For some reason, since August 27, Marcell Ozuna has not driven in a run for the Atlanta Braves. You did indeed read that right. We would never mislead you. This is not the time for this kind of production, despite the fact that one of the worst decision-makers in the league (particularly off the field) is currently fourth in the National League in RBI.
A slugging slump is plaguing one of MLB’s most prolific power hitters, while the Braves are only one game behind the New York Mets for the last NL postseason place.
Not a home run in 25 games. Over the previous four seasons, this player has ranked second on the Braves in that category (125).
Atlanta’s power output as a squad has been relatively low during the last eighteen days. During this span, the Braves are lagging behind MLB in terms of home runs, sitting at 27th place. Even more shockingly, the miserable Chicago White Sox have outperformed them in the long-ball category with a 115-loss record.
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Marcell Ozuna is absolutely necessary for the Braves to defeat the Mets in the NL Wild Card race.
Ozuna is cutting ahead of Tuesday night’s game in Ohio against the Cincinnati Reds.Since August 28, 250/.351/.281 without a single RBI or home run. During that time, the 33-year-old has a 22.7 percent punch-out rate and a -0.1 fWAR.
His campaign-long stats are striking off the page. With the exception of the epidemic 2020, the three-time All-Star has hit.302 with a.928 OPS, marking his finest season since donning Miami colors in 2017.
Brian Snitker’s team plays the Marlins after finishing their three-game series with the Reds. Then, they take on the Mets and Bobby Witt Jr.’s Kansas City Royals, two teams who are expected to make the postseason.
If Ozuna’s power decline continues, it’s hard to imagine the Braves beating the Mets in this close game. He would set a new single-season career high with four home runs. The good news for Atlanta is that, according to FanGraphs, its next two opponents rank among the bottom ten in MLB in terms of home runs allowed per nine innings.
The present is the ideal moment for Ozuna to try and restore his momentum. He is the Braves’ main source of pushing runners across home. Even if he is getting on base, his slugging percentage of.281 in the last eighteen days (as opposed to the league average of.400) is insufficient, especially as the pressure mounts. This insufficient power output will not do, especially with each game becoming more and more important.
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