The impossible feat Braves' Marcell Ozuna needs to pass Luis Arraez for NL batting title

San Diego Padres star Luis Arraez is virtually assured of the National League batting title for the 2024 MLB season. Virtually because there is still a microscopic chance that Atlanta Braves designated hitter/outfielder Marcell Ozuna steals the award from Arraez. Still, Arraez can go ahead and host a party, considering what Ozuna had to pull off in the last two Atlanta games in the regular season.

As of Sunday, Ozuna has a batting average of .304 while Arraez concluded his campaign with a .314 clip. Ozuna is third in the NL with Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani second with a .310 batting average. But like Arraez and the Padres, the Dodgers don't have a regular-season game left to play, leaving Ozuna as the only person with a chance to unseat Arraez atop the NL batting list.

Then again, Ozuna needs the impossible to happen. Well, maybe not impossible, but it is still a staggering long shot for him, as he needs to go 9-for-9 on Monday , when the Braves play an important doubleheader against the New York Mets at Truist Park, as noted by the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

Can Braves' Marcell Ozuna pull off the impossible?

Ozuna would have been in a much better position to win the batting crown in the NL if he hadn't gone cold in a recent series against the Kansas City Royals. During that three-leg series at home, Ozuna went hitless across 12 plate appearances and 10 at-bats. Before the Kansas City series, Ozuna was batting .310 on the season.

The challenge to 9-for-9 in the Braves-Mets doubleheader is a big ask for Ozuna. At this point, Arraez doesn't have to feel uncomfortable.

But for what it's worth, Ozuna is 6-for-12 with two home runs and a double in his career against Tylor Megill, who is scheduled to start the first game of the doubleheader. Meanwhile, Ozuna is 2-for-6 with a home run versus Luis Severino, who will take the ball in the final game of the Braves-Mets twin bill.

There is so much more at stake this Monday for the Braves, though.

If Atlanta wins at least one game in the doubleheader, they will be making the playoffs as a wild card team. The Braves, Mets, and Arizona Diamondbacks are all still contending for the third and final wild card ticket in the National League, and their respective playoff fates will be determined by what happens in the Atlanta-New York doubleheader.