The Pittsburgh Pirates have added another legitimate slugger, as they’ve signed veteran Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $12 million. The contract also contains a mutual option for the 2027 season. Ozuna is coming off a strong six-season tenure with the Atlanta Braves. Entering his age-35 season, what can we expect to see from the designated hitter?
A Look at What the Pirates’ Newest Addition, Marcell Ozuna, Is Bringing to the Table.
A Solid, but Unlucky, Hitter in 2025
Ozuna turned in a solid .233/.355/.400 triple-slash, with 21 home runs over 592 plate appearances. He walked at a career-best 15.9% rate and had an 85th percentile chase rate. The biggest downside was his unimpressive 24.3% strikeout rate. However, he was an overall above-average hitter, with a .334 wOBA and 114 wRC+. There’s evidence to suggest Ozuna got unlucky as well.
Ozuna still had a strong 11.4% barrel rate this season. His .354 xwOBA was 20 points better than his wOBA, and the 21st largest gap among qualified hitters. He had an even bigger gap between his slugging percentage and xSLG%. His xSLG% sat at .448, the 13th largest gap among qualified batters in 2025.
Age-Related Decline, or Injury-Riddled Season?
While Ozuna’s numbers were far from bad in 2025, they were a significant step down from his 2023-2024 production. Between these two years, Ozuna was one of the best hitters in baseball, with a .289/.364/.552 triple-slash, and 79 home runs. He still had a sub-par 23.8% strikeout rate, but he was walking at a solid 11.2% clip. Ozuna ranked in the top ten in baseball in home runs, ISO, wOBA, and wRC+. His exit velocity came in at 92 MPH, much better than his 89.9 MPH exit velocity from 2025, and he put up an elite 16% barrel rate. His barrel rate was tied with Kyle Schwarber, who hit 85 home runs between 2023 and 2024.
Among qualified hitters since 2023, Ozuna ranks eighth in expected weighted on-base average (.385).
Those ahead of him: Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuna Jr., Yordan Alvarez, Corey Seager, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) February 9, 2026
Given that 2026 will be his age-35 season, some may question if this is the beginning of the end for Ozuna. However, he played through a hip injury that began last summer. Ozuna was still putting up outstanding numbers at the dish through the first of June. He owned a .284/.427/.474 triple-slash, and 155 wRC+. He ranked in the top 15 in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ before the hip injury began diminishing his production at the dish.
What’s in Store for 2026?
Even if Ozuna puts up the same numbers he did last season, he’ll improve the Pirates’ offense. According to Baseball Savant, he provided 12 batting runs for the Braves last year. Only one batter all year brought positive batting run value for the Pirates last year, and that was Spencer Horwitz at 10. He, along with Oneil Cruz and Brandon Lowe, is the only Pirates batter coming off consecutive 20+ home run seasons.
But if his hip is fully healthy and ready to go, we may see even more production from Ozuna’s bat. He may not put up a 150+ wRC+ as he did between 2023 and 2024, but we know what he is capable of. He could end up being a 120-130 wRC+ batter with 25 home runs. That shouldn’t be out of the question either, given his .354 xwOBA. The Pirates may end up getting a steal if Ozuna plays like his expected stats say he can.
Main Photo Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
