Mar 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (5) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Winners and Losers From Pirates Opening Day

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 2:00 PM ET

PITTSBURGH -- Opening day was a near disaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The top of the first inning went according to plan for the Pirates, but that was it. The rest of the game went by with tons going wrong for the franchise, and they dropped their opener against the New York Mets by a final score of 11-7.

The Pirates are turning the page on their first game and now look to take the opening series against the Mets. The first step is finding the high and low points from the loss, and it's easy to do so with these winners and losers from opening day.

WINNER - Left Handed Hitting Newcomers

The additions of second baseman Brandon Lowe and outfielder Ryan O'Hearn look like incredible moves already. Lowe hit home runs in his first two at-bats, finishing with three RBIs in his debut. That includes one two-out RBI as well, showing a bit of clutch factor by producing in a tough situation.

Meanwhile, outfielder Ryan O'Hearn looked perfectly at home in right field and in the middle of the batting order. He also belted his first home run and finished 2-for-4 on the day.

The Pirates desperately needed more pop, and they got just that to kick-off the year.

LOSER - Oneil Cruz

Love or hate Oneil Cruz, you have to feel for him and his tough performance. Two first inning blunders led to multiple runs and helped the game slip away almost as soon as it began.

His defensive lapses were one thing, but he failed to make up for at the plate. He poked a single into right center field in his first at-bat, but then went 0-for-4 the rest of the day. It wasa tough start for the 27-year-old.

WINNER - Yohan Ramirez

It was a rough day for starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who was yanked before he completed the first inning. WIth an out left to get in the bottom of the first, manager Don Kelly pulled Skenes as he neared 40 pitches.

In came 30-year-old reliever Yohan Ramirez. In his second season with the Pirates, Ramirez got off to an impressive start. He piched 2.1 innings, striking out three and allowing a single hit in relief of Skenes.

Coming off a season where he compiled an earned run average (ERA) of 5.40 over 33.1 innings pitched in 2025, Ramirez put together a strong opening outing in 2026 and showed he can be a piece of Pittsburgh's middle relief.

LOSER - Marcell Ozuna

The Pirates knew they were in for some ups and downs when they added Marcell Ozuna, and the slugger had a terrible day at the plate. In the designated hitter role, he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

Not exactly what you want to see out of the power-hitting veteran.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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