How did Marcell Ozuna turn his season around? Braves $65,000,000 slugger went from punching bag to dominant power hitter

Say what you will about Marcell Ozuna, but there is one thing that can't be denied, the guy is red hot. The controversial Atlanta Braves outfielder has been one of the best hitters in all of baseball while hitting in the middle of one of the MLB's most prolific offenses.

In seven games since August 15, Marcell Ozuna has been a force at the plate. During that time, the 32-year-old from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has produced an incredible .522 batting average with a 1.1723 OPS, four home runs, and six RBIs.

"With Marcell Ozuna hitting his 25th (and 26th) homers tonight, this is the FIRST time in franchise history the Braves have had five players with at least 25 homers in a season. #ForTheA" - @Braves

Ozuna may be one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now, however, this is a far cry from how the veteran slugger opened the year. After the Atlanta Braves were unable to find a trade partner in the offseason, the outfielder opened the season in a slump, which led to many fans pleading for the team to release him.

Through the first 30 games of the 2023 regular season, the Atlanta Braves outfielder was one of the worst hitters in baseball. During that stretch, the two-time All-Star owned a dreadful .189 batting average, 27 strikeouts, and a .723 OPS.

"Billy this is Marcell Ozuna. He’s good for about 25 home runs a season. His defect is he absolutely sucks at every other aspect of the game." - @JHershey21

Ozuna has been notoriously hot and cold throughout his career, not just with the Atlanta Braves but also during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. While he has been a frustrating player to cheer for at times, his off-field issues make him easy to hate for many fans.

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Marcell Ozuna's off-field controversies have ruined his reputation among fans

Not only has Marcell Ozuna struggled on the field at times, but off the field, the outfielder has had several incidents, including domestic violence and a DUI arrest. On September 9, 2021, as a member of the Braves, Ozuna was placed on administrative leave, and he missed the remainder of the season. The leave was due to allegations of domestic violence involving his wife Genesis Guzman.

Ozuna was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with strangulation and battery after police witnessed him grabbing his wife by the neck and throwing her against a wall.