BRADENTON, Fla. — Marcell Ozuna was all smiles as he stretched his legs in activation drills before the first full-squad workout of spring training, and it wasn’t just because his $12 million free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates had been finalized.
The 35-year-old Ozuna had a companion in Oneil Cruz, who couldn’t contain his excitement about having another native of the Dominican Republic as a teammate for big-league camp at Pirate City. And it’s not just because they spent time together speaking Spanish, though talking in his native tongue certainly can help with the translation.
“I can learn a lot from him because he’s got a lot of time in the league,” Cruz told TribLive. “He knows how to do everything here.”
The Pirates added Ozuna primarily for his pop — the three-time All-Star designated hitter has 296 home runs and 948 RBIs in 13 seasons — but are counting on his magnetic personality to help Cruz finally fulfill his potential. They share an agent, who suggested that teaming up could be mutually beneficial.
“The thing with Ozuna is he’ll be great for Cruz, and he’s going to be great for everybody in the clubhouse,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly, who played with Ozuna for the Miami Marlins in 2015-16. “Just the way he goes about it, his demeanor, the energy that he brings, always positive. And I think with Oneil, especially, love that they were palling around today. That’s certainly going to rub off on Oneil.”
Marcell Ozuna doing activation drills with Oneil Cruz before the first full squad workout of big league camp at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/UmFyBK4Yg7
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 16, 2026
Cruz, 27, is coming off a season in which he led the Pirates with 20 home runs and tied for the National League lead with 38 stolen bases but batted .200/.298/.378, scuffled against left-handers and slumped so much in August (.133) that he was dropped to sixth in the order.
“He’s a young guy, and he needs to learn more about baseball,” Ozuna said of Cruz. “I think he’s going to listen to me.”
Cruz has shown tremendous power potential, leading the majors in bat speed and exit velocity and setting a Statcast mark with the hardest recorded hit on a 122.9 mph home run last May before reaching the semifinals of the Home Run Derby last July. He’s also prone to prolonged slumps.
This could be a make-or-break year for Cruz to reach his ceiling.
“We’ll see,” Ozuna said. “If he follows me, he’s going to be all right. If he does the work that we’re going to do, maybe he can do some damage this year, more than the past. … He’s going to play in the WBC, so that will help a little bit more. When he comes in, I’ll just tell him what he needs to do for himself to do better.”
Ozuna put on a show in his first batting practice, belting home runs that hit cars parked just beyond the left-field fence at Roberto Clemente Field. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound right-handed hitter batted .232/.355/.400 with 19 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBIs while drawing 94 walks in 145 games with the Atlanta Braves last season.
“We’re excited to add his bat to the lineup every day,” Kelly said.
Ozuna’s 123 homers since the start of the 2022 season are the fourth most in the National League and tied for the ninth most in the majors. He has homered in all but five current major-league ballparks — all in the American League — so he’s not daunted by his numbers at PNC Park, where he has batted .245/.317/.383 with 21 doubles, six homers and 38 RBIs in 80 career games with Miami, St. Louis and Atlanta.
“It’s not a challenge. Every park that you go, you have to play the game,” Ozuna said. “I don’t mind to hit a homer in any park. I’m just missing a couple parks to hit a homer in every park in MLB. It’s no big deal. I’ll hit a homer anywhere.”