Oneil Cruz Shows New Approach When Pirates Need It Most

Oneil Cruz Shows New Approach When Pirates Need It Most

There was a time when Oneil Cruz would have tried to hit the ball 500 feet. And that time was just last September.

The Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder once swung at every pitch, always aiming for power. Subtlety was absent from Cruz's approach.

Since opening day, Cruz has shown maturity as a hitter. On Sunday, with the game on the line, he did something new.

The Pirates and visiting Cincinnati Reds were scoreless in the bottom of the eighth inning when rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin ripped a two-out double to center field. Jake Mangum followed by drawing a walk.

That brought up Cruz. In this crucial moment, his focus was clear—he did not need to try to hit the ball over the right-field stands and into the Allegheny River.

Cruz fell behind 1-2, then lined a single. Griffin raced home and beat the throw.

That turned out to be the game’s lone run as the Pittsburgh beat the Reds 1-0 at PNC Park and swept the three-game series.

"I think the times he’s gotten outside himself, we’ve talked about every hitter out there wants to be the guy to come up with the big hit," Pirates manager Don Kelly told reporters after the game. "For someone who’s 6-7, as tall as he is, the hand-eye coordination and the ability to put the ball in play and go and handle a pitch elevated like that, that’s elite talent."

Despite high strikeout totals—181 in 2024, 174 last season, and 53 in 33 games this year—Cruz’s .264/.322/.500 slash line is a notable improvement over last season’s .200/.298/.378.

Adding to the context, Sunday was superhero day at PNC Park as part of a promotion for young fans. Cruz could have tried to be a superhero in the eighth inning.

Instead, he opted to just be a hero.

“Just staying aggressive,” Cruz said. “The first couple of pitches I swung at a ball in the dirt, but after that I just made my adjustments, stayed aggressive, and came through.