Hot-hitting Osuna has eyes on Opening Day spot

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates prospect José Osuna knows his strengths, his weaknesses and the opportunity in front of him.
Arguably baseball's hottest hitter this spring, Osuna, 24, is eyeing a spot on Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster. He has shown his ability at the plate and room for improvement in the outfield. With a bench job potentially opened up by Jung Ho Kang's absence all spring, Osuna might have better odds than it seemed at the start of camp.
"I have a chance," Osuna said Tuesday. "I don't know if it will happen. If not, I have to go to Triple-A and work hard there."
After going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in the Pirates' 5-4 win over the Rays at LECOM Park, Osuna is batting .436/.521/.897 with five homers and 14 RBIs in Grapefruit League play. Everyone in camp has praised Osuna's swing and improved approach, from manager Clint Hurdle to starting pitchers who had never played with him before.
"I feel good. I'm having a good spring offensively. I have to try to keep doing that every day," said Osuna, who is ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the Pirates' No. 29 prospect. "I have to try to stay on the team. I have to keep working and try to be better every day. It doesn't matter if you're starting or coming late in the game, I have to do my job."
Osuna attributed his success to confidence, and he came into camp prepared after playing winter ball in his native Venezuela. That's where Osuna was in November when he heard the Pirates added him to their 40-man roster, moving him another step toward the Majors.
"I felt so happy," he said. "You're working for a goal. Now, I feel more close to that goal."

Osuna is a natural first baseman, as he showed Tuesday while making a diving stop to his right. He worked at third base earlier this spring, too. He has made a pair of mistakes in the outfield the last two days, struggling to track down a fly ball in right field on Monday then losing a fly ball in the sun on Tuesday.
"I feel good. I have to keep working on that," Osuna said. "I'm good at first, but every day you have to learn something. I have to keep working at each position -- first, third, right, left."
The Pirates' Opening Day lineup is set. They have an experienced first baseman off the bench in John Jaso and potentially two super-utility men in Adam Frazier and Alen Hanson. Osuna understands defensive versatility, and dependability, will be critical if he's going to crack the roster.
"I think I have a chance," Osuna said. "If you don't make it, you have to go to Triple-A, work hard and wait for the opportunity."