NORTH PORT, Fla. – Offensive slugger Marcell Ozuna continued his hot start to spring training on Friday, posting two hits as his Atlanta Braves tied the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-6 at CoolToday Park.
The two-time All-Star went 2-for-3 with two singles and a strikeout in his ninth appearance of the 2023 Grapefruit League, and sixth at the Braves training facility. He was replaced by Luke Williams at first base at the end of the fifth inning.
Since his first appearance in late February, Ozuna has produced a steady dose of strong outings. Coming into the afternoon matchup, he’s owned a .389 average over 20 plate appearances, posting three runs and one RBI.
The 33-year-old notched his lone home run of the spring on Feb. 29 in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Santa Domingo native kicked off his day in the clean-up spot in the bottom of the first inning, driving a soft fly ball into shallow centre field off an 0-2 count. He delivered again in the third with a first pitch liner into left-centre field.
Ozuna failed to score in both instances.
The 6-foot-1 veteran is no stranger to big performances in game nine of spring training action. In 2023, Ozuna had a near identical performance, going 2-for-3 with four RBI’s, a double and a walk.
When comparing the former Gold Glove winner’s 2023 spring training stats through nine games, his consistency in excellence is evident. He had the same number in runs (9) and singles (5), while posting two more extra base hits (4) and three more RBI’s (4) than his current campaign.
An interesting development this spring training has been Ozuna’s debut as a first baseman. Friday’s matchup saw the career outfielder at the bag for just the fourth time in his 11-year career, all of which have been during this pre-season.
After 1,036 games in the outfield, as well as right shoulder surgery in the fall of 2018, The Big Bear’s arm strength in the field has deteriorated.
A move to first base offers a secondary option if veteran Matt Olson requires a day off. Otherwise, Ozuna will be occupying the designated hitter position for the majority of the 2024 season.
NOTES — Braves starter Max Fried went three innings with five hits and four runs allowed, ending the game with an ERA of 7.20 in just two outings … Pirates countered with Marco Gonzales, who went 3.1 innings pitched with six hits and three runs given up and an ERA of 9.00.