BRADENTON, Fla. -- Before Pirates players took the field for workouts on a chilly Tuesday morning at LECOM Park, an unexpected conversation played out in the corner of the home clubhouse.
Konnor Griffin, a 19-year-old from Mississippi who’s yet to play a Major League game, had questions for Marcell Ozuna, a 35-year-old native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, who’s appeared in more than 1,600 games over 13 seasons.
Griffin and Ozuna had a deep discussion over various approaches and the process of making adjustments at the highest level.
“He’s gonna do well,” Ozuna said of Griffin after Pittsburgh’s 10-2 loss to Houston, which dropped its Grapefruit League record to 15-9. “He learns and will improve what he has.”
The hope – no, expectation – is that Griffin isn’t alone. It's essentially that the Pirates added some veteran leaders this offseason to their position-player group to spur more conversations like the one between MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect and the veteran Ozuna.
And yes, that has happened plenty beyond Ozuna and Griffin, which is just the latest example.
It’s also not to shovel dirt on anything that has happened before, a point Nick Gonzales was careful to make when discussing the dynamic.
It’s merely to say there’s a healthy mix of old and young, and nobody has been shy about sharing ideas.
“We’re all in a really, really good spot,” said Gonzales, who’s hitting .409 this spring.
In the opposite corner of the clubhouse, Bryan Reynolds sits next to Brandon Lowe, another offseason addition. They’ve been involved in plenty of discussions, the same for players on the near wall: Jake Mangum, Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Ryan O'Hearn, Spencer Horwitz and more.
It’s hard not to notice how much this dynamic has improved.
More guys in the room. More discussions. Doesn’t matter what your age or nationality is. Pretty much constant interaction.
Time will tell whether it amounts to anything during the regular season, but Ozuna, Lowe, O’Hearn and Mangum have come exactly as advertised when you talk about their character.
Oh, and they’ve played baseball well.
After a slow start, only three Pirates have more Grapefruit League hits than Ozuna (9), who added another one Tuesday. O’Hearn is hitting (.370) and has two doubles and two homers among his 10 hits. Mangum’s at .273 and has a style Pirates fans should love. Another newcomer, No. 6 Pirates prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, leads the club in Spring Training hits with 15 (.455 average).
Asked last week what’s led to his blistering start, Garcia was quick to credit Ozuna. Similar to Griffin, it was a conversation with the veteran about approach that gave Garcia the confidence to see the ball for longer.
“He’s been great,” Garcia said.
Intentionally so, too.
This is why Ozuna wanted to come to Pittsburgh, to fill this role for the Pirates. That and the chance to prove – with full health – that he can still play.
But as well as Ozuna has hit, his guidance in the clubhouse been even more impactful for a Pirates team that has needed an older Latin American position player since trading Carlos Santana.
When Ozuna broke into the league, he cited Placido Polanco, Miguel Olivo and Martin Prado as positive influences. Now, he’s trying to return the favor with Oneil Cruz, Endy Rodríguez or really anyone who wants the help – yes, even Griffin.
“I tell everyone, feel free to ask me any question you have,” Ozuna said. “I can tell them what I see.”
There has also been an inverse effect on Ozuna.
“I feel like I’m 23 right now,” he said, smiling.
Again, general manager Ben Cherington’s offseason moves thus far have achieved the intended results, as the Pirates are 14th in runs (124) and 19th in OPS (.756).
It’s also Spring Training and probably not worth overreacting to anything good or bad at this point.
The change has been more anecdotal. It’s a feeling you get when you enter the Pirates clubhouse, a vibe given off by players when asked what they’re doing, who they’re doing it with or the approach taken by manager Don Kelly and those above him.
It’s also just sitting back and watching humans interact.
That Griffin isn’t uncomfortable seeking out Ozuna says something about the 19-year-old’s uncommon maturity. It also speaks to the scenario Ozuna and others have helped to create.
They’re not soaking up at-bats and hoping to skip town. Starting back at Pirate City, and likely before, they became invested in the team and journey, trying to build something that’s different.
“It’s just kind of how it is this year,” Reynolds said. “It’s good for me, too. I get to bounce things off of Brandon, Ryan, Spencer, Gonzo, everybody. We’ve had good, open dialogue between everybody so far.”
It’s been that way for longer on the pitching front. Whether it’s been Paul Skenes, the fact that this regime has done a better job identifying pitching talent or sheer randomness, the focus on clubhouse culture has certainly been more on the offense.
The moves made should certainly help, though it’s understandable if fans want to see actual evidence. Meanwhile, Spring Training provides a setting for conversations to occur, for players to share information and for the group to become a lot closer.
Pretty easy to say that has happened.
“It’s not like there was anything wrong with what we had in years prior,” Gonzales said. “But this year definitely feels really good.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and X @JMackey_PGH.