Time will tell if what Marcell Ozuna accomplished Wednesday night was transformational.
Whether it will send his roller-coaster season with the Pittsburgh Pirates on an upward trajectory. Or whether it is just a blip in what has been a frustrating 2026 for the 35-year-old designated hitter.
Starting for the first time in six days, Ozuna went 2 for 5 with his first home run since May 15 to help the Pirates win the series against the Athletics in Sacramento, Calif.
The home run was the sixth of the season for Ozuna, who hit 39 two years ago with Atlanta and a career-high 40 in 2023. And the two hits helped tick his batting average to .198, which also is his high-water mark for the season but 104 points less than he hit with the Braves in 2024.
“He looked more aggressive, and he was getting his swing off,” manager Don Kelly said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “He got the base hit to right-center, and then he hit one out to left-center that was a really good swing. He looked to be in a really good spot.”
Good enough to keep his spot as the team’s DH?
After having the day off Thursday, the Pirates will open a three-game series at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies.
With Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin on the injured list, the Pirates are looking for more pop from their lineup. Based on his 2023-24 seasons in Atlanta, when he combined for 79 homers and 204 RBIs, Ozuna would seem to be the logical candidate to make up for their absences.
To this point, though, Ozuna hasn’t justified the $12 million contract he received from the Pirates in free agency. Because of his sub-.200 average and his limited production — 24 RBIs and 11 extra-base hits in 192 at-bats — Ozuna started Wednesday night for just the sixth time since May 27.
“It’s a little bit different,” Ozuna said. “You have to always have the mentality like you’re ready for any situation. They might not use me at all, but I was ready that when they gave me the opportunity, I’ll be there.
“If you give me more opportunity, I probably will get back (to form). I can sit down on the bench and not waste an at-bat, but it’s hard to get a feeling and hard to get ready.”
Ryan O’Hearn, Bryan Reynolds and Spencer Horwitz have rotated at designated hitter lately, and Brandon Lowe has filled in there as well. It’s a natural fit for Ozuna — providing he keeps hitting.
“Keep working. Keep working in the cage,” Ozuna said. “Your mind is always positive. Never give up. You see me joking with the fans, joking with teammates. I’m trying to have fun and enjoy the game. That’s what I need to do.”
Ozuna’s struggles this season haven’t endeared him to fans, yet he remains a positive fixture in the Pirates clubhouse.
“Ozuna is such a great teammate; he really is,” O’Hearn said. “He brings great energy. He pulls for every guy on the team. He’s infectious.”
Against the Athletics, Ozuna decided to take a more aggressive approach at the plate after taking a called strike to open his first at-bat. He eventually grounded out on an 0-2 pitch. He credited it to a chat with coach Tony Beasley.
“Should I swing at the first pitch?” Ozuna said. “He said, ‘Yeah, why not?’”
Ozuna swung at the first pitch in his second at-bat, then hit a single on a 1-1 count. He struck out in his next at-bat, but his aggressiveness paid off in the seventh. The Athletics had just cut a seven-run deficit to 7-2 in the sixth, and with Sutter Health Park’s small dimensions, that lead for the Pirates was hardly safe.
Ozuna opened the inning by sending a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left-center, a majestic 448-foot shot that set the stage for a five-run inning.
“That was a big hit,” Kelly said. “To get one back and get that inning started was nice.”
The Pirates batted around in the inning, and Ozuna made the third out when he took a called third strike. Still, that did little to dampen his enthusiasm that perhaps he is turning the corner this season.
“It made me feel good,” he said. “After struggling and not playing good at all, to get what I did tonight was amazing.”