Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was chosen National League player of the week, MLB announced Tuesday afternoon.
Ozuna went 13-for-28 (.464) with five home runs, four doubles and 13 RBIs last week. His finest performance came Sept. 2, when he became the first National League player to homer three times in a game at Fenway Park.
“That’s what player-of-the-week numbers look like right there,” manager Brian Snitker said Tuesday. “That’s player-of-the-month numbers. I’m happy for him. It was a big week for us, big week for us. I’m glad he got some recognition for what he accomplished.”
Over the winter, the Braves signed Ozuna to a one-year deal hoping he could replace a chunk of Josh Donaldson’s lost production. Like Donaldson before him, Ozuna has been a perfect fit in the cleanup spot.
The 29-year-old is hitting .311/.403/.636 with 13 homers, 10 doubles and 36 RBIs in 41 games. His coaches and teammates have raved about his baseball intelligence and lovable, energetic personality.
“I was excited when we got him, to have that bat on our side,” Snitker said last week. “He has such confidence. I don’t know that I’ve seen a guy who loves playing more than him. He’s always laughing. Just talking to him when he’s in the hole sometimes, he has a really good idea of what he’s doing at the plate, too. You love seeing a guy like that get it going because they can literally carry you.”
Ozuna, a two-time All-Star, has won four player-of-the-week honors in his eight-year career. This was his first since 2018.
