The Pittsburgh Pirates’ success this season may rest largely on the shoulders of their star center fielder, Oneil Cruz.
To say the Pirates are going through a rough patch this early in their 2025 season is an understatement. Currently in fifth place in the National League Central with a 12–23 record, the 26-man roster is struggling in all areas of their game. After Sunday’s 4–0 loss to the San Diego Padres in their home park in Pittsburgh, the Pirates packed up after the sixth game of the homestand for a mid-week three-game set on the road with the St. Louis Cardinals. Perhaps, the only consolation is that the Cardinals are—barely—above the Pirates in the division standings.
Pittsburgh is 27th out of the 30 MLB clubs in hitting, with the Pirates collectively registering a .223 average. Yet, even after being shut out by opposing clubs six times and off to an organization’s worst start since 2006, there are “silver linings” to be found. Beyond the team’s four-game losing streak and having lost eight of their last 10 games, individual players are performing at levels that offer hope for a turnaround.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz is among the group being counted on—not just for this season but for seasons to come—to be a consistent thorn in the side of opposing pitching staffs and slow-throwing catchers. On the base paths, Cruz, 26, has already stolen 14 bases—without being caught stealing after 29 games—for the best numbers in both the National and American Leagues after Sunday’s games.
His 26 walks and 27 hits demonstrate how important it is for the Pirates’ manager, Derek Shelton, to keep Cruz in the leadoff spot. In what will be his second full season with Pittsburgh, Cruz must set the table for the rest of the lineup to try to reverse the current losing trend and help put the club on a hot streak.
“His newfound patience at the plate is giving opposing pitchers fits. If you pitch to him, he might hit the ball 120 mph and 450 feet. If you walk him, there’s a good chance he’s going to steal second,” Rob King, studio host for Pirates’ pre- and post-game TV broadcasts on SportsNet Pittsburgh, told The Epoch Times.
Since Cruz’s return from sitting out much of the 2023 season after fracturing his left fibula while sliding into home plate in a game against the Chicago White Sox, Cruz has continued to improve dramatically in all aspects of the game. His transition to center field from his regular shortstop position late last August by Pirates’ management remains a work in progress. But progress is evident.
Six weeks into the 2025 season, Cruz has belted four leadoff home runs and walked 11 times in the last 10 games. His 24 total walks—Cruz was walked intentionally twice—going into Sunday’s game, have Cruz tied for 11th place. In last Saturday’s game, he walked four times, for the second time this season. Indeed, he is the only position player to have walked four times in two games in 2025. Since 2022, only Cruz and New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge have equaled this accomplishment.
Cruz’s “sharp eye” at the plate continues to make him a double threat for opposing pitchers, either by getting on base via a walk or letting his quick bat spray the ball all over the outfield. With an average bat speed of 78.7 mph, combined with an average exit velocity once making a connection with the ball of 96.8 mph, Cruz’s batting average of .252 can be deceiving.
The book opposing clubs keep on the Pirates is also well aware of the center fielder’s strong throwing arm. A couple of seasons back, Cruz threw what was then the hardest by an infielder for an out—at 97.8 mph. In MLB slang, Cruz possesses a “cannon” for a right arm.
With the 95th MLB All-Star Game coming up this summer, whether voted in by fans or selected as a reserve, Cruz is making a strong case to represent the Pirates in Atlanta on July 15. The Mid-Summer Classic, pitting the best players of the National and American Leagues against each other, will take place at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
Among his strongest boosters is his father, Rafael Cruz.
Cruz Sr., a former Texas Rangers’ minor leaguer in the mid-1980s, has worked for several years in the MLB offseason to help his son perfect his all-around game. The younger Cruz, a regular participant in the Dominican Winter League for the past five seasons, credits his dad’s training methods as being the most influential. Coming from the southeastern part of the Dominican Republic, also from Nizao, the same hometown as Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero and current Arizona Diamondback Ketel Marte, Cruz has not taken his foot off the proverbial gas pedal when it comes to strengthening his skills.
At 6-foot-7 and 240 lbs, Cruz is an intimidating force for any pitcher standing 60 feet 6 inches away. Quick with his bat and his arm, and fast on his feet, Cruz is developing a leadership role among his teammates. He leads by example. The Pirates, before returning home for a weekend series with the Atlanta Braves, need to win at least two of three in St. Louis. To snap the losing streak and turn things around, Cruz needs to be the instigator. Given his penchant for finding a way to get on base, there’s little doubt that he won’t steer the Pirates’ ship into winning waters.
