The Big Bear is looking to add his name to Braves lore as he agrees to participate in iconic event.

The MLB Home Run Derby is by far the most popular event during the festivities surrounding the All-Star break. The derby boils everything down to one universal truth: baseball fans want to see their favorite players hit a ton of dingers. Frank Thomas, Barry Bonds, and Ken Griffey Jr. are among the greatest power hitters of all time who have won the Home Run Derby. Remarkably, since the Home Run Derby’s establishment in 1985, no Atlanta Braves player has ever prevailed. The manner in which Garret Anderson earned it in 2003 remains a mystery to academics.

Unfortunately, invitations to the Home Run Derby have become far less prominent in recent years. While players worry about making mistakes in their swings and/or not receiving enough rest during the break, teams worry about guys getting wounded while hitting as hard as they can for several rounds. Even though it is still a great honor, more and more men are declining the chance—Aaron Judge and Juan Soto this year, for instance. Marcell Ozuna of the Braves is one player that is eager to participate in the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby and is not turning down the opportunity to bash some baseballs in the pursuit of greatness.

Marcell Ozuna might win the Home Run Derby, making history as the first Braves player to do it. Only five players have committed to play in the Home Run Derby as of right now: Pete Alonso (of course), Bobby Witt Jr., Alec Bohm, Gunnar Henderson, and now Ozuna. With 23 home runs in the first half of the season and 40 home runs in the previous, Ozuna is more than qualified to play. The guy is skilled at hitting explosives.

Since no Brave has ever won the competition, Ozuna does not have history on his side. Ronald Acuna Jr., the current NL MVP, competed twice but was eliminated both in 2019 and 2022 by Alonso. Other Braves greats who have competed in the past but were not successful in winning include Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Freddie Freeman, Fred McGriff, and Dale Murphy. However, given that some of the top competitors aren’t competing this year, Ozuna is a man who is designed to strike for power on a regular basis, so it wouldn’t be too insane if he made a run at the title. Alonso, on the other hand, may be challenging because it seems like he cares much too much about this event.