WATCH: Pirates Oneil Cruz Hits One-Handed Homer Into Allegheny River
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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz continues to be must-watch television.
Tuesday night, the 6-foot-7 shortstop crushed a two-run home run into the Allegheny River on a one-handed swing, off New York Mets pitcher Tommy Hunter.
Cruz's long ball was the 67th home run to find its way into the Allegheny River since PNC Park opened in 2001.
Oneil Cruz — named after five-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion Paul O'Neill — has dazzled in his rookie season.
Over 62 games in his rookie campaign, Cruz has now hit 13 home runs and 39 RBI, stolen six bases, and is hitting .213 with a .706 OPS.
Cruz's stat-line may suggest otherwise, but the 22-year-old is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He would be on pace to hit 33 home runs and 103 RBI over a full 162-game season.
Cruz went 3-for-5 Tuesday night. All three of his hits had an exit velocity of over 110-mph. Cruz has a tendency to hit balls very hard.
Cruz's eighth-inning home run gave the Pirates an 8-2 lead over the Mets, and the Buccos would hang on to win and raise the jolly roger.
With the win, the Pirates improve to 50-84 in 2022 and remain in last place of the National League Central.
After Monday's game was rained out, the Pirates will play a doubleheader against the Mets on Wednesday, then host the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend.
With the loss, the Mets fall to 85-51 on the season, and open the door for the Atlanta Braves to have a chance to tie their National League East division-lead, with a win over the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night.
