Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna Idelfonso, known as "the Big Bear," is a Dominican professional baseball player who currently serves as a designated hitter and outfielder and is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates, making his MLB debut in 2013 with the Marlins.

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Ozuna is the son of a former painter and a housekeeper, with one brother and two sisters. He is a cousin of former MLB player Pablo Ozuna.

Ozuna signed with the Florida Marlins as an international free agent in February 2008 for a $49,000 bonus. He began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .279 with six home runs and 43 RBIs in 63 games. In 2009, he played for the Gulf Coast League Marlins, batting .313 with five home runs and 39 RBIs over 55 games. He split 2010 between the Greensboro Grasshoppers and Short Season Jamestown, totaling 22 home runs and 62 RBIs in 74 games. In 2011, he hit .266 with 23 home runs and 71 RBIs for Greensboro. Promoted to the Jupiter Hammerheads in 2012, he led the Florida State League in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, and total bases, hitting .266 with 24 home runs and 95 RBIs. He was added to the Marlins' 40-man roster in November 2012 and was ranked the 75th-best prospect by Baseball America before the 2013 season.

Ozuna started 2013 with Jupiter but was quickly promoted to Double-A Jacksonville, where he was named player of the week on April 29. That same day, he was called up to the majors after Giancarlo Stanton was injured. He made his MLB debut on April 30, 2013, recording his first hit against Jeremy Hefner, and hit his first home run off Cole Hamels in his fifth game. He played right field until Stanton returned, then moved to center field. In July, he was optioned to Jacksonville but instead placed on the disabled list with a thumb ligament tear and avulsion fracture from a diving catch, requiring season-ending surgery.

In 2014, Ozuna played 153 games, batting .269 with 23 home runs and 85 RBIs, and tied a franchise record with home runs in four consecutive games on September 11. In 2015, he was sent to Triple-A after a slump, hitting .333 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 33 games there before returning to the Marlins, finishing the season with a .278 average, six home runs, and 18 RBIs. Despite trade offers, he remained with the Marlins for 2016, batting second in the lineup.

His breakout came in 2017. He was named NL Player of the Week for April 10–16 after batting .435 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. He started the All-Star Game and was one of only four NL All-Stars with a walk rate above nine percent and a strikeout rate below 22 percent. He set career highs with a .312 batting average, 37 home runs, and 124 RBIs, finishing fourth in the NL in batting average and third in home runs and RBIs. He also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger that year. He earned another Player of the Week award in September.

After the 2017 season, the Marlins traded Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals for Sandy Alcántara, Magneuris Sierra, Zac Gallen, and Daniel Castano. He signed a one-year, $9 million contract for 2018. MLB.com rated him the best left fielder in the majors, citing strong defense and high exit velocity. On June 2, 2018, he hit his 100th career home run off Chad Kuhl, and the next day he hit a grand slam. He won NL Player of the Week for June 11–17, hitting .455 with four home runs and eight RBIs, his third such award. In 2020, he led the NL in both home runs and RBIs. Ozuna is a three-time MLB All-Star (2016, 2017, 2024) and a two-time Silver Slugger (2017, 2020).