Jason Mackey: Marcell Ozuna's healthy hip, immediate clubhouse impact have been hard to ignore

Jason Mackey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Feb 23, 2026

Published in Baseball

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BRADENTON, Fla. — The boisterous discussion among several Latin American Pittsburgh Pirates players had ended. Oneil Cruz, one of the last stragglers, ducked into the athletic trainer’s office. Left alone at his locker inside the home clubhouse at LECOM Park was Marcell Ozuna.

Ozuna’s days here have been busy — and Sunday was no different.

He’s become a mentor to Cruz, a conduit between players of several nationalities, an idol for wide-eyed minor leaguers and more. But he’s also a $12 million designated hitter who finished fourth in National League MVP voting in 2024.

So, in addition to being a de facto parent or some sort of winning whisperer, Ozuna needs to hit.

The good news is that Ozuna hasn’t felt like this since 2024, the hip issues that plagued him for much of last season gone.

“My hip was bad last year,” Ozuna said. “It didn’t feel the same. This year I feel 100%.”

Ozuna’s hip injury caused some hard-to-ignore changes in his numbers, starting with a drop in OPS from .925 to .756 and his homer total sinking from 39 to just 21 in 592 plate appearances. He hit 79 home runs in the previous two seasons combined.

There was decent plate discipline, with a career-high 15.9% walk rate and a career-low 22.3% chase rate. But it was obvious Ozuna was affected. He swung much less frequently than ever before (39.4%) and delivered his second-worst average exit velocity (89.9 mph) in a full season.

Ozuna had to allow his right hip heal this offseason, then he began rebuilding strength and mobility to the point where it’s no longer a thought or concern.

“I think it’s going to be a great season for me,” Ozuna said. “I appreciate the opportunity the Pirates gave to me, to help the young guys here.”

Which is obviously the other half of Ozuna’s job description — and an important one given how the past few years have gone around here.

Start with Cruz. Ozuna talked the day his contract became official about mentoring Oneil Cruz, and their closeness has been noticeable. You don’t see one without the other. Even for this story, Cruz was the one who reminded Ozuna that a reporter was waiting for him.

But it’s hardly just Cruz. Everywhere Ozuna goes, he attracts a crowd. Dennis Santana, Yohan Ramirez and Gregory Soto occupy one wing of these front-porch style discussions. But the group is rapidly expanding. Endy Rodriguez and Esmerlyn Valdez have become regulars. Enmanuel Valdez, too. Ryan O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds like to pop in and give their two cents.

It’s a healthy togetherness across multiple cultures that has not existed in the past, with Ozuna in the middle of the entire thing, seemingly insisting that it happens.

“There are a bunch young guys here,” Ozuna said. “They need to learn. I think that’s why I’m a good fit. I can teach them how it should be done.”

There’s a lesson Ozuna has tried to impart on his new teammates, and it’s simple: Enjoy the game. It’s what he’s told Cruz. It’s what he tells veterans, Americans, minor leaguers, doesn’t matter.

“They call it a game for a reason,” Ozuna said. “If you’re not enjoying it, you won’t have success.”

That’s been the case with Cruz recently, Ozuna contends. He was aware of how things went with Carlos Santana here. Cruz seemed to be trending in a positive direction. Then, in Ozuna’s words, Cruz went “wild” last year.

And not in a good way.

The way Ozuna sees it, Cruz needs an older brother type around, someone he can trust — but who will also show him tough love.

“When he doesn’t have someone who he trusts, he’s gonna get a little wild,” Ozuna said. “Right now, we’re spending a lot of time together. He’s talking to me every day.”

Cruz has been asking mostly about hitting, Ozuna said. But the mentality Cruz must have is something Ozuna saw with Ronald Acuna Jr. — a favorite of Cruz — and others in Atlanta.

Ozuna believes Cruz will get there.

“He’s powerful,” Ozuna said. “He has so much talent. He just needs to enjoy the game more than he used to. I’ve been telling him that he doesn’t have to worry if he misses a pitch. He’ll get the tools I’m giving him because of the experience I have. I think he’s gonna be great this season.”

If that happens with Cruz, look out. Ditto for Ozuna reverting back to his 2024 form, when he was worth 4.3 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference.

That’s probably a tad aggressive for Feb. 22. However, it’s also obvious Ozuna is healthy, and his new team is enjoying the game a heck of a lot more. If they can keep building on what has started down here …

“We’re gonna be good,” Ozuna insisted. “We’re gonna show some people who we are.”

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