Ryan O’Hearn Is Producing When the Royals Need It Most

Once despised by fans, O'Hearn is providing value in a niche role on the club.

The 2022 season has been a tale of two seasons for Ryan O'Hearn. At the season's beginning, O'Hearn was not an uncommon name on the Kansas City Royals' lineup. He flexed between first base, designated hitter and even right field on occasion. He very much had a role like Hunter Dozier on the team, albeit with not nearly as much success. 

O'Hearn was an awful starter. Out of ten early starts, his .272 OPS and below-average fielding did not inspire confidence in anyone — especially fans. Their ire was justified, even as several other Royals players struggled. The success of first base prospect Vinnie Pasquantino only added more fuel to the fire against O'Hearn. Thankfully, Royals management made a (rare) common-sense decision and removed O'Hearn from the platoon altogether. The emergence of rookie MJ Melendez cemented his spot on the bench.

With all of that said, this may have been exactly what both the Royals and O'Hearn needed.

Jun 18, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Ryan O'Hearn (66) hits an RBI double against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

With Melendez, Carlos Santana, and other players firmly above O'Hearn, he has emerged as a prolific pinch-hitter. In 13 pinch-hitting at-bats, he posts an astounding 1.446 OPS with seven hits and four RBIs. For reference, he had just three RBIs and four hits when he started. Saying that pinch-hitting is O'Hearn's bread and butter — at least statistically thus far — would somehow be an understatement.

O'Hearn has not only been the Royals' best pinch hitter, but he is also arguably the league's best one as well. Among players with at least five pinch-hitting appearances, his hit total, OPS and OBP all lead the league. Right now, he's making a difficult and stressful job look quite easy and low-stakes. 

Granted, O'Hearn's ceiling has never been astronomically high in Kansas City. His 2018 rookie campaign, in which he posted a terrific .950 OPS with 30 RBIs in 44 games, was sadly his peak in a very small sample size. He has statically declined every year since, both at the plate and in the field. Despite that, Kansas City's lack of other options kept O'Hearn alive as a role player. He still qualifies as such but now, that role is smaller and more useful than ever for the Royals. 

With Pasquantino looking MLB-ready and fellow prospect Nick Pratto progressing, O'Hearn could be on the 40-man bubble after this season. He is still a DFA candidate in 2022, however, simply because he doesn't provide adequate everyday production. If Kansas City needed insurance at first base in the event that Santana moves on, the club should keep O'Hearn while bringing up a prospect-to-MLB replacement at first base. O'Hearn's 2022 ceiling is very low, but this level of pinch-hitting prowess simply cannot be denied at this moment in time.

Believe it or not, O'Hearn could be a useful player on a contending team. If winning clubs are seeking ready-to-go bats from a veteran player, he could be that guy. If Kansas City needs a trade sweetener, he could fit that bill as well. For now, though, O'Hearn will ride the bench until he is needed for an at-bat. Better him than Pasquantino, Pratto or another prospect.

O'Hearn's role may not be much, but something is better than nothing for this version of the Royals.