Photo provided by Eddie Provident
Oneil Cruz was wearing a beanie to combat the frigid temperatures when he walked into the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh for 2026 PiratesFest.
While meeting with members of the media in front of a Pirates’ backdrop, Cruz briefly removed his hat to show off his new haircut. Pittsburgh’s 6-foot-7 center fielder ditched his dreads for a traditional tight cut.
“I had it all planned before the season was over last year,” Cruz said through coach/interpreter Stephen Morales. “The only one who knew about it was [Andrew McCutchen]. As soon as I cut it, I called him on FaceTime. He found out right away.”
Cruz’s new look was accompanied by a different mentality heading into the 2026 season, which will be his sixth in the big leagues.
Cruz led the league with 38 stolen bases last season and led the team with 20 home runs but finished the year with a .200 batting average and a .676 OPS in 135 games.
“No time to relax, definitely,” Cruz said of his offseason. “The season that I had last year, it was not my best season. I just went home, no time to relax. I went right to work. Just to work on the stuff that I was having trouble with last year and work on my body again. No time to relax. Just focus on what I need to do to get better.
When Cruz kept reiterating he had no time to relax this winter, he meant it. The 27-year-old started getting to work in hopes of remedying his 2025 woes.
“I started working right away with Wilton Guerrero, Vladimir Guerrero Sr.’s brother, down in the Dominican,” said Cruz. “He helped me a lot with the outfield stuff and hitting stuff. Basically no break.”
Offensively, the main area Cruz has been focused on this offseason has been getting better against same-side pitching. After posting a .686 OPS against lefties in 2024, Cruz had a futile .400 OPS against southpaws this past season.
“Last year wasn’t a good year against lefties like the prior year. That’s what I was doing in the Dominican this year, facing a lot of live pitching against lefties just to get better at it. And go back to hitting lefties like I used to.”
Defensively, the 2025 season marked Cruz’s first as a full-time center fielder. He showed flashes and the tools — his speed and arm strength — that offer reasons of hope it can work out there after shifting from shortstop, but the end result was a subpar showing.
Cruz committed 11 errors and had minus-14 defensive runs saved, but he believes his experience last year combined with the work that he’s put in this offseason will translate to better results on the field.
“Quickness, reactions to the ball, angles and all that. But also, the throws to the bases,” Cruz said on what he’s been focused on. “That was something that I struggled with last year, just because the arm action is different. I knew I had to get better at it. I worked on that a lot. I think I’m in a better spot right now.”
There’s no denying Cruz has All-Star talent — from how far some of his home runs have traveled to how fast he can run and how hard he can throw a ball — he has tools that are the envy of most players in the league.
But finally getting those tools to translate to consistent success would allow him to participate in more than just the Home Run Derby at the Midsummer Classic. It would result in him representing the Pirates as an All-Star.
“I can belong to that group,” Cruz said when asked about his experience amongst All-Stars last year. “All I have to do is impact the game like I know that I can. For sure I can belong to that group again.”
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