Sho-Who? Former Braves eyesore has changed everything over last 99 games

The Atlanta Braves are 26-13, good for the second-best record in the National League. And that is despite significant early-season slumps from Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley. The Braves' all-time great offense currently ranks 15th in home runs and 13th in runs.

So, just to be clear, Atlanta is going to get much better as the season progresses. This is a low point for the Bravos, which highlights just how absurdly talented this group is.

If there has been one major bright spot on the offensive end, it's Marcell Ozuna. The Braves' hard-hitting designated hitter is experiencing his best season to date, slashing .329/.409/.629 with a league-leading 12 home runs and 41 RBI through 39 appearances.

Not long ago, Ozuna's four-year, $64 million contract was viewed as a massive overpay — one of the rare mistakes made by Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves' razor-sharp front office. Well, right now, it's a bargain. There's only so much value derived from a full-time DH, but Ozuna is on track to receive legitimate MVP votes as Atlanta jockeys for position atop the NL East.

This resurgence from Ozuna stretches back to last season. His statistical profile over the last 99 games is difficult to fathom, especially when considering his lackluster performance in the years prior to his recent uptick.

It's hard to complain about 98 RBI in 99 games. The 34 home runs in what amounts to roughly half a season worth of games is pretty impressive, too.

Marcell Ozuna is on a historic heater for the red-hot Braves

Shohei Ohtani's torrid start for the Los Angeles Dodgers has hogged the headlines lately, but Ozuna has been operating at a strikingly similar level. Ohtani's dominance is probably more sustainable, but Ozuna is hitting his stride at 33 years old. He has been the Braves' top offensive weapon this season, point blank.

Long hailed for his remarkable power, Ozuna has ratcheted up his efficiency and plate discipline in recent months. He's still prone to a healthy swing and miss, and Ozuna will always rack up his share of strikeouts. This season, however, he's drawing walks, extending at-bats, and locating the sweet spot of his bat (his sweet-spot percentage is up to 44.0 compared to last season's 34.9, per Baseball Savant).

The Braves have needed every ounce of Ozuna's production, too. Faced with a tougher schedule than the division-leading Phillies and suffering multiple slumps throughout its lineup, Atlanta has leaned heavily on Ozuna's ability to drive in runs on what seems like a nightly basis. Now that Acuña, Olson, and Riley are starting to show signs of life at the plate, the Braves are going to really start shelling pitchers.

It's early in the season and some level of regression to the mean is inevitable, but Ozuna has been a major contributor for the Braves after years of underperformance. His ugly 2022 campaign, in which he slashed a paltry .226/.274/.413, feels like distant memory.