Brian Snitker comments on why he stuck with Marcell Ozuna

The Braves featured a number of surprising storylines on their way to winning 104 games and shattering a boatload of records, but I’m not sure anything was more out of the blue than Marcell Ozuna going from a tomato can to having a career year.

2021 and 2022 were years Marcell Ozuna would probably like to delete from his memory. From off-the-field issues to his dismal performance on the field, it’s somewhat mind-boggling that the Braves even held onto him. But not only did they decide to keep him on the roster, they kept putting him in the lineup as a starter.

The fan base did not take too kindly to it. From his first at-bat in 2023, boos reigned down every time he stepped into the batter’s box at Truist Park. It was almost sad to watch transpire as if we were watching the downfall of a once spectacular baseball player before our very eyes, even if much of it was due to his own transgressions.

Marcell Ozuna went on to hit .085 in the month of April. He was a sore spot in an otherwise otherworldly lineup. Few could understand how the Braves were letting this continue, which Brian Snitker spoke about this afternoon in an interview with 92.9 The Game.