Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn Making 'Major Impact'
· Yahoo Sports
Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn Making 'Major Impact' originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Pirates wake up Monday with an impressive 32-28 record, good for third place in the National League Central, just five games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. Pittsburgh also begins the day tied with the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks for the third NL wild card.
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A big reason for the club's early success is slugger Ryan O'Hearn. The 32-year-old signed a two-year, $29 million contract in January and he's been worth every penny. In fact, FanSided's Robert Murray said O'Hearn is "is already making a major impact in Pittsburgh."
"In the winter, the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins were among the teams to consider Ryan O’Hearn," Murray wrote. "O'Hearn went to the Pirates, and early on, has already made a strong impression there.
Indeed, O'Hearn's .294 batting average and. 849 OPS are career highs. The 2025 All-Star is on pace for 22 home runs and 81 RBIs this season, according to ESPN. But Murray reported O'Hearn also is getting it done off the field.
"(T)eam officials have praised O’Hearn for his leadership and raved about how he has implemented himself into the Pirates’ clubhouse," Murray wrote.
Upgrading the team chemistry and offensive production were goals of the Pirates' front office heading into 2026. Mission accomplished.
"The Pirates spent more than they have in years this winter," Murray wrote. "They tried for Josh Naylor. They made a multi-year offer to Kyle Schwarber. But they signed O’Hearn and traded for Brandon Lowe and added them to an offense that needed drastic improvement."
Thanks in part to O'Hearn, the Pirates are fifth in the majors with a .253 batting average, a .733 OPS and 301 runs scored. The club's 526 base hits are second-best in the majors, behind only the Atlanta Braves.
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