Pirates' Oneil Cruz Smashes Massive Home Run for Dominican Republic
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz has had a great start to the World Baseball Classic and has displayed incredible power once again.
Cruz hit a solo home run for Team Dominican Republic in the top of the fourth inning, putting his country up 6-0 over Team Israel at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.
He hit a 93 mph four-seam fastball from Team Israel right-handed pitcher Zack Weiss over the middle of the plate and sent it 115.8 mph off the bat and 400 feet into the right field stands for an emphatic home run.
116 MPH OFF THE BAT OF ONEIL CRUZ!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 9, 2026
It's 6-0 Dominican Republic! 🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/NGTfxdUurq
Cruz also walked earlier in the game, scoring on the grand slam from Fernando Tatis Jr. and his home run making it the second run he's scored
He wasn't the only Pirates player that hit a home run in this game, as Spencer Horwitz, playing first base for Team Israel, got his team on the scoreboard with a solo home run as well, cutting the deficit to 6-1.
Horwitz took 92.8 mph four seam fastball over the middle of the plate from Team Dominican Republic right-handed starting pitcher Brayan Bello and sent it 104.4 mph off the bat and 390 feet for his team's first run.
Spencer Horwitz homers to get Team Israel on the board! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/ZTekeZ3etf
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 9, 2026
That marked the third hit for Horwitz in the WBC and the second run he scored as well, one of the better hitters so far for Team Israel.
Cruz Showing Power Early in 2026
Cruz has immense power and has shown it so far in Spring Training with the Pirates and in the WBC.
He crushed a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning in the 12-3 win over Team Nicaragua in the Pool Play opener on March 7.
Cruz faced off against Nicaragua right-handed pitcher Osman Gutierrez and fouled two pitches and took two balls before unloading on a 91.4 mph four-seam fastball, hitting it 116.4 mph off the bat and sending it 450 feet with a 28 degree launch angle.
He also hit a home run in his last Grapefruit League game with the Pirates, before going off to train with Team Dominican Republic.
Cruz hit a three-run home run off of Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Jayden Murray in the top of the fifth inning, playing a big role in the 5-2 victory at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Feb. 28.
He waited on a changeup on the second pitch, 85.1 mph over the middle of the plate and sent it 106.4 mph off the bat and 368 feet, scoring both left fielder Billy Cook and third baseman Alika Williams with two outs.
Cruz has been impressive overall in Spring Training, slashing .538/.600/.846 for an OPS of 1.446 in five games, with seven hits in 13 at-bats.
If he can keep hitting home runs like this, the Pirates will have one of the better power hitters in baseball on the team in 2026.
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.