The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Marcell Ozuna this past offseason, hoping he could add some thump to the lineup. After all, he put up a solid .232/.355/.400 triple-slash and went yard 21 times over 592 plate appearances. Ozuna’s 24.3% K% was not great, but his 15.9% walk rate was a career-best mark, as was his 25.8% whiff rate. Overall, he posted a .334 wOBA and 112 wRC+. His .353 xwOBA and .448 xSLG% also suggested some unluckiness. However, Ozuna is off to a terrible start with the Pirates. Despite commanding the designated hitter position, Ozuna has provided very little, if anything noteworthy, with the bat, and the Pirates cannot let this last much longer.
Ozuna has stepped to the plate 107 times in a Pirates uniform, providing just a dozen hits. That includes two home runs and a pair of doubles. Ozuna has struck out 29 times, and his whiff rate has risen back to 27.4%. On top of that, he has only drawn a free pass seven times. His chase rate went from an impressive 22.3% rate (85th percentile) in 2025 to 27.9% this year (59th percentile).
Red Flags Galore
The red flags were apparent when the Pirates signed Ozuna. Although Ozuna’s bottom line in 2025 was solid and his underlying numbers suggested some bad luck played a role, it was a significant drop-off from his usual production. Between 2023 and 2024, Ozuna batted .289/.364/.552 with 79 home runs over 1280 plate appearances. His wRC+ clocked in at 148. He ranked in the top ten among qualified hitters in home runs, isolated slugging percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, wOBA, and wRC+.
A hip injury Ozuna suffered early in 2025 is the biggest reason for his steep drop in production. Through June 1st last year, Ozuna was still hitting a healthy .294/.427/.494 with ten homers, and a 155 wRC+ throughout his first 241 trips to the plate. However, the injury started taking a toll on Ozuna’s performance heading into the summer. His final 351 plate appearances of 2025 yielded a meager .199/.306/.354 slashline, and 86 wRC+. Ozuna only hit 11 more home runs for the season.
Unsurprisingly, his hip injury sapped much of his raw power. Ozuna’s bat speed dropped from 74 MPH in 2024 to 72.9 MPH in 2025. Heading into June 2nd, Ozuna had a 92.9 MPH exit velocity, which was very similar to the 92 MPH exit velocity he put up in 2023-2024. However, that also fell to just 88.3 MPH after the start of June. Things haven’t improved in the power department for Ozuna this year. Although his bat speed has rebounded to a degree (73.7 MPH), his exit velo is still sitting at a below-average 88 MPH mark.
Who Can the Pirates Replace Ozuna With?
The obvious answer to replace Ozuna is top slugging prospect, Esmerlyn Valdez. The outfield/first base prospect is off to a solid start at Triple-A this season, with a .247/.403/.441 line, .390 wOBA, and 131 wRC+. Valdez already has four home runs over 119 plate appearances, and his ISO falls just two ticks shy of .200. He also has an impressive 20.2% walk rate early on this season. Strikeouts have plagued Valdez in the past, but his K% currently clocks in at an identical 20.2% rate.
Another option is Rafael Flores Jr., acquired at the 2025 trade deadline from the New York Yankees in the swap that put David Bednar in pinstripes. Flores Jr. got off to a poor start in 2026. However, it seems like he has found his groove. He has ten hits over his last 46 plate appearances, with eight walks, and only 11 strikeouts. Of his ten hits, three have left the park, and two more are doubles.
Endy Rodriguez is another backstop option that could take Ozuna’s roster spot. Like Flores, Rodriguez also got off to an ice-cold start, but has begun to heat up. His last 46 trips to the dish have seen him rack up 13 hits, eight walks, five K’s, and five doubles. Rodriguez is also a switch-hitter and can play catcher, along with first base, like Flores.
Can Ozuna Salvage Himself?
While the Pirates probably should consider moving on from Ozuna early on into 2026, they committed $12 million and are likely not going to move on from him immediately. Ozuna needs to salvage himself, so how can he do that? The good news is that Ozuna’s bat speed is back up to roughly his 2024 levels. The first thing he needs to do is stop chasing outside the zone as frequently. This was not a problem in 2025, as stated earlier.
Another thing Ozuna is struggling with is getting in front of the ball too much. He intercepted the ball -2.6 and -2.7 inches behind the plate in 2023 and 2024. That fell to only -2 inches in 2025. Now, that’s dropped even more to -0.7 inches. Ozuna is not pulling the ball enough to get out in front of it by less than an inch. His pulled flyball rate is only 17.1%, which is even lower than when he was getting behind the ball in 2023-2024. Ozuna has enough bat speed and raw strength to let the ball go further into his stance.
Where Do the Pirates and Ozuna Go From Here?
The Pirates need to give Ozuna a much shorter leash, even if that means not moving on from him until at least June if he doesn’t start putting it together. However, now is the time to at least start lighting a fire under his seat, especially if the alternatives on the 40-man roster continue to hit as we head into May. The Pirates cannot let a designated hitter continue to post an OPS below .500.
Main Photo Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
