Ozuna launches 473-footer among 16 homers in Home Run Derby debut
Mark Bowman
@mlbbowmanARLINGTON -- Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna were teenagers when they first played together with the Marlins¡¯ High-A affiliate in Greensboro, N.C., in 2010. Six years after being traded by Miami, the two friends have been reunited this week as part of the National League¡¯s All-Star roster.
So it seemed appropriate to ask the Brewers¡¯ outfielder why the Braves¡¯ designated hitter might win the 2024 T-Mobile Home Run Derby.
"That¡¯s always just been him,¡± Yelich said. ¡°He loves hitting homers. He¡¯s a fun guy to be around. It feels like he knows everybody here. He¡¯s best friends with everybody. It would be cool to see him put on a show."
Ozuna might not have put on the show that he wanted, but he certainly had some fun before being eliminated in the first round of this year¡¯s Derby on Monday night at Globe Life Field. The Braves slugger hit 16 homers, three shy of the total he would have needed to force a tiebreaker to determine who would go to the semifinals.
¡°It was an amazing experience,¡± Ozuna said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t make it into the second round, but I feel happy.¡±
Ozuna produced the longest home run of the first round, a 473-foot drive that came off his bat at 110 mph.
The only regret came when Ozuna realized he left Snit Bear in the clubhouse. Braves pitcher Reynaldo L¨®pez was supposed to hold the stuffed animal during the competition. The bear has served as a good luck charm since Braves manager Brian Snitker gave it to his designated hitter last month.
Another Braves All-Star, Chris Sale, represented his teammate by wearing a Big Bear chain during the competition.
Though he didn¡¯t become the first Braves player to win a Derby, Ozuna will still have plenty of time to have fun with his kids, who were happy to provide their dad with a towel and water when he took his allotted timeout.
¡°My kids were amazing,¡± Ozuna said. ¡°They were like, ¡®Come on, Daddy! You can do it!¡¯ We couldn¡¯t make it, but it was fun.¡±
Ozuna earned his third All-Star selection this year, his first since 2017. He leads the NL with 77 RBIs, ranks second with 26 homers and is sixth with a .960 OPS. His production should significantly influence the Braves¡¯ bid for a seventh straight NL East crown.