Pirates GM Addresses Oneil Cruz's Struggles
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz has had a poor season in 2025, failing to reach expectations of him improving in his second full season at the MLB level.
Cruz has slashed .201/.300/.381 for an OPS of .681 in 133 games for the Pirates this season, with 94 hits in 467 at-bats, 18 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs, 64 walks to 173 strikeouts and 38 stolen bases on 43 attempts.
His 20 home runs lead the team and his 38 stolen bases are tied for fourth in the MLB and first in the National League, along with New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto.
Cruz recently joined the 20-30 club, marking at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season. He is one of four Pirates player to join the club, along with Barry Bonds, who did it four times (1987, 1990-92), Andy Van Slyke, who did it twice in 1987 and 1988, and Starling Marte, who also did it in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019.
He also made history at the Home Run Derby at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, on July 14. He hit one of his home runs 513 feet, which tied for the longest home run in the competition, outside of Coors Field, which has higher elevation and makes it easier to hit longer home runs.
Cruz made it past the first round, the Pirates player to do so, and finished with 34 home runs total, the most for a Pirates player in the competition.
He also hit the hardest home run of the Statcast era (since 2015), at 122.9 mph, which went over the right field wall at PNC Park on May 25, against Milwaukee Brewers right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.
While he has his knack for great moments, his .201 batting average is the worst for any qualified hitter in the MLB this season. He also hit below .200. in June and August and has done so in September.
His 173 strikeouts are also the fourth most in a season in Pirates history, eight off his career-high of 181 strikeouts in 2024, which is second most in franchise history.
Cruz has also made this first full season starting in center field after previously playing at shortstop. He has had some rough plays, like his fielding blunder vs. the Texas Rangers at PNC Park on June 20, but also an incredible throw home for an out vs. the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 6.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke on Cruz and said that they like how he's played center field for the most part, but that he needs to improve on his contact for next season.
Cherington also said that Cruz's offseason is crucial, as he'll need to find a better approach at the plate and get that consistency going, as the Pirates aim for the playoffs in 2026.
“It’s definitely something that we’re really, really digging into and focused on," Cherington said. "It’s really important. We thought he was there for a couple of months. He got off to a little bit of a rough start, stabilized and then was proving he could play center field. That part, I think he mostly has done. It looked like for a couple of months that he was about to reach that next level, but it hasn’t happened.
"I think particularly since the All-Star break, the offensive production just hasn’t been there. He’s aware of that. We’re digging into it with him. I think the offseason is going to be really important for him. Mostly, it just comes down to approach and swing decisions with him. When he makes contact and barrels the ball, still really good things are happening. It’s just what pitches he’s swinging at and how consistent in that approach. It just hasn’t been there for him in the second half of the season.”
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.