| Oneil Cruz | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Cruz with theIndianapolis Indians in 2021 | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates – No. 15 | |
| Center fielder /Shortstop | |
| Born: (1998-10-04)October 4, 1998 (age 27) Nizao,Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| October 2, 2021, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .233 |
| Home runs | 60 |
| Runs batted in | 198 |
| Stolen bases | 73 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Oneil Cruz (born October 4, 1998) is a Dominican professionalbaseballcenter fielder andshortstop for thePittsburgh Pirates ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021 andled theNational League (NL) instolen bases in 2025.
Cruz signed with theLos Angeles Dodgers in July 2015 as an international free agent for a $950,000 signing bonus.[1]Cruz made his professional debut in 2016 withDSL Dodgers 1, batting .294 with 23runs batted in (RBI) in 55 games. He began the 2017 season with theGreat Lakes Loons.
On July 31, 2017, the Dodgers traded Cruz and Angel German to the Pirates in exchange forTony Watson.[2] He was then assigned to theWest Virginia Power. In 105 games between the two clubs, heslashed .237/.297/.350 with 10home runs and 44 RBI.
In 2018, he played for the West Virginia Power, batting .286 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 103 games, earningSouth Atlantic League All-Star honors.[3]
Cruz began 2019 atHigh–A level with theBradenton Marauders, before suffering a right foot fracture on April 27.[4] After missing two months due to the fractured foot,[5] Cruz was assigned to the rookie-levelGulf Coast League Pirates on June 24.[6] On July 28, Cruz was promoted to theDouble-AAltoona Curve.[7][8] He hit .298 in 73 games for the 2019 season across the three teams.
On November 20, 2019, the Pirates added Cruz to their40-man roster to protect him from theRule 5 draft.[9] He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of theMinor League Baseball season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[10] Cruz split the 2021 minor league season between Altoona and theTriple-AIndianapolis Indians, hitting a combined .310/.375/.594 with 17 home runs, 47 RBI, and 19stolen bases.[11]
On October 2, 2021, Cruz was promoted to the active roster for the first time to make his MLB debut.[12][13] He appeared in two Major League games in the 2021 season and hit his first career home run on October 3 inPittsburgh.[14]
Cruz did not make the team out ofspring training in 2022 and was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the year.[15][16] He was recalled to make his season debut on June 20 against theChicago Cubs, where he collected two hits, two runs, and four RBIs.[17] On August 24, 2022, Cruz hit the then hardest-hit ball since the advent ofStatcast againstAtlanta Braves pitcherKyle Wright. The ball was recorded at 122.4 miles per hour (197.0 km/h).[18]
On April 10, 2023, Cruz fractured his leftfibula while sliding into home plate, which was blocked by White Sox catcherSeby Zavala while Cruz was attempting to score from third base on a ground ball. He was expected to miss four months,[19] but after multiple setbacks, he was ruled out for the entire season.[20]
On August 26, 2024, managerDerek Shelton announced that Cruz would be moving tocenter field for the foreseeable future.[21]
In 2024, Cruz batted .259/.324/.449 with 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases, and had the highest maximum exit velocity in MLB, at 121.5 mph.[22]
Cruz hit his first career grand slam on April 16, 2025 against theWashington Nationals in a 6-1 victory.[23]
On May 25, 2025, Cruz hit the hardest-hit ball in the Statcast Era, at 122.9 miles per hour (197.8 km/h), beating the previous record, owned by himself, by 0.5 miles per hour (0.80 km/h). He did this againstLogan Henderson of theMilwaukee Brewers, reaching 432 feet (132 m) for a home run.[24]
On July 8, 2025, Oneil Cruz announced that he would be participating in the2025 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, although he was not chosen to play in the2025 MLB All-Star game.[25]
Cruz is the son of retired minor leaguer Rafael Cruz. The elder Cruz named his son after his favorite player, formerNew York YankeesoutfielderPaul O'Neill.[26]
On September 22, 2020, Cruz was involved in a deadly vehicle crash in theDominican Republic in which three people were killed. The accident occurred when hisJeep collided with a motorcycle carrying the three deceased that was traveling with no lights in the same direction that Cruz was traveling. Cruz survived the fatal accident without serious injury.[27]
Cruz is unusually tall for a shortstop. He is listed as 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and 215 pounds (98 kg). The only other major league player to make an appearance at shortstop as tall was 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m)Joel Guzmán, who played nine innings for theTampa Bay Rays in 2007. There have been four 6-foot-5-inch (1.96 m) major leaguers who started some games at shortstop —Archi Cianfrocco,Elly De La Cruz,Troy Glaus, andMichael Morse.[8]
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