SARASOTA — Ryan O’Hearn wasn’t sure what to do when he received a rousing ovation before his first at-bat at Ed Smith Stadium wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform.
It was the spring training opener, so O’Hearn didn’t want to tip his batting helmet. But he appreciated the support from Baltimore Orioles fans after spending two-plus seasons there, where he earned his first All-Star selection with the Orioles last year before being dealt to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline.
More important, O’Hearn wanted to show the Pirates what their two-year, $29 million free-agent investment bought. That’s a big bat in the heart of their order and a defender with the versatility to play first base or the outfield, along with occasionally serving as the designated hitter.
Starting in right field and batting third, O’Hearn hit a three-run homer in his Pirates debut as they battered Baltimore, 8-2, on Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 6,934 in their Grapefruit League opener.
The Pirates got home runs from O’Hearn and catcher Endy Rodriguez in a six-run fifth inning. After Nick Yorke drew a leadoff walk, Rodriguez hit a two-run shot for the Pirates’ first homer of the spring and a 4-1 lead. Billy Cook and Oneil Cruz followed with back-to-back singles, with Cook scoring on a throwing error by Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman on Cruz’s steal of second base. Nick Gonzales drew a walk to put runners on first and third. When Dietrich Enns left a 1-0 fastball low and inside, O’Hearn sent it over the left-center fence for an 8-1 lead.
“Yeah, it’s so early. I’m just trying to see the ball and have good at-bats and put it in play,” O’Hearn said. “First and third there with one out, I’m just trying to get something in the air. I’ve played at Ed Smith plenty of times and know that if you get the ball in the air to left field, it’s got a shot. Cool to hit a homer, for sure.”
O’Hearn, who hit 17 homers with 63 RBIs and an .803 OPS last season, was one of the marquee additions for the Pirates in an aggressive offseason. They signed two-time All-Star left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal, swung a three-team trade to acquire two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and lefty reliever Mason Montgomery from Tampa Bay and signed three-time All-Star DH Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $12 million with a mutual option for 2027.
Combined with two-time All-Star and reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, 2023 All-Star right-hander Mitch Keller and two-time All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds, the Pirates suddenly have more star power than they have had since clinching wild-card playoff berths in three consecutive seasons from 2013-15.
“I’m getting ’23 Oriole vibes,” O’Hearn said. “I know that team won 101 games, but it’s kind of the same, like, quiet confidence. Guys feel like we’re going to come out and surprise some people, and it’s really fun for me to be a part of that. We’ve got a lot of really good young players and added some pieces, and I’m very happy with where I ended up. I’m excited to be a Pirate this year.”
It hasn’t taken long for O’Hearn to acclimate to his new surroundings. He bantered back and forth with Rodriguez early in the game about hitting a home run. After Baltimore starter Dean Kremer loaded the bases by walking Joey Bart, Jared Triolo and Enmanuel Valdez to start the second inning, Nick Yorke and Rodriguez drove in runs by grounding into fielder’s choices to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
Yorke drew another walk to start the fifth, and Rodriguez smacked a 1-1 slider to left field to double the advantage.
“Before the game, he told me, ‘You’ve got to hit pa’ la calle,’ ” Rodriguez said, sharing Spanish slang for hitting one out. “Then, in the dugout before the homer, he said again, ‘Hey, where’s my homer.’ Then I hit it. Then I said, ‘You’ve got to hit one.’ He said, ‘I’m going to hit it’ — and he hit it. It’s pretty fun to see a guy like him. He’s a great person, he’s humble and he helps us. I think he’ll be good for us now and in the future.”
Speaking of the future, 23-year-old Dominican Wilber Dotel made an impressive start. The 6-foot-4, 243-pound right-hander made a big jump to No. 10 in the Pirates’ prospect rankings, per Baseball America, after recording 131 strikeouts in 125 2/3 innings over 27 starts at Double-A Altoona last year. He trusted his mid-90s fastball and slider combination to get Taylor Ward to go down swinging to start an eight-pitch first. Dotel allowed one run on two hits on 18 pitches (13 strikes) over two innings to earn the victory.
“Really good experience, for sure,” Dotel said through translator and Pirates coach Stephen Morales. “My plan was not to put too many things in my mind, just to go out there and have fun and pitch. I knew it was a good lineup, a mix of good hitters, but my mindset was to go out there and have fun, do my thing.”
It helped Dotel to have Rodriguez behind the plate, and to get three-RBI performances from Rodriguez and O’Hearn. For Rodriguez, the homer was a reminder he can hit after missing the majority of the 2024 and ’25 seasons with right elbow injuries.
“Just need to be healthy,” Rodriguez said. “If I can be healthy, I can do great things.”
Note: The Pirates have split-squad games Sunday. Keller is expected to start for the Pirates against Jake Woodford in their home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at LECOM Park. Braxton Ashcraft is scheduled to start against Trevor Richards and the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater.