Braves decision on aging slugger looks like genius move after Opening Day performance
To the frustration of Atlanta Braves followers, the Mets secured a decisive victory over the Pirates on Thursday afternoon. The end result was not because of any shortcomings from Pittsburgh’s offense, which produced seven runs towards Freddy Peralta and the pitching workers. Despite the sport’s high-scoring nature, one former Brave delivered a remarkably quiet performance.
Marcell Ozuna turned in an 0-for-4 performance in Queens, highlighted by a pair of weak popouts and a strikeout. While it represents only a one-game pattern, the early indications recommend Atlanta might have been prudent in permitting Ozuna to depart this offseason.
Marcell Ozuna’s quiet spring an early signal the Braves had been proper to let him stroll
When the Braves misplaced Jurickson Profar to his second suspension in as many seasonssurrounding questions the place the Braves would pivot at DH started to flood in. By this time the entire delicate DH choices had signed elsewhere within the offseason.
Initial reactions noticed many followers categorical frustration that Ozuna had already signed with Pittsburgh. The void left by Profar at designated hitter prompted questions on how the lineup may take a step ahead, notably with Mike Yastrzemski and Ha-Seong Kim standing because the membership’s most notable offseason additions.
While that query stays unanswered, it’s changing into more and more evident that Ozuna was unlikely to be the answer to the void Profar created at designated hitter. His manufacturing declined noticeably in 2025, and regardless of a full offseason to recover from a hip injuryhis performance has but to rebound. Over 46 spring plate appearances, Ozuna recorded a .646 OPS—beneath the mark Ozzie Albies posted in 2025, which itself represented a profession low.
This presents a major concern for a participant like Ozuna, whose worth is essentially tied to his energy manufacturing on the plate. The Pirates seem poised to deploy him as their main DH, and together with his signing successfully ushering fan favourite Andrew McCutchen out the door, the strain on Ozuna to ship will solely intensify.
Ultimately, whereas it’s nonetheless early, essentially the most regarding facet of Ozuna’s profile is the obvious decline in his energy—as soon as the defining trait of his recreation. From Atlanta’s perspective, the outlook at DH seems extra versatile than it might have initially appeared. As Kim and Sean Murphy work their approach again, the Braves ought to have extra viable internal options to rotate through the DH spotpermitting them to prioritize matchups and preserve offensive steadiness.
That added versatility not solely reduces the necessity to rely on a one-dimensional energy bat, but in addition reinforces the notion that transferring on from Ozuna may finally show to be essentially the most sustainable, forward-thinking decision.
