Ozuna Could Be a Good Fit For Marlins

The Miami Marlins’ old friend Marcell Ozuna could be a good fit going into the 2021 season. After a 6th place finishes in the MVP voting in 2020, the 30-year old slugger enters free agency with a high possibility of switching teams. The Marlins are in desperate need of a consistent power bat in the middle of the lineup. Averaging a career of 27 home runs and 97 RBIs per season, Marcell Ozuna provides just that.

Here are some key reasons Ozuna fits in Miami:

Marlins Can Transition Marte to the Leadoff Role

First of all, the Marlins just straight up could not hit in the 2020 season. They found themselves at the bottom of almost every single offensive statistic except for stolen bases. Ozuna provides a force in the middle of the lineup that pitchers have to be wary of. The Marlins were forced to put Starling Marte in the middle of the lineup as the central force. Ozuna allows Marte to transition back to his true leadoff role. Marte can play his normal game: get on base and let the cleanup hitters drive him in. 

Ozuna Provides Consistency

With the exception of a weak 2019 campaign, Ozuna has hit .312, .280, and .338 in the 2017, 2018, and 2020 campaigns respectively. In combination with his power and ability to drive in runs, Ozuna can level out an uneven lineup and put the Marlins in a position to win more games by sheer force. In pitching duels, which Marlins are most likely going to find themselves in, one run makes the difference.

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Ozuna Gives Marlins More Veteran Playoff Experience

Ozuna also brings even more playoff experience. Since his tenure in Miami, he has been a part of two playoff runs (St. Louis and Atlanta) in which he has hit a combined .284 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs. Although the younger players got experience in the playoffs this past season, a veteran duo in Marte and Ozuna could allow even quicker progression than we have already been seeing.

Overall

Ozuna is a terrible defender, but with most of the Marlins issues coming from the offensive side of things, there is merit to overlooking those deficiencies in an attempt to alleviate the more glaring issue. The only questions left to be asked: Will Kim Ng and the front office cough up the money for a star player? Or will they continue on a rebuilding plan that disregards the surprising success of the 2020 season?

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