Former Braves scapegoat has returned to form at the worst possible time

Marcell Ozuna has somehow not driven in a single run for the Atlanta Braves since August 27. Yes, you read that correctly. We wouldn't lie to you. Even though one of league's worst decision-makers (especially off the field) ranks fourth in the National League in RBI, this is not the time for this kind of production.

One of MLB's most prolific power hitters is in the midst of a slugging slump, with the Braves sitting just one game behind the New York Mets for the NL's final postseason spot.

25 games, no home runs. This is a player who ranks second on the Braves over the last four seasons in that department (125).

Over the past 18 days, Atlanta's power production as a team has been surprisingly lackluster. The Braves find themselves languishing at 27th place in MLB for home runs during this stretch. Even more startling, they've been outpaced in the long-ball department by the dismal 115 loss Chicago White Sox.

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The Braves desperately need Marcell Ozuna to edge the Mets in the NL Wild Card race

Going into Tuesday night -- a clash with the Cincinnati Reds in Ohio -- Ozuna is slashing .250/.351/.281 without a single home run or RBI since August 28. The 33-year-old owns a -0.1 fWAR and a 22.7 percent punch-out rate during that span.

His numbers over the entire campaign jump off the page. The three-time All-Star has hit .302 with a .928 OPS, his best season (outside of the pandemic 2020) at the dish since 2017 when he donned Miami colors.

After wrapping up their three-game series with the Reds, Brian Snitker's squad faces the Marlins, followed by matchups against two postseason hopefuls: the Mets and Bobby Witt Jr.'s Kansas City Royals.

It's difficult to see the Braves edging the Mets in this back-and-forth race if the dip in power from Ozuna continues. With just four more homers, he'd set a new single season career high. The good news for Atlanta is that its next two opponents are positioned in MLB's bottom-ten in home runs conceded per nine innings, per FanGraphs.

If Ozuna aims to regain his momentum, there's no better time than the present. The Braves depend on him to push runners across home. While he's managing to reach base, his slugging percentage of .281 over the past 18 days (compared to the league average of .400) is inadequate, particularly as the pressure intensifies. This lackluster power output won't suffice, especially considering the increasing importance of each game.