Atlanta Braves Designated Hitter Marcell Ozuna is the latest player to signal his intentions to compete in the 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, July 15, at Globe Life Field in Texas. Ozuna has been the driving force behind the Atlanta Braves offense during the first half of the regular season. He is leading the team in nearly every offensive category and is fourth in the league in home runs, third in RBI, and eighth in OPS.
Ozuna is hitting .295 this season with 23 home runs and 72 RBI. This will be Ozuna’s first appearance in the competition, and he is looking to be the first player in the history of the Braves franchise to win the Home Run Derby. How will Marcell Ozuna fare in next week’s event?
Marcell Ozuna Career Summary
The Big Bear is IN!@Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna will participate in the #HRDerby in Arlington.
(MLB x @TMobile) pic.twitter.com/hwAZyGEPCu
— MLB (@MLB) July 8, 2024
Ozuna made his debut in 2013 with the Miami Marlins. He also spent two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He signed with the Atlanta Braves before the 2020 regular season. He is a three-time all-star(2016, 2017, 2024) and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner(2017, 2020). He also won a Gold Glove in 2017. Ozuna’s career-high finish in NL MVP voting came in 2020 when he finished sixth. Freddie Freeman won the award that season.
Marcell Ozuna is a career .270 hitter with 259 home runs and 848 RBI.
Who Will Be Joining Ozuna At the 2024 Home Run Derby?
The committed participants for the 2024 Home Run Derby are Baltimore Orioles Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, New York Mets First Baseman Pete Alonso, Philadelphia Phillies First Baseman Alec Bohm, and Kansas City Royals Center Fielder Bobby Witt Jr. With five players already committed, there are still three spots available with the Home Run Derby six days away. The remaining participants will be announced as the week progresses.
According to mlb.com, the format for the 2024 MLB Home Derby will be as follows:
“This year’s Derby will follow a different format from previous years: The top four hitters from an eight-player pool will advance to the semifinals, which will be a bracket-style round determined by each participant’s Round 1 home run totals. The top two will then face off in the finals.
“The first round and semifinals will last three minutes, with a maximum of 40 pitches thrown. Then, sluggers will get a bonus period that will go until three outs, with every pitch being either a home run or an out. A 425-foot homer in the bonus period unlocks a fourth out. The finals will be a two-minute round, with a maximum of 27 pitches thrown. The same bonus rules apply. Hitters will also get one timeout in each round.”
Who Holds The Edge In This Year’s Derby?
Alonso is vying for history on Monday in Arlington, Texas. He has his sights set on a third victory in the exciting event. If Alonso were to go on and win on July 15, he would tie Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. for the most Home Run Derby wins in league history with three.
Many of the competitors of Marcell Ozuna are near the top of the league in round-trippers. Henderson is third in the league with 27 home runs, Alonso is 15th, Witt Jr. is 29th, and Bohm is down the list at 75th.
Marcell Ozuna will have his hands full as he contends with a star-laden field in the “Lone Star State.”
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