Matt Olson gives a nerdy, fascinating reason behind Marcell Ozuna’s monster start

Based on everything that has gone on with the Atlanta Braves, it would be safe to assume they've gotten off to a poor start. Spencer Strider is done for the season with an elbow injury. Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies are also on the injured list. Ronald Acuña Jr. has just one home run in their first 17 games. Max Fried has an ERA approaching 8.00 in his four starts.

Despite all that has gone wrong, the Braves are sitting at 12-5 on the season. They have the best record not only in the National League but in baseball entering play on Thursday. They've been able to get off to this great start thanks in large part to the play of Marcell Ozuna who has looked like an MVP candidate.

Ozuna, a player who looked like he was in serious jeopardy of getting released early last season, has slashed .352/.403/.732 with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 17 games. He leads the league in slugging, home runs, and RBI. His teammate, Matt Olson, came up with a fascinating reason as to why he has gotten off to this electric start.

Matt Olson gives fascinating reason why Marcell Ozuna looks like Babe Ruth at the plate early on

“His bat looks like a toothpick in his hands, the way he moves it around. He’s able to kind of attack later, because of how quick he moves the bat through the zone. He gets a little extra time to see the pitch," said Olson, h/t David O'Brien of The Athletic.

Things are just so easy for Ozuna because of how quickly he's able to move his bat through the zone. He can identify pitches well and absolutely mash them when he's ready for it.

It's nerdy, it's fascinating, but it's also pretty accurate. Look at this home run swing here.

Ozuna does not stop moving the bat until he drops it on his trot around the bases. It really does look like a little toothpick in his hands because of the color, how big he is, and how much he moves it around. Despite all of this movement, he's able to make contact and hit baseballs a very long way. It's unorthodox, but it works well for him, clearly.

Ozuna has been on a rampage since his job was on the line. He slashed .297/.366/.603 with 38 home runs and 98 RBI from May 1 of last season and now has been even better to start the 2024 campaign. It truly is unbelievable how he has resurrected his career from the brink.

The 33-year-old has become a vital component in this Atlanta lineup, hitting behind the power-hitting duo of Austin Riley and Olson. He has become arguably the best DH in the league. As if Atlanta needed another star in their loaded lineup.