he is a designated hitter, gives him almost no chance of beating out either Francisco Lindor or Shohei Ohtani, who both have excelled this season. Ozuna was only an MVP candidate for his power and average, both owed to his terrific swing.
However, despite being initially on pace for a 50-bomb season, Ozuna is on pace now for just 40 home runs, which won’t be enough to beat out Lindor or Ohtani, who both feature tons of speed and power. Add on the fact that Ozuna has a .302 average, which is well behind Luis Arráez’s .323 average, and he has also lost a chance at an NL batting title. This month has not seen too much of a slump for Ozuna average-wise, hitting a slightly underwhelming .250, but this severe power outage is hurting his award chances,
There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Braves offense but Marcell Ozuna’s slump could not have come at a worse time.
His last 18 games since 8/28:
.250/.351/.281, 13.3% BB, 22.6% K
.031 ISO, 86 wRC+
0 HR, 0 RBIHe’s still getting on base but his power has vanished.
— Matt Chrietzberg (@BravesMattC) September 17, 2024
Ozuna’s Drought Affecting the Braves as a Whole
There is too much on Ozuna’s shoulders this season, as injuries and slumps have made him a far better hitter than anyone else on the team. But his power outage is potentially costing his team a spot in the postseason. The Braves have had to rely heavily on Ozuna this season due to injuries to Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Spencer Strider. But he is not showing up in September, the most important month of the year. Matt Olson’s abysmal season and constant slumps from others have made Ozuna more important than one could possibly imagine. If the Braves hope to make it into October, they need their most important hitter to show up, especially when the Braves take on the New York Mets next week. The Mets are Atlanta’s main competition for the last NL Wild Card spot.
Ozuna should not have been expected to do what he did earlier this season, but he also should not be expected to go a whole month without a home run, which has hurt the Braves more than anything. Ozuna must regain his power swing and his high average, and continue to carry his team. Now is no time to blame or point fingers at others who are underperforming (although Olson does deserve a lot of fire), but it is time for Ozuna to step it up in the final 12 games of the season.
Marcell Ozuna’s struggles have led to him losing control of any MVP spot or award. But for Atlanta to make the postseason, they will need a strong finish from their top hitter.
Photo Credit: © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
