Photo provided by Matt Lynch
This is one in a series breaking down players on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.
There aren’t many players across Major League Baseball more talented than Oneil Cruz. Nobody hits the ball harder. You’d be searching for awhile to find a player with a stronger arm. And very few run faster than he does.
Coming off a solid 2024 season in which he had a .778 OPS and joined the 20/20 club, the expectations were raised for Cruz entering this past season.
Cruz looked destined for a breakout year through the early portion of the 2025 season. Through his first 31 games of the season, the 27-year-old slashed a robust .252/.388/.523 with eight home runs, 18 RBI and 14 stolen bases.
Though his batting average dipped as the calendar flipped to June, Cruz still maintained an OPS north of .800 with 24 extra-base hits (13 home runs), 30 RBI and 25 steals in 62 games through June 13.
But Cruz had an anemic showing from the middle of June through the end of the season, finishing with a .177/.249/.309 batting line with eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 31 RBI over his final 73 games.
Despite showing promise at times, it was an underwhelming season for Cruz, who ended the year at the Mendoza Line with a .200 batting average and a .676 OPS.
Defensively, things weren’t any better for Cruz in his first full season as a center fielder. He led the league with 11 errors and had minus-14 defensive runs saved.
Though the end result was more bad than good, there were still some positive takeaways.
Cruz led the National League with 38 stolen bases and was the only Pirates’ player to reach 20 home runs. The highlight for Cruz was his performance in the Home Run Derby at All-Star weekend in Atlanta. Though he didn’t win, Cruz stole the show with a performance that included a record 513-foot blast.
Cruz’s display in the festivities leading up to the Midsummer Classic encapsulate the rare raw talent he possesses and the frustrations that he has yet to find consistent success with the Pirates.
Maybe 2026 will be the year Cruz finally puts it all together. But if not, it will become increasingly likely that he will turn into one of the bigger “what-ifs” in recent Pirates’ history.
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