Pirates Have Best Offseason Signing in MLB
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates front office had an active winter, which has helped the team greatly, but one addition stands out from amongst the rest.
Greg Amsinger of MLB Network ranked the top nine free agent signings this offseason and named Pirates right fielder/first baseman Ryan O'Hearn as the best one.
He even ranked O'Hearn above the likes of Japanese star Munetaka Murakami with the Chicago White Sox and right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka with the Arizona Diamondbacks
"Ryan O'Hearn has brought that established big leaguer to the offensive attack for the Pittsburgh Pirates and it's changed the entire lineup," Amsinger said.
Ryan O'Hearn Excelling with Pirates in 2026
O'Hearn signed with the Pirates on a two-year, $29 million deal, which already ended some "droughts" for the Pirates in free agency.
He served as the first multi-year free agent signing since right-handed starting pitcher Iván Nova for three years, $27 million on Dec. 27, 2016 and was the first multi-year free agent position player signing since outfielder John Jaso for two years, $8 million on Dec. 23, 2015.
O'Hearn came to the Pirates off an All-Star season with the Baltimore Orioles and the San Diego Padres and is already having an incredible season so far.
He is slashing .324/.409/.527 for an OPS of .936 through 21 games, with 24 hits in 74 at-bats, three doubles, four home runs, 16 RBI and 11 walks to 15 strikeouts.
O'Hearn leads the Pirates in batting average and on-base percentage, while ranking second in both slugging percentage and OPS behind second baseman Brandon Lowe. He also ranks second in hits, third in home runs and RBI and tied for third in doubles and walks.
He also ranks amongst the best hitters in baseball, giving the Pirates that left-handed power bat they desired when they signed him this offseason.
Stat | Ranking (NL/MLB) |
|---|---|
Batting Average | (Tied-4th/Tied-6th) |
On-Base % | (6/12) |
OPS | (10/15) |
Slugging % | (17/24) |
Statcast ranks O'Hearn highly in terms of his hitting, giving him a batting run value of +8 in the 94th percentile, which comes from his strong hitting and power so far, but also with his solid plate discipline too.
O'Hearn has also had to adjust to playing right field every day, something he had only done 101 times (77 starts) prior in his first eight seasons in the major leagues.
He's played decently well in the new role, reducing mistakes and making sure that he's focusing on producing at the plate.
O'Hearn tied his career-high with four RBI in the 8-2 win over the Orioles at PNC Park on April 5, which clinched a series sweep.
He spoke after the game about how he isn't alone in the lineup, as guys like Lowe, fellow outfielders Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, as well as others have stepped up and made this a lineup that isn't overlooked by other major league teams.
"I didn't play the Pirates last year," O'Hearn said. "I know that the offense wasn't great last year, but this is a completely new team with a completely new lineup. Forget about whatever happened the last few years. I don't care about that. This team is a good team. I'm excited to show up to work every day and go to battle with these guys.
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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.