When Oneil Cruz committed to the World Baseball Classic, I wrote that a matchup against Nicaragua might be the perfect launch pad for one of his patented hot streaks. It looks like that prophecy may have come true.
Cruz got a pinch-hit opportunity in the 8th inning and made the most of it, absolutely demolishing a 450-foot home run that left the park at 116.8 mph. Not only did the ball disappear into the night, it was also the hardest-hit ball of the last two World Baseball Classics. It immediately became one of the highlights of the tournament’s opening days, but Cruz quickly made it clear he wasn’t finished.
While he didn’t see any action in the Dominican Republic’s 12–1 victory over the Netherlands on Sunday, Cruz got the start in center field on Monday versus Israel and once again delivered.
After drawing a walk in his first plate appearance, Cruz came up in the bottom of the fourth inning and hit a laser that announcers described as “a catchable ball if Oneil Cruz himself was standing at second base.” Despite a low launch angle of just 17 degrees, “El Monke” somehow hit the ball hard enough at 115.8 mph to get it out of the park.
He followed that blast with a smoked double in the seventh inning and another walk in the eighth, meaning Cruz still has yet to record an out in five tournament plate appearances. The line so far: two home runs, a double, two walks, and four runs scored.
It’s about as flawless a start as you could ask for, especially considering it comes on the heels of a scorching spring training. Cruz has posted a 1.446 OPS and a .548 batting average in Grapefruit League play, and performances like this could earn him even more opportunities for the Dominican Republic as the tournament continues.
More importantly for Pirates fans, it’s another encouraging sign heading into the regular season.
Cruz started hot for Pittsburgh last year but cooled off dramatically as the season wore on, leaving his final numbers in a somewhat disappointing place. This offseason, however, has been filled with positive developments. Cruz has spent time working on his outfield defense with Platinum Glove center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, and he has reportedly taken batting practice against a left-handed pitcher for much of the offseason in an effort to improve his numbers against southpaws.
With a deeper lineup expected to provide more protection this year, Cruz has a real opportunity to show that his immense potential is still very much within reach—even if the breakout comes a little later than many expected when he first arrived in Pittsburgh.
