WEST SACRAMENTO — As Pirates gamers celebrated and packed luggage contained in the cramped guests’ clubhouse at Sutter Well being Park, Marcell Ozuna took a minute to soak within the scene.
It had been greater than a month since Ozuna’s final homer earlier than he went deep within the seventh inning of a 12-4 Pirates victory over the Athletics. Maybe extra irritating for the 35-year-old three-time All-Star, this was simply his sixth begin since Could 28.
The truth that Ozuna went 2 for five with a 448-foot blast … yeah, let’s simply say it was wanted.
“It made me really feel good,” Ozuna stated. “After I have been struggling and never enjoying in any respect, [doing] what I did [Wednesday] is superb. Thank God.”
All concerned clearly should hope it continues, because the Pirates are seemingly nearing a vital level with regards to Ozuna, who signed for successfully $12 million this season ($10.5 million in 2026, plus a $1.5 buyout).
When Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz return from the injured listing, the Pirates might face a roster crunch. They might additionally wish to use the DH spot as a rotation as an alternative of allocating it to a participant who’s hitting .198 with a .595 OPS.
Within the meantime, they don’t seem to be prepared to surrender on Ozuna, as basic supervisor Ben Cherington has stated a number of instances. They imagine there’s a bounce-back efficiency in there, and the Pirates wish to profit from it.
Nevertheless it has been a difficult scenario to handle.
Ozuna hasn’t hit sufficient to justify an everyday lineup spot, but it surely’s robust for him to get scorching with out constant enjoying time. So, what provides?
Seemingly Ozuna erupting so profoundly that the Pirates are pressured to play him for an prolonged stretch, which is why Ozuna has continued to place within the work, ready for an opportunity to indicate what he can do.
“You must be prepared in any scenario,” Ozuna stated. “They won’t use me in any respect, however I used to be prepared. After they give me the chance, I will be there. I have been speaking to them and [said], ‘In case you give me extra alternative, I will most likely get again.’ Or [if] I sit down on the bench and do not [get] an at-bat, it is laborious to get a sense, after which laborious to prepare.”
It’s laborious responsible Ozuna for desirous to play, but it surely’s additionally straightforward to see why the Pirates would possibly select an alternative choice, most continuously taking the chance to present Bryan Reynolds, Brandon Lowe or Ryan O’Hearn a partial relaxation day.
Plans will change if Ozuna begins producing just like the man who hit 79 homers and drove in 204 runs from 2023-24 or may even turn into an affordable facsimile of the participant the Pirates thought they had been getting once they signed him late this winter.
The kicker, after all, has been what we noticed once more on Wednesday, when Ozuna was joking round with Dennis Santana, Oneil Cruz and Yohan Ramirez, then later giving Tyler Callihan a hug after one other brief conversations.
As a lot as he is struggled, Ozuna has remained an extremely good teammate, referring to gamers of all ages and backgrounds, by no means complaining or making it about himself, staying constructive and making an attempt to set an instance.
“I’ve all the time had a powerful thoughts,” Ozuna stated. “I by no means wish to quit. I by no means wish to present a foul instance to the man following me. I all the time should hold grinding, do my greatest and present my teammates who I’m.”
It’s been spectacular, truthfully. Ozuna is a proud man, a World Sequence champion. He’s completed top-five in MVP voting, is aware of just about everybody across the sport and this season eclipsed 300 profession dwelling runs — not precisely a small feat.
Completely he’d moderately be enjoying, however he additionally understands why that hasn’t occurred. In the meantime, he’s been an especially constructive presence across the Pirates, therefore why teammates had been thrilled when he could have discovered a spark in Sacramento.
“Clearly this yr hasn’t gone the way in which he most likely needed it to to date,” O’Hearn stated. “However he’s been the identical man within the clubhouse each day, little question about that. He’s been an incredible teammate, helps the fellows. He’s dialed into the sport if he’s on the bench. Having him round is sweet for us. Ozuna’s the person. It’s enjoyable to see him hit a big-time homer for us [Wednesday].”
The homer got here on a 2-1 four-seamer situated middle-in. Ozuna crushed it to heart subject at 107.1. It regarded just like the swings he was routinely ripping off two or three years in the past.
After feigning shock when reporters needed to speak to him, Ozuna described just a few various things that went into his strategy towards the Athletics, serving to the Pirates win the collection and probably get again on monitor.
First, Ozuna admitted he’s been chasing extra as a result of he’s been so desperate to dig out of this gap. For no matter motive, he felt extra relaxed on Wednesday.
On the identical time, Pirates supervisor Don Kelly and third-base coach Tony Beasley each exhorted Ozuna to remain aggressive, to give attention to getting his pitch and let it rip as soon as he did.
“He regarded extra aggressive; he was getting his swing off,” Kelly stated. “He in a significantly better spot.”
The million-dollar query — actually — might be whether or not Ozuna can maintain this spark. Extra enjoying time will assist. It additionally doesn’t damage that the Pirates’ subsequent three video games might be performed at hitter-friendly Coors Discipline, the place Ozuna has six homers and an .801 OPS in 28 profession video games.
For his half, Ozuna stated he wakes up each morning and tries to overlook about no matter occurred the day before today — 0-for-4 or 4-for-4, the one factor that issues is profitable, he stated.
Ozuna additionally should trip the wave of confidence that appeared to return Wednesday. In a Triple-A ballpark of all locations, a stage of baseball he reached for the primary time when Griffin was 9.
Now that it is occurred, Ozuna stated he nonetheless holds out hope he can shake this prolonged droop and salvage at the least some a part of his season earlier than it’s too late.
“I have never doubted [myself],” Ozuna stated. “Simply being in a great spot, then all the time hold the boldness. You may lose confidence as a participant as a result of we didn’t anticipate the way in which I began the start of the season. However I’ve confidence that I can nonetheless do constructive issues within the sport.”
