Pirates Named Top Fit for Padres Slugger
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates desperately need a consistent batter in their lineup in 2026 and this one slugger from the San Diego Padres might just be the answer.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic named his top 50 free agents and had Padres player Ryan O'Hearn at 27th overall. He also had his top fits as the Padres first, the Pirates second, the Minnesota Twins third and the Tampa Bay Rays fourth.
Ryan O'Hearn and His MLB Journey So Far
O'Hearn played for Wakeland High School in Frisco, Texas and then for Sam Houston State, before the Kansas City Royals took him in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
He eventually made it up to the Royals in 2018 and spent five seasons with the team through the 2022 campaign.
O'Hearn struggled from the plate during his time with Kansas City and only played more than 100 games once in 2019. He finished his time with a slash line of .219/.293/.390 for an OPS of .683 in 342 games, 210 hits, 40 doubles, five triples, 38 home runs, 131 RBIs and 98 walks to 287 strikeouts.
The Royals traded O'Hearn to the Baltimore Orioles on Jan. 5, 2023, where he had his breakout season. O'Hearn slashed .289/.322/.480 for an OPS of .801 in 112 games, with 100 hits, 22 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 60 RBIs and 15 walks to 82 strikeouts.
He played 142 games for the Orioles in the 2024 campaign and his numbers dropped a little, slashing .264/.334/.427 for an OPS of .761, but still maintaining a strong season.
O'Hearn had a great start to 2025 for the Orioles, where he slashed .283/.374/.463 for an OPS of .837 in 94 games, with 88 hits, 15 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 43 RBIs and 42 walks to 63 strikeouts.
His play earned him his first All-Star nod and the Orioles traded him soon after in a big trade at the deadline with the Padres, involving eight total players.
O'Hearn didn't have as successful a tenure with the Padres, slashing .276/.350/.387 for an OPS of .736 in 50 games and just four home runs and six doubles, but still ended up making the playoffs, where they lost in the National League Wild Card to the Chicago Cubs.
Why Signing O'Hearn Makes Sense for the Pirates
The Pirates desperately need offense heading into 2026, after ranking as one of the worst hitting teams in baseball this past season.
They had both the lowest slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), the third lowest batting average (.231) and the eighth lowest on-base percentage (.305) in the MLB.
Pittsburgh also had little power, hitting just 117 home runs in 2025, the least in baseball and 31 home runs next than the second-least team in the St. Louis Cardinals at 148 home runs.
They also posted the least RBIs (561) and runs scored (583), third-least hits (1,244) and the seventh-most strikeouts (1,422). The Rockies, who finished with the worst record in the MLB at 43-119, had more RBIs and runs scored than them.
O'Hearn isn't a generational hitter, but his .437 slugging percentage and .803 OPS were both, by far, better than any hitter the Pirates had.
He is also a versatile player, able to play both corner spots in the outfield, first base and designated hitter.
The Pirates haven't made a decision on their designated hitter for next season, which could include re-signing Andrew McCutchen, moving Bryan Reynolds there, or signing a free agent for that spot.
O'Hearn isn't necessarily the greatest fielder, but his ability to fill in for Reynolds in right field and give the Pirates some extra depth at left field, a position of great need, and also a backup to Spence Horwitz at first base, is something the Pirates should consider.
He is also a left-handed batter, like Horwitz, but unlike the Pirates first baseman, O'Hearn can hit left-handed pitchers, slashing .278/.358/.474 for an OPS of .832 in 97 at-bats vs. southpaws last season.
Can the Pirates Afford O'Hearn?
Bowden sees O'Hearn making a two-year, $24 million contract, while Spotrac has his market value around the same at two-years and $23 million.
The Pirates spend around the least amount of money on payroll in the MLB, coming at 26th last season and not hitting near $100 million since 2015-17.
Pittsburgh also hasn't signed a free agent position player to a multi-year deal since John Jaso, who signed a two-year, $8 million deal on Dec. 23, 2015, and the last free agent to a multi-year deal since right-handed starting pitcher Iván Nova, who signed a three-year, $26 million deal on Dec. 27, 2016.
The Pirates do have more money for spending on payroll, as they traded third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds and closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees, but there are reports of payroll not going up for next season.
O'Hearn makes sense compared to other free agents who will want longer deals, and if the Pirates can get him on a $10-$12 million, one-year contract, they should definitely give it a shot.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.