Truist Park, located in Atlanta’s downtown, is quickly rising to the top of the MLB popularity charts. After winning series against four of the playoff teams from the previous season and getting ready for a weekend series against the Texas Rangers, the World Series champions, the Atlanta Braves are 11-5. Marcell Ozuna, their Big Bear DH, is mostly responsible for their early-season success.
This week, all eyes will be on the Braves and Astros series, with the Braves leading the NL despite crippling injuries and the Astros faltering. Ozuna led the Astros by one run early in the game on Wednesday despite having a 15-game hitting streak going into it. The supporters couldn’t wait to watch if he could build on his remarkable run. In the second inning, Ozuna reached base and launched a powerful single home run that tied the score, extending his hitting streak to 16 games.
Ozuna’s Remarkable Season
Ozuna has had an outstanding season, and his hit streak is just one aspect of it. He now has eight home runs in 16 games after hitting this one against the Houston Astros, putting him on pace to hit an incredible 81 home runs this season. His OBPS is 1.184 and his batting average is.368. His absolute dominance at the plate is both intriguing and problematic. Ozuna’s incredible numbers, which include home runs and RBIs, have propelled him to the top of several MLB rankings and raised hopes that he would become the first real DH to win MVP.
The Impact on the Braves
The Braves’ success this season has been greatly influenced by Ozuna’s outstanding performance. His ability to hit consistently and score runs has given the team’s offense a much-needed boost. There is a slight power outage in Atlanta outside of Ozuna.
Expected to combine for 80 yards, Matt Olsen and Austin Riley have only managed to send five yards. That leaves Acuna, Olsen, and Riley with just 50 predicted points for the season, with Ronald Acuna Jr. contributing none. Big Bear’s contributions have kept them atop the NL East standings and alone have delivered significant victories.
Ozuna is 3 for 9 with a dinger, two RBIs, two runs, and two walk as the Braves look to sweep the Hoston Astros on Wednesday. Next, the Braves host the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers this week in the biggest series of the weekend. Can Big Bear extend this streak through this tough series? We hope so; The Braves will need him. No one is ready to mention the Clipper’s name yet, but a 20-game-hit streak is something to pay attention to, especially with the HR pace he is on.
