Pirates Newest Star Wants to Mentor Oneil Cruz
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz has a massive season ahead of him, but he won't got at it alone.
The Pirates recently signed free agent Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $12 million deal for the 2026 season, with a $16 million mutual option for 2027, bringing a top right-handed bat to a lineup in need of one.
Ozuna has played 12 seasons in the major leagues and more than 1,600 games in his career, making him one of the more experienced major leaguers in all of baseball, especially from his home country, the Dominican Republic.
When asked about who wanted him to join the Pirates, fellow countryman in relief pitcher Dennis Santnana played a big role, but so too did Cruz, as they share the same agent, CAA Sports.
“Oneil Cruz and my agent. He’s a client too," Ozuna said in a video from DK Pittsburgh Sports. "So he always say, ‘Hey! Go there, go there.’ So I decided to play with him and he’s a nice guy, he’s a young guy. He need to learn more about baseball and then I think he’s gonna listen to me."
Ozuna Wants to Serve as Leader for Cruz
Taking on a role of a leader isn't necessarily an easy task, but Ozuna is ready for it, as well as his own duties from the plate. Ozuna is confident that if Cruz works with him and listens to what he has to say, then he could his best season as a major leaguer.
“Oh we’ll see," Ozuna said,. "If he follow me, he gonna be alright and then if he do the work that we gonna do, maybe he can do some damage this year, more than he ever has.”
Both Ozuna and Cruz hail from the Dominican Republic, an easy shared connection for the two, but one that builds camaraderie and trust. Cruz will represent Team Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and will reunite with some players that cheered him on during an electric Home Run Derby.
“Yeah, he gonna play in the WBC, so that’s helping a little bit more," Ozuna said. "So he came in ready and when he came in, he understood what he needed to do and then he might change for himself and do better.”
Why This is A Crucial Season for Oneil Cruz
It was a difficult season overall for Cruz with the Pirates in 2025, where there were great moments, but the entirety didn't match up to the great potential he has.
Cruz slashed .200/.298/.378 for an OPS of .676, with 94 hits in 478 at-bats, 20 home runs, 18 doubles, three triples, 61 RBI, 38 stolen bases on 43 attempts and 64 walks to 178 strikeouts.
He had the lowest batting average of any qualified batter, and his on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS all ranked in the bottom 25 in baseball.
Stat | Total (MLB Rank) |
|---|---|
Batting Average | .200 (Worst) |
On-Base Percentage | .298 (23rd Worst) |
Slugging Percentage | .378 (22nd Worst) |
OPS | .676 (16th Worst) |
Cruz also struggled for the most part in center field, finishing with -14 defensive saved (DRS) and -11 defensive runs saved above average, both the second worst marks of any qualified center fielder in the major leagues, according to FanGraphs.
Despite the poor season overall, Cruz did make some incredible plays in center field, his first season in the position after transitioning from shortstop, and still showed off his bat.
Cruz took it upon himself to work with four-time Gold Glove Award winner Kevin Kiermaier this offseason, becoming a better defensive center fielder.
He has also faced off against left-handed pitching almost exclusively during Spring Training, where he struggled massively last season, hitting .102.
The Pirates have also given him great lineup protection with Ozuna, fellow free agent signing Ryan O'Hearn and second baseman Brandon Lowe, which should allow Cruz to have better at-bats overall.
Cruz is still just 27 years old and with a Pirates team aiming for a postseason spot, he'll need to have his best season yet to get them there.
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.