Marcell Ozuna

Lore & Background

Ozuna was signed by the Marlins as an amateur free agent in 2008. He is a three-time MLB All-Star (2016, 2017, 2024), a two-time Silver Slugger (2017, 2020) and Gold Glove winner in 2017. That year, he finished fourth in the National League (NL) in batting average (.312), and third in home runs (37) and runs batted in (124). Following the 2017 season, the Marlins traded Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2020 he led the NL in both home runs and RBI.

In Their Own Story

The lights at Marlins Park hum their low, electric hum, and the August heat sits on the outfield grass like a wet towel. Ozuna steps into the box, spits, taps the plate twice. The pitcher winds. Ozuna's hands are already moving before the ball leaves the hand. The crack is not a sound so much as a pressure wave; the stadium inhales, then detonates. He doesn't run the bases. He walks. He takes his helmet off, looks up into the upper deck where a kid in a faded Marlins cap is screaming with his whole body, and he points at the kid. Just points. No speech. No celebration. He knows that kid will remember this for the rest of his life, and that is enough. The dugout is a blur of blue and white. Someone is already grabbing his jersey. The night is still young, and the ball is already in the dirt, a small orange dot against the floodlights, waiting for the next one.

Reader's Guide

Ozuna played for the Marlins from 2013 to 2017, the Cardinals from 2018 to 2019, the Braves from 2020 to 2025, and the Pirates in 2026. He is a cousin of former MLB player Pablo Ozuna.

Did You Know?

• Ozuna made his MLB debut on April 30, 2013, and recorded his first career hit, a single off Jeremy Hefner of the New York Mets.
• He hit his first career home run off Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies in his fifth game.
• In 2017, Ozuna was named NL Player of the Week twice: for the week of April 10–16 and the week of September 18–24.
• On September 1, 2020, Ozuna became the first National League player to hit three home runs in one game at Fenway Park.
• Ozuna won his second Silver Slugger Award in 2020 as a designated hitter, the first-ever Silver Slugger for DH in the National League.