Oneil Cruz: The Next Big Thing in Baseball?

Oneil Cruz completed his first extended look of big league action after the Pirates called up the recently-turned 24-year-old midseason. In 87 games with the Bucs, Cruz posted a .744 OPS. He hit 17 homers, drove in 54. On Monday, Cruz surpassed Joey Gallo for the highest strikeout rate in all of MLB (38.79% to 38.77%). He has whiffed an outrageous 116 times in 299 plate appearances this. Now, with the injury in his rearview, Oneil Cruz will be looking to help the Pittsburgh Pirates take the next step toward contention. At 6-foot-7, Cruz will literally be a big part of the... If you want to maximize Cruz's speed, chasing down fly balls and giving him a large canvas to work with in center field could do it. In smaller spaces like shortstop, reaction distance and bursts towards short distances are more important. O’Neill got a $49.5 million deal that is equally split to $16.5 million each of the next three seasons. Sánchez got an $8.5 million contract for likely a backup role behind All-Star.

Towering Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is hoping to turn last fall’s cameo into a full-time job in the major leagues. The 6-foot-7 Cruz is considered a linchpin of Pittsburgh’s. Cruz, the Pirates' 6-foot-7 prospect, made some noise in his big-league debut and could be a sign of the Pirates' fortunes changing. If you want to maximize Cruz's speed, chasing down fly balls and giving him a large canvas to work with in center field could do it. In smaller spaces like shortstop, reaction distance and bursts towards short distances are more important. Cruz has the raw power and bat speed to produce some incredible power numbers and exit velocities. But on Tuesday, he did something no player has done in the. If baseball requires a very specific kind of physicality—fast hands, meaty haunches, torque-able hips—Cruz is a truly stupefying athlete by any standard; At 6’7, 220 pounds, he’s. Baseball America considers Cruz the top prospect, best power hitter and best infield arm in the Pirates minor league system, ranking him the No. 14 overall prospect in. Oneil Cruz is a player of extremes. The 6-foot-7 shortstop — the tallest man ever to play the position regularly — doesn’t just have incredible bat speed and power, he can lay claim to the... On Monday, Cruz surpassed Joey Gallo for the highest strikeout rate in all of MLB (38.79% to 38.77%). He has whiffed an outrageous 116 times in 299 plate appearances this. Maybe that Oneil Cruz is about to be a breakout slugger. The Pirates' 23-year-old, 6-foot-7 shortstop played only two games when making his big league debut at the very end of. Pirates manager Derek Shelton joins MLB Tonight to discuss Oneil Cruz's transition to center field, players taking the next step and more News. Rule ... Rule Changes Probable.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton joins MLB Tonight to discuss Oneil Cruz's transition to center field, players taking the next step and more News. Rule ... Rule Changes Probable. He could have made a mockery of Triple-A pitching for the first two weeks, forcing the Pirates to call him up before the end of April. But the next big service-time milestone is. Oneil Cruz completed his first extended look of big league action after the Pirates called up the recently-turned 24-year-old midseason. In 87 games with the Bucs, Cruz posted a .744 OPS. He hit 17 homers, drove in 54. Cruz, the Pirates' 6-foot-7 prospect, made some noise in his big-league debut and could be a sign of the Pirates' fortunes changing. Oneil Cruz is a player of extremes. The 6-foot-7 shortstop — the tallest man ever to play the position regularly — doesn’t just have incredible bat speed and power, he can lay claim to the... Cruz has the raw power and bat speed to produce some incredible power numbers and exit velocities. But on Tuesday, he did something no player has done in the. If you want to maximize Cruz's speed, chasing down fly balls and giving him a large canvas to work with in center field could do it. In smaller spaces like shortstop, reaction distance and bursts towards short distances are more important.

He could have made a mockery of Triple-A pitching for the first two weeks, forcing the Pirates to call him up before the end of April. But the next big service-time milestone is. Towering Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is hoping to turn last fall’s cameo into a full-time job in the major leagues. The 6-foot-7 Cruz is considered a linchpin of Pittsburgh’s.