A lack of offense was by far the Pirates’ biggest flaw in 2025. It was unquestionably the deficiency that defined their offseason direction.
It’s early, sure. But the way things have been going, with Oneil Cruz mashing lefties, Ryan O’Hearn arriving as advertised and more, it’s starting to look like this offense could function as a strength, not a hindrance.
An 8-2 victory Sunday to sweep the opening series at PNC Park served as the latest bit of evidence. O’Hearn and Cruz homered, while O’Hearn matched his career-high with four RBIs.
The Pirates (6-3) have scored eight runs three times through nine games. They didn’t score eight or more runs three times until their 24th game a season ago.
“I know the offense wasn't great last year, but this is a completely new team with a completely new lineup,” O’Hearn said. “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.”
Some of the numbers are striking, sort of like what we’ve seen from Cruz when it comes to facing left-handed pitching. A few examples:
• The Pirates are averaging 5.0 runs per game compared to 3.6 in 2025. Over the past five games, that first number increases to 6.4.
• They have 12 home runs as a team. Only two MLB clubs as of this writing had more.
• Their slugging percentage (.399) and OPS (.736) are both seventh-best in MLB, while they’re tied for the sixth-most runs (45).
• This has also happened without getting much from Marcell Ozuna (.074) and Spencer Horwitz (.174).
There are many reasons for the strong start, but confidence when it comes to this offense continues to grow.
“The offense is a lot different this year,” said Cruz, with major league coach Stephen Morales translating. “Having [Brandon] Lowe, O’Hearn and Ozuna, when he gets going, then you have [Bryan] Reynolds and other guys who can help ... whenever we’re on a roll, I think we’re going to be even more dangerous. It feels really good to be around those guys.”
A lot has gone right for the Pirates through three series. Let’s further examine Sunday’s game through my nine observations:
• Cruz’s performance against lefties has been hard to ignore. Upset with his struggles in that situation last year, Cruz found and hired a left-handed batting practice pitcher this winter in the Dominican Republic.
It’s been money well spent.
In 2025, Cruz hit .102 (11 for 108) against southpaws, with one home run and eight RBIs. Already this year, Cruz is 7-for-11 (.636) with three home runs and six RBIs.
“It feels good, but I have people behind me [other teams] don’t want to pitch to,” Cruz said. “I think I’m seeing better pitches. I’m trying to be myself and more calm at the plate as well.”
• The homer Cruz hit was another impressive blast. Came off southpaw Cade Povich, on a 2-2 four-seamer middle in. Cruz drove it to straightaway center, into the bushes, 415 feet at 107.2 mph.
One key to Cruz’s work against lefties: staying in the middle of the field and not trying to pull everything.
“It's really impressive and speaks to the work he put in this offseason,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He worked really hard. He did it consistently throughout the offseason. He came into Spring Training with that goal in mind. Really proud of him accomplishing that with power.”
Cruz’s bomb made it an 8-1 game and effectively put this one out of reach.
• Some players press when joining a new team. O’Hearn has been the exact opposite. He’s been a seamless fit — with his personality, how much teammates like and respect him, his defense and absolutely his performance at the plate.
O’Hearn crushed a two-run homer in the first on a 3-0 pitch Chris Bassitt thought would be a surefire take. It was not. Then O’Hearn extended the Pirates’ lead to 6-0 with his double into the North Side Notch the next inning, going the other way on a sinker down.
The Pirates led by a touchdown (but missed the extra point) after two.
“Feels good to put points on the board early in the game,” O’Hearn said. “Sweeps in this league are really hard, and I think if you can go out there and kind of give 'em a gut punch and go up early, it makes it a lot easier.”
• O’Hearn has 11 hits and 11 RBIs through his first eight games in Pittsburgh. He’s just the fifth Pirate since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920 to have at least 11 RBIs through their first eight games with the team.
The others: Reb Russell (11, 1922), Ed Stevens (13, 1948), Dick Stuart (11, 1958) and Reggie Sanders (11, 2003). O’Hearn is the only player on that list with at least 11 hits in his first eight games.
Overall, O’Hearn is hitting .367 with a 1.159 OPS. Only 10 MLB players have accumulated more than his 21 total bases.
• The numbers are impressive with O’Hearn. But Braxton Ashcraft is one of the Pirates’ better talkers, and I thought he described perfectly what O’Hearn has meant to this club.
“It starts with Ryan O’Hearn,” Ashcraft said when asked about this being a team win. “He came in this year and set a precedent. He leads by example in how he plays the game, how he hustles and conducts himself day in and day out. It’s contagious.
“When you show up to work every day and see the people around you putting in the work, it forces you to either run the race with them or fall way behind. I think that everybody is stepping up to that challenge.”
• Speaking of Ashcraft, he doesn’t get enough attention. Another quality start for Pittsburgh’s rotation: six innings, four hits, one earned run, no walks and eight strikeouts. Finished with nine whiffs and threw hard stuff a little more than usual.
Ashcraft through two starts: 12 innings, three earned runs, four walks, 11 strikeouts, a 1.00 WHIP.
Sunday's strikeout total was a career-high, and it kept a strong run going for this starting rotation: 2.13 ERA over the last eight games, no more than two earned runs allowed for the starting pitcher in any of them.
“We put in a lot of work over these last five days, and it paid off,” Ashcraft said. “That’s a testament to the people we have around us, like [pitching coach Bill Murphy] and all the other guys we have watching every bullpen and throwing program. Need to piggyback off their thoughts and how they see you move, and it really helps.”
Pittsburgh has the only starting rotation in MLB yet to give up a home run. The entire pitching staff walked none and struck out 14, just the fourth time in the Modern Era (since 1901) the Pirates have done that.
• Underrated part of this one 1.0: Jake Mangum making things happen. Beat out a beautiful bunt in the second and scored. Singled before Cruz’s homer in the seventh.
• Underrated part of this one 2.0: Henry Davis’ defense, specifically throwing out left fielder Taylor Ward trying to steal in the first. Davis has gunned down three of four so far. May get to the point where opposing runners don’t even try.
• The vibes around this team right now are something. They have the longest current winning streak in MLB at five games. They also swept an AL East team for the first time since April 2023.
There’s offense, a welder’s hood, strong pitching, orange cones and a whole bunch of players and facets of the game contributing.
“There’s a lot of good energy floating around this clubhouse right now,” Ashcraft said. “We’re excited for what’s to come.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.