Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz Breaks Statcast Record With Powerful Performance

Oneil Cruz made Statcast history when he recorded two batted balls of 120-plus miles per hour in the Pittsburgh Pirates' win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

May 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (15) hits a single against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz has always had a quick bat, but he took things to the next level against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

Cruz got his day started with a two-out single in the first inning, roping a low changeup 120.4 miles per hour to right. The next time he stepped up to the plate, Cruz crushed a low sinker 116.3 miles per hour to left for a two-out double.

After striking out in the fifth and popping out in the eighth, Cruz played a key role in the Pirates' clutch ninth-inning rally. Pittsburgh began the frame down 6-2, but by the time Cruz came up again, it was a 6-5 ballgame with runners on the corners.

Cruz kept the Pirates alive, adding a game-tying double on a 121.5 mile-per-hour line drive to right.

Pittsburgh didn't need Cruz to save them in extras, as Nick Gonzales walked things off with an RBI single up the middle.

MLB.com's Sarah Langs noted just how wild of a night Cruz had at the plate, sharing that he is now the first player in the Statcast era with two batted balls that went 120-plus miles per hour in the same game. Additionally, he is the first player with three 115-plus mile-per-hour batted balls in a game.

No other player this season had recorded a single hit of 120-plus miles per hour, and Cruz just did it twice in the same game.

ONEIL CRUZ IS THE FIRST PLAYER WITH 2 120+ MPH BATTED BALLS IN A GAME UNDER STATCAST

AAAAND THE FIRST WITH 3 AT 115+ MPH IN A GAME https://t.co/7ueHKY5qK4

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 22, 2024

Cruz ranks in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity and 100th percentile in average bat speed, per Baseball Savant. He is also in the 98th percentile in barrel percentage, 97th percentile in hard-hit percentage, 97th percentile in arm strength and 82nd percentile in sprint speed.

The former top prospect broke onto the scene in 2022, finishing sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The 6-foot-7 shortstop missed most of 2023 due to injuries, though, and he is one of the few pieces of the Pirates' young core that has yet to earn a contract extension.

Cruz has gotten off to a solid start in 2024, batting .260 with seven home runs, 19 RBI, four stolen bases, a .744 OPS and a 0.8 WAR in 47 games. The 25-year-old has four more seasons of team control left after this one, so he has plenty of time to continue to grow into an even more dangerous and consistent hitter.

If he can continue to string together historic performances like the one he had Tuesday, it's only a matter of time before Cruz becomes a bona fide superstar.

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