Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna
Ozuna with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018
St. Louis Cardinals – No. 23
Left fielder
Born: (1990-11-12) November 12, 1990
Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 30, 2013, for the Miami Marlins
MLB statistics
(through 2018 season)
Batting average .277
Home runs 119
Runs batted in 449
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Marcell Ozuna Idelfonso (born November 12, 1990) is a Dominican professional baseball left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut on April 30, 2013, with the Miami Marlins, where he played until 2017. Ozuna bats and throws right-handed, stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall, and weighs 225 pounds (102 kg).

A native of Santo Domingo, the Marlins signed Ozuna as an amateur free agent on February 15, 2008. He is a two-time MLB All-Star (2016, 2017), and won both his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award in 2017, his breakout season. That year, he finished fourth in the National League (NL) in batting average (.312), and third in home runs (37) and runs batted in (RBI, 124). Following the 2017 season, Miami traded Ozuna to St. Louis.

Early life and family

Marcell Ozuna Idelfonso was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.[1] His father is a former painter and his mother is a housekeeper. He has one brother and two sisters.[2] He is the cousin of former MLB player Pablo Ozuna.[3][4]

Professional career

Minor leagues

On February 15, 2008, the Florida Marlins signed Ozuna as a non-drafted free agent with a $49,000 (USD, $57,831.2 today) bonus.[5] He played for the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Marlins that year, where in 63 games, he hit .279 with six HR and 43 RBI and eight SB.[1] In 2009, he played for the GCL Marlins, where in 55 games, he hit .313 with five HR and 39 RBI.[1]

Ozuna began 2010 with Single-A Greensboro, but was sidelined after six appearances with an injured wrist. He returned in June with Short Season Jamestown, where he finished the season.[3] In 74 total games, he hit .258 with 22 HR and 62 RBI. Ozuna spent 2011 with Greensboro, where in 131 games, he hit .266 with 23 HR, 71 RBI and 17 SB.[1]

Ozuna with the Jupiter Hammerheads in 2012

Ozuna was promoted to A-Advanced Jupiter for the 2012 season, where in 129 games, he hit .266 with 24 HR and 95 RBI.[1] That year, he led the Florida State League in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, and total bases. Ozuna was added to the Marlins' 40-man roster on November 20, 2012.[6] Baseball America rated Ozuna the 75th-best prospect in baseball prior to the 2013 season.[7]

Ozuna opened 2013 with Jupiter, but after 4 games, he was promoted to Double-A Jacksonville.[1] Ozuna was named the Southern League's player of the week on April 29, 2013.[8] That same day, the Marlins promoted Ozuna to the major leagues following an injury to Giancarlo Stanton.[7][9]

Miami Marlins

Ozuna with the Miami Marlins in 2016.

On April 30, 2013, Ozuna made his major league debut, and recorded his first career hit, a single off Jeremy Hefner of the New York Mets. He hit his first career home run (as well as his first RBI and run scored), a solo home run, off Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies, in his fifth game. Ozuna was used as the starting right fielder in Stanton's absence. When Stanton returned, Ozuna became the starting center fielder. On July 22, Ozuna was optioned back to Jacksonville.[10] Instead of joining Jacksonville, Ozuna was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a ligament tear and avulsion fracture in his left thumb, which he injured while making a diving catch.[11] On July 26, 2013, he underwent season-ending thumb surgery.[12]

In 2014, Ozuna played a total of 153 games for the Marlins, batting .269 with 23 home runs and 85 RBIs.[1] On September 11, 2014, he tied a franchise record with home runs in four consecutive games.[13]

On July 5, 2015, Ozuna was sent down to AAA after going hitless in 9 of 10 games, dipping his average to .249 on the season.[14] After playing 33 games and batting .333 with 5 home runs and 11 RBIs, he returned to the Marlins to complete the 2015 season, batting .278 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI.[15] During the off-season the Marlins received several offers for him from other teams, but he was back on the roster for the 2016 season and inserted in the number-two spot in the lineup.[15] As of July 12, 2016, he has batted in the 2, 4, and 5 spots in the order, hitting .307/.360/.533 with 17 home runs and 47 runs batted in and started at CF for the National League in the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[16]

In 2017, Ozuna was named NL Player of the Week for the week of April 10-16 after batting .435 with four home runs, 12 RBIs, and a 1.481 OPS.[17]

Ozuna was named a starter for the NL in the 2017 MLB All-Star Game. Of the NL All-Star selections, he was one of eight to hit at least 35 home runs, but Ozuna was one of just four to walk at rate of at least nine percent while striking out less than 22 percent. He established career highs in numerous categories, including batting .312 with 37 home runs and 124 RBI.[5] He was named the NL Player of the Week (along with teammate Giancarlo Stanton once again for the week of September 18-24 after batting .500 (10-20) with three home runs, seven RBIs, and six runs scored.

St. Louis Cardinals

Ozuna batting with St.Louis, 2018.

On December 14, 2017, the Marlins traded Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals for Sandy Alcántara, Magneuris Sierra, Zac Gallen, and Daniel Castano.[18] On January 12, 2018, it was announced that the Cardinals and Ozuna reached agreement on a one-year, $9 million contract.[19] Prior to the 2018 season, Mike Petriello of MLB.com rated Ozuna the best left fielder in the major leagues, opining him as "a strong fielder," and averaging the 12th-highest exit velocity [91 miles per hour (146 km/h)] over the prior three seasons of all hitters with at 1,000 plate appearances.[20]

On June 2, 2018, Ozuna hit his 100th career home run off Chad Kuhl, in a 3–2 victory versus the Pittsburgh Pirates, and first home run at Busch Stadium as a member of the Cardinals.[21] The following day, he hit a grand slam in a 5–0 win versus the Pirates.[22]

He was named NL Player of the Week for the week of June 11-17, hitting .455/.478/1.000 (10-for-22, 1.478 OPS), with four home runs and eight RBIs in six games. This is his third Player of the Week award after winning it twice with the Miami Marlins last season, in mid-April and early September.[23] On July 30, 2018, at Busch Stadium versus the Colorado Rockies, Ozuna hit his first walk-off home run, a solo shot in the tenth inning, helping St. Louis defeat the Rockies 5-4.[24] Ozuna finished his first season in St. Louis batting .280 with 23 home runs and 88 RBIs in 148 games.[25]

Personal life

Ozuna is married to the former Genesis Guzman.[26] As of May 2017, the couple have three children.[27]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Marcell Ozuna, OF, Marlins". Baseball America. 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  2. ↑ Capozzi, Joe (May 6, 2013). "Rookie Marcell Ozuna could shake up Miami Marlins' outfield if he maintains success". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Sickels, John (May 1, 2013). "Prospect of the Day: Marcell Ozuna, OF, Miami Marlins". Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ Weisberger, Jed (September 6, 2010). "New York-Penn League playoff preview". Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Goold, Derrick (December 16, 2017). "Ozuna and Fowler consider Barry Bonds their mentor". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  6. ↑ Frisaro, Joe (November 20, 2012). "Marlins add Marcell Ozuna, three others to 40-man roster". m.Marlins.MLB.com. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Gleeman, Aaron (April 30, 2013). "Marlins place Giancarlo Stanton on DL, call up prospect Marcell Ozuna". NBC HardballTalk. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ Elliott, Jeff (April 30, 2013). "Suns' Marcell Ozuna promoted to Marlins". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  9. ↑ Frisaro, Joe (April 29, 2013). "Giancarlo Stanton to disabled list after straining right hamstring in 10th". m.Marlins.MLB.com. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Jong, Michael (July 23, 2013). "Miami Marlins news: Marlins promote prospect outfielders Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick". Fish Stripes.
  11. ↑ Rodriguez, Juan C. (July 25, 2013). "Torn thumb ligament likely shelves Ozuna for season". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  12. ↑ Frisaro, Joe (July 26, 2013). "Ozuna has surgery; winter ball might be next". MLB.com. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Miami Marlins: Marcell Ozuna stays hot, extends hitting streak to nine". espn.com. September 12, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Marlins option Marcell Ozuna to Triple-A". HardballTalk. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  15. 1 2 Fernandez, Andre C. (March 12, 2016). "Marcell Ozuna plans to make most of 'new opportunity' with Miami Marlins". The Miami Herald. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  16. ↑ Spencer, Clark. "Marlins' Ozuna to start in All-Star Game one year after demotion". Miami Hearld.
  17. ↑ http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article145079784.html
  18. ↑ Frisaro, Joe (December 14, 2017). "Trade finalized: Ozuna dealt for STL prospects". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Marcell Ozuna agrees with Cardinals to avoid arbitration". ESPN. Associated Press. January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  20. ↑ Petriello, Mike (January 27, 2018). "Ozuna leads Top 10 left fielders into 2018". MLB.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  21. ↑ Trezza, Joe (June 2, 2018). "Ozuna launches 100th career home run". MLB.com. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
  22. ↑ Baugh, Peter (June 3, 2018). "Cards Wacha outstanding in 5-0 win over the Pirates Sunday at Busch Stadium". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Ozuna, Gattis power up as Players of the Week". MLB.com. June 18, 2018.
  24. ↑ https://www.newsday.com/sports/ozuna-homers-in-10th-as-cardinals-top-rockies-5-4-1.20219519
  25. ↑ https://www.kmov.com/sports/st-louis-cardinals-player-grades-outfielders/article_47303818-c934-11e8-9d35-b3c1373f3fe5.html
  26. ↑ "Baseball Wives and Girlfriends: Miami Marlins". MLB Baseball Wives. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  27. ↑ John, Caroline (May 4, 2017). "Genesis Guzman: 3 Facts to Know about Marcell Ozuna's Wife". earnthenecklace.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
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