Pirates' Oneil Cruz Receives Surprising 2026 Ranking
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz is coming off a disappointing 2025 season, but there's expectations that he'll get back to where people expect him in 2026.
Cruz earned the No. 10 ranking for his position from MLB Network using "The Shredder" and also from Rob Parker.
"The Shredder" looks at different metrics on offense and defense, previous work, and also uses analysis from the MLB Network production team.
Cruz ranks third amongst center fielders in the National League Central Division, with Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs and TJ Freidl of the Cincinnati Reds above him.
Why There's Promise for Cruz in 2026
Despite a poor season overall, Cruz is primed for a strong showing in 2026 and getting on the right track to become the player the Pirates want him to be.
His 20 home runs still led the Pirates and his 38 stolen bases tied him for the NL lead, along with New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto.
Cruz became one of just one of just four Pirates players to have a 20-30 season, 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 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 in Denver, Colo., which has higher elevation and makes it easier to hit longer home runs.
Cruz also 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 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.
Cruz also displayed his great arm in center field during his first season starting their full-time, including an incredible throw home for an out vs. the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 6.
He threw that ball 105.2 mph to home plate, the second fastest throw in Statcast era from an outfielder and the fastest throw from a Pirates outfielder ever.
If Cruz can have more of his special moments, but stay more consistent, he should feature as one of the better center fielders in all of baseball.
Where Cruz Struggled in 2025
Cruz had some great moments with the Pirates last year, but generally had a disppointing campaign overall.
He 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.
Cruz 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 the MLB.
Stat | Total (MLB Rank) |
|---|---|
Batting Average | .200 (Worst) |
On-Base Percentage | .298 (23rd Worst) |
Slugging Percentage | .378 (22nd Worst) |
OPS | .676 (16th Worst) |
He 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.
Cruz had some poor moments, like his fielding blunder against the Texas Rangers at PNC Park on June 20, where he let a ball hit off his glove and then didn't hustle back to get it.
He then jogged to first base on a ground ball that ended up in a double play vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on June 24, which saw manager Don Kelly bench Cruz.
Cruz has been working this offseason back in the Dominican Republic, who he'll represent at the upcoming World Baseball Classic in March.
He's also trained with former Gold Glove Award winner center fielder Kevin Kiermaier this past week, improving on his defense this winter.
Cruz has the frame at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, plus the athleticism and speed that will benefit him in the outfield, at the plate and on the base paths.
If he puts it all together, Cruz should have a strong showing throughout 2026, a year the Pirates have playoff aspirations.
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.