RetroSimba

In July 2015, Marcell Ozuna, considered an emerging standout for the Marlins, appeared to be regressing. Mired in a slump, Ozuna was demoted to the minor leagues.

The wakeup call worked.

Though Ozuna was unhappy with the move and questioned the Marlins’ motives, he reported to the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and immediately began hitting with renewed consistency and power.

Ozuna returned to the Marlins in mid-August and hit well the remainder of the season. Ever since, his career has been on an upswing. In 2016 and 2017, Ozuna was named a National League all-star.

On Dec. 14, 2017, the Marlins traded Ozuna to the Cardinals for pitcher Sandy Alcantara, outfielder Magneuris Sierra and pitching prospects Zac Gallen and Daniel Castano.

Two years after his career was at a crossroads, Ozuna, 27, is regarded a premier player who still hasn’t reached his peak.

Refresher course

Ozuna debuted in the major leagues with the Marlins in 2013. After he produced 23 home runs and 85 RBI in 2014, expectations were for more of the same.

Ozuna, 24, had a promising start to the 2015 season. On June 23, he had three hits against the Cardinals, putting his batting average at .280. Then he went into a tailspin. By July 5, his batting mark was down to .249. He had produced one hit in his last 36 at-bats.

That’s when the Marlins sent him to New Orleans. The goal, they said, was to fix his swing and his outlook.

“Marcell is an energy player with power and we love him and love what he brings,” Marlins manager Dan Jennings said to the Miami Herald. “There are some things he needs to iron out and that could be mental. He needs to feel good, feel like he can put up the numbers he did last year.”

Said Marlins president Michael Hill: “There were adjustments that needed to be made mechanically with his swing.”

Jail break

Ozuna hit .351 in his first nine games for New Orleans. When the Marlins made no move to bring him back, his agent, Scott Boras, accused the club of keeping Ozuna in the minors to delay his eligibility for salary arbitration. Marlins management denied the charge.

In 33 games for New Orleans, Ozuna batted .317. Of his 38 hits, 18 were for extra bases.

Ozuna returned to the Marlins’ lineup on Aug. 15 against the Cardinals and went 1-for-4.

“From what we hear, he did a great job down in triple-A, figured some stuff out, so we’re excited to have him back,” said Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto. “He’s the type of hitter where at any point in the game he can take the ball out of the ballpark.”

Asked about his stint in the minors, Ozuna told reporters, “It’s like a jail.”

Ozuna added, “They tell me you’re going down for work, get your feeling back and you come back … I don’t need the work. One-for-36, 1 for-100, every big-league player has it.”

Ozuna hit .299 for the Marlins in September and finished the 2015 season at .259 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI.

Better with age

In 2016, Ozuna had 23 home runs and 76 RBI. He followed that with a breakout year in 2017, batting .312 with 37 home runs and 124 RBI and earning a Gold Glove Award for his play in left field.

If his performances versus the Cardinals are an accurate gauge, Ozuna is improving each year as a big-league hitter.

His season-by-season marks against the Cardinals:

_ 2013: .100 batting average (2-for-20), no RBI.

_ 2014: .200 batting average (4-for-20), two RBI.

_ 2015: .211 batting average (4-for-19), no RBI.

_ 2016: .292 batting average (7-for-24), seven RBI.

_ 2017: .357 batting average (10-for-28), 11 RBI.

Granted, the better numbers could be because Cardinals pitching has declined, but the statistics do appear to show Ozuna is a better hitter since his return from the minors.

In a four-game series July 3-6, 2017, at St. Louis, Ozuna batted .368 (7-for-19) with eight RBI. Among his big hits were a three-run double against Adam Wainwright on July 3, a home run and a RBI-double against Mike Leake on July 5 and a pair of RBI-singles against Michael Wacha on July 6.

Previously: How Rene Arocha turned Marlins fans into Cards fans