ATLANTA -- Marcell Ozuna has picked up where he left off last year and constructed one of the hottest starts to a season in Braves history.

Ozuna’s first-inning homer wasn’t enough for the Braves as they bid adieu to a six-game winning streak with a 6-4 loss to the Rangers on Sunday night at Truist Park. But his three-run shot allowed him to regain sole possession of the MLB lead in both home runs and RBIs.

“He’s just one of those guys,” Braves center fielder Michael Harris II said. “He’s pretty underrated. He swings a good bat, and when he’s hot, he’s really hot.”

Ozuna leads MLB with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. He joins Christian Yelich (2019) as the only MLB players with nine-plus homers and 25-plus RBIs in their team's first 20 games in the past 15 seasons.

More impressively, Ozuna joins Chipper Jones (1998) and Dale Murphy (1985) as the only Braves players to produce these numbers within this span since RBIs became an official stat in 1920.

“He’s seeing the ball so good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s in a good spot.”

It’s not like this is just a nice hot stretch to begin a season. It’s a continuation of one of the more impressive in-season turnarounds you will see.

Ozuna exited April 2023 hitting .085 with two homers and a .397 OPS through 67 plate appearances. Coupled with the off-the-field struggles he endured the previous two seasons, it looked like the Braves might release him.

But just when it looked like Ozuna was going to be looking for a new employer, he began what has become the greatest stretch of his career.

Here is where Ozuna ranks among other MLB players in these offensive categories going back to May 1:

• Home runs: 2nd (47) ... trailing only teammate Matt Olson (49)
• RBIs: 2nd (125) ... trailing only Olson (127)
• Slugging percentage: 2nd (.619)
• OPS: 4th (.990) trailing only Shohei Ohtani (1.109), Mookie Betts (1.043) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (.991)
• Total bases: 5th (341)
• Batting average: 9th (.303)
• On-base percentage: 16th (.371)

“I’m ready to keep rolling and to help my team,” Ozuna said.

The Braves are tied with the Brewers for the National League’s best record (14-6), despite the fact they have three All-Stars on the injured list. Cy Young candidate Spencer Strider made one healthy start before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery.

Atlanta’s lineup has been without Sean Murphy since he strained his left oblique with a swing on Opening Day. Ozzie Albies has now missed five games with a fractured toe.

But the Braves have kept rolling. They have scored an MLB-best 6.25 runs per game, despite the fact each of their top three MVP candidates -- Acuña, Olson and Austin Riley -- haven’t gotten on a roll yet.

Acuña won last year’s National League MVP Award after constructing the first 40-homer, 70-steal season in MLB history. He has homered once and produced a .809 OPS thus far.

Olson led MLB in homers and RBIs last year. He struck out four times Sunday night to raise his season total to 26 and lower his OPS to .799

Riley’s has two homers with a .770 OPS.

“This team is amazing,” Ozuna said. “It’s one of the best teams in baseball.”

Travis d’Arnaud stole the spotlight as he produced a three-homer game on Friday night and then added another home run on Saturday. But the primary contributor to this deep Atlanta lineup is the guy who seemed to be running out of chances around this time last year.

Ozuna’s on-field production can be seen on a daily basis. But his contributions extend beyond the home runs and RBIs. He has helped many of his teammates, including Olson, improve their plate discipline and approaches. The upbeat personality he has carried over the past year has also been infectious.

Ozuna had a domestic violence arrest in 2021 and a DUI arrest in ’22. He has to continue to deal with the consequences. But his teammates have reaped the benefits as he has aimed to be both a better player and a better person.

“He’s one of the best guys in this clubhouse,” Harris said. “He cares about everybody.”