O’Hearn’s Hitting Is Pacing Pirates in Tight National League Central Play

Ryan O’Hearn is proof that in the 2026 MLB season, one man can still make a difference to a ballclub.

The numbers don’t lie. Since Opening Day at Citi Field on March 26 against the New York Mets, O’Hearn has been setting the table for Pittsburgh’s batting order. It was in the sixth inning at Citi Field when O’Hearn clubbed his first home run of the season, and while wearing the Pirates’ colors. He moved on with his team to the next series in Cincinnati in tow with three hits and two RBIs. O’Hearn’s “How do you do” to his teammates and Pittsburgh’s fan base was a welcomed sign of what is hoped to be good times ahead.

The standard that O’Hearn is setting for all others grabbing a bat for this season’s roster selected by Pirates skipper Don Kelly is obvious. In 2025, the Pirates finished 28th out of 30 clubs in team batting average (.231). Leading into Saturday’s game with the Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh’s batters are better at banging out hits at a huge increase over last season. Currently, the club ranks 11th among all 30 teams, proudly posting a .247 average. O’Hearn is making a difference in team attitude and confidence 31 games into this season.

O’Hearn’s ease into the Pirates’ leadership on the field was easily predictable back in January when the slugger inked a two-year, $29 million deal to be a cog in the organization’s stride to return to relevance in the National League Central. Shortly after becoming a member of the club, O’Hearn spoke in January of the work he invested in learning as much as he could about the organization, and wanting to make the right decision.

“I couldn’t be any more excited to be a Pirate,” O’Hearn said. “I love the stadium, I love the city, what it’s about. I was looking, I did my research before I made a decision, and it’s a team that can pitch and just seemed like one or two pieces away from being a legit contender.”

The first baseman/right fielder couldn’t have been more spot on in predicting his being one or two of the pieces toward making the Pirates contenders. After Friday’s home game at PNC Park against the Reds—a 9–1 Pittsburgh win—O’Hearn’s individual statistics are trending for him to being in serious consideration for a second trip to the All-Star Game this July in Philadelphia. His .310 average coupled with an .872 OPS (compared to .716 National League 2026 average), and 21 RBIs are all pointing to O’Hearn being a wise investment made by Pirates general manager Ben Cherington.

His 20 RBIs with the Pirates for March and April has O’Hearn in the top 10 of all time among Pittsburgh players for a single season in RBIs collected in the first two months. Although firmly positioned in right field, and seeing sporadic duty at first base, O’Hearn’s batting prowess is compensating to an extent for the lack of productivity from the club’s every day designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Signed by the Pirates in February to a one-year free agent deal, Ozuna is hitting an anemic .165.

The enthusiasm that O’Hearn supplies in the Pirates clubhouse and on the base paths comes from setting high expectations for himself. After signing with the Pirates, O’Hearn told MLB.com in January how excited he is to go to work each day.

“I’m obsessed with baseball, I love it,” O’Hearn said in his introductory press conference. “I’m 32. Every year that I get to continue playing this game, I fall more in love with it. I’m more obsessed with it. I feel like I’m getting better. … I’ve always kind of been a late bloomer.”

“So, fans, expect me to play hard and call me out if I’m not. I’m gonna hustle, I’m gonna get after it and do whatever I can to help win a ball game every day.”

O’Hearn’s offensive abilities have already shown up in the Pirates’ collective offense. The club is currently sixth among all 30 teams with a run differential of +20, as compared to a season ago when they were one of the worst clubs with a -62 score.

Serving as a positive role model, with nearly 800 MLB games to his credit, O’Hearn displays all the qualities that the Pirates could want for a mentor to their 20-year-old shortstop phenom Konnor Griffin. As a silent leader, and a veteran who has experienced so many highs and lows in his career, O’Hearn is a teammate that Griffin could learn so much from just by observing. Only last season, O’Hearn went from a player of prominence with the Baltimore Orioles, to being dealt on MLB’s trade deadline of July 31 to the San Diego Padres. Two weeks earlier in Atlanta, O’Hearn was representing the Orioles at the All-Star Game. Suddenly, he was uprooted mid-season, and hastily needed to learn a new system, in a different league, and connect with 26 new teammates.

This is the type of transaction in one’s playing career that Griffin can learn about and learn from.

Playing in all 31 of the Pirates games this season as of Saturday morning, O’Hearn’s 35 hits and five home runs are lighting the Pirates’ fuse in the batter’s box.

So far, O’Hearn coming aboard in Pittsburgh is a win-win for the organization. The Pirates being 3.5 games behind Cincinnati in the Central Division prior to Saturday’s game is a testament that one man, one player who desires to lead, personally and collectively, is infectious enough to make system-wide changes for the better.