Pirates Hoping Marcell Ozuna’s Latest Performance a Catalyst for Turnaround

Photo provided by Matt Lynch

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly has maintained all along that designated hitter Marcell Ozuna would start heating up soon.

Maybe Tuesday’s game was the start of that.

The 35-year-old went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI — his first extra-base hit and first run batted in on the season — in the Pirates’ 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.

“He’s been swinging the bat better,” Kelly said after the game. “He’s been working hard like we talked about. Hopefully it’s a catalyst for him.”

In his first at-bat, Ozuna went the other way for a single to right field to leadoff the second inning. In his next trip to the plate, Ozuna roped an RBI double to left field and plated Brandon Lowe from second base.

Though he had nothing else to show for the rest of the game, Ozuna made hard contact in each of his next to at-bats. He battled back from being down in the count 0-2 to work it full, hit a sharp grounder to third base and reached on a Jorbit Vivas throwing error. In the eighth, he lined out sharply to left-center filed on what looked like potential extra bases.

“We just need to stick to that approach,” said Kelly. “Continue to do what we’ve been doing and square the ball up like we did tonight.”

Entering play, Ozuna had only three hits in 44 at-bats to start the season after signing a one-year, $12 million free agent deal that also comes with a mutual option for 2027 in the offseason.

Things got so bad that fans in attendance at PNC Park booed Ozuna when his named was announced over the speakers or after he failed to reach base. Although he understood why the boos were happening, Ozuna is looking forward to the end of the jeers.

“The boos and all of that stuff are just hard for a little bit,” he explained. “After you do good, they don’t say anything.”

Ozuna has been in this situation before. In 18 games through the end of April in 2023, Ozuna had a lowly .085/.194/.203 batting line. He ended the season with a .274/.346/.558 batting line with a career-high 40 home runs and 100 RBI in 144 games.

“Coming back from that time was amazing,” Ozuna explained. “Now I’ve got the confidence that this was the same slump. I know what I’ve got to do. Give myself a breath and come every day with the same energy. I come in and grind and do my best.”

No matter how bad his slump got to start this season, the Pirates continued to credit Ozuna’s work ethic and demeanor as he tried to work his way out of the slow start.

For Ozuna, that determination will continue even if Tuesday’s performance was the first sign of better results to come.

“I come here every day trying to get my swing back,” he said. “Then I go out there and do for my team and my coach and do my best for myself and my family. I try to do some damage.”

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