Oneil Cruz Blast Breaks Pirates Franchise Home Run Record
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates lineup is displaying great power this season, and center fielder Oneil Cruz has been a large part of that.
Cruz hit a solo home run in the fourth inning of the Pirates' 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sept. 16, the Pirates' 172nd home run in 2026, a new franchise record.
It was quite an impressive home run as well, as Cruz crushed a 78.4 mph sweeper down the middle from Brewers right-handed starting pitcher Logan Henderson, 113.1 mph and 391 feet with a 19-degree launch angle, making it look like a line drive into the right-field seats.
Cruz has played a big part for the Pirates this season, but the entire team has shown incredible improvement, and they've become one of the better power-hitting teams in baseball.
Our 172nd home run of the season, a new franchise record. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/9DXodqmuwH
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 16, 2026
Who's Driving the Power For the Pirates?
The Pirates went from hitting the fewest home runs in baseball last season (117) to hitting 57 more with 10 games remaining.
Pittsburgh ranks 16th in MLB and ninth in the National League with 174 home runs, showing a massive improvement from finishing last in 2025.
The Pirates have six players with double-digit home runs, six with more than five and 19 players who have hit a home run this season.
Pirates Home Runs in 2026
Player | Home Runs | Games |
|---|---|---|
Brandon Lowe | 31 | 141 |
Oneil Cruz | 19 | 89 |
Ryan O'Hearn | 18 | 101 |
Bryan Reynolds | 17 | 152 |
Esmerlyn Valdez | 17 | 72 |
Spencer Horwitz | 10 | 107 |
Henry Davis | 9 | 92 |
Rafael Flores Jr. | 9 | 40 |
Marcell Ozuna | 8 | 70 |
Endy Rodríguez | 7 | 45 |
Nick Gonzales | 6 | 140 |
Konnor Griffin | 5 | 70 |
Jacob Gonzalez | 4 | 48 |
Jake Mangum | 4 | 126 |
Tyler Callihan | 3 | 40 |
Jared Triolo | 3 | 115 |
Joey Bart | 2 | 21 |
Shawn Ross | 1 | 2 |
Nick Yorke | 1 | 40 |
Second baseman Brandon Lowe joined the Pirates in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and he's been their best power hitter.
Lowe's 31 home runs are the most for the Pirates since Josh Bell hit 37 in 2019, the first left-handed hitter to hit 30 home runs since Pedro Álvarez hit 36 in 2013 and the most for a second baseman in franchise history.
First baseman/slugger Ryan O'Hearn signed a two-year, $29 million deal and has hit a career-high 18 home runs, even missing eight weeks with two injuries, another big addition for the Pirates.
Cruz is second with 19 home runs, doing so in just 89 games, missing two months with a left-hand fracture.
Outfielder Bryan Reynolds has hit 17 home runs, one more than last season, and Spencer Horwitz has hit 10.
The Pirates have relied on rookie power too, as right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez had an historic run, finishing with 17 home runs before his season-ending injury.
Catcher Rafael Flores Jr. has nine home runs, shortstop Konnor Griffin has five, Jacob Gonzalez has four and Tyler Callihan has three.
Power Playing Big Role for Pirates in 2026
The Pirates showed their power in that loss to the Brewers, with Cruz hitting one, Lowe tying the game at 3-3 with a two-run shot and then Flores getting the lead in the sixth inning with a solo blast.
Pittsburgh got a home run from a new addition in Lowe, a vastly improved Cruz and a burgeoning rookie in Flores.
Lowe attributes the Pirates' power success to just that: new players, current players getting better opportunities and young players trying to make their mark.
He also praised the team's work this offseason and during the year, staying with their approach and trusting what's working.
“I’ve spoken on this before; if you can go up and there and I can tell you I’m going to hit a ball at 102 and 32 degrees every time, I’m going to be a heck of a ball player," Lowe said. "It doesn’t work that way. You have to have an approach, and you have to understand that that guy on the mound is one of the baseball players in the world too.
“If you’re going up there and the only thing you’re trying to do is put a ball in the river, you’re going to expose yourself to a lot of different things. It’s a testament to the guys in here that are rolling off of good approaches, and taking good swings on good pitches and doing damage with them.”
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.