MLB

Pirates’ Oneil Cruz Walks, Runs, and Throws His Way Into MLB Superstardom

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz finds different ways to get on base. He is rapidly becoming the most feared leadoff hitter in the National League.
Pirates’ Oneil Cruz Walks, Runs, and Throws His Way Into MLB Superstardom
Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 27, 2025. Luke Hales/Getty Images
Donald Laible
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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.

Donald Laible
Donald Laible
Author
Don has covered pro baseball for several decades, beginning in the minor leagues as a radio broadcaster in the NY Mets organization. His Ice Chips & Diamond Dust blog ran from 2012-2020 at uticaod.com. His baseball passion surrounds anything concerning the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and writing features on the players and staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Don currently resides in southwest Florida.