Oneil Cruz Shows Pirates How Much They Missed Him

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have been in need of a big swing, an important catch and just anything to get their offense going at times as of late and Oneil Cruz is doing just that.

The Pirates center fielder had an incredible showing late on against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series opener at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 21.

Cruz hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to tie it up at 4-4 and made an incredible diving catch in the bottom of the ninth inning to send it into extra innings, before the Pirates ended up falling 5-4 in disappointing fashion.

The Pirates may not have gotten the win, but they don't even come close without Cruz, who has been excellent in his return from injury.

Cruz Showing Off Power Again

Cruz was one of the Pirates' best players this season before he fractured his hand in early June, seeing him miss more than two months.

It was a long and grueling rehab for Cruz, who had to have his bones heal and work through gripping the bat, swinging and dealing with contact after his traumatic injury.

Jun 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) hits a single during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cruz, who will still deal with pain from time-to-time the rest of the campaign, is showing the Pirates exactly why they need him going forward.

He hit a two-run home run in his first game back against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on Aug. 18, putting the Pirates up 2-1 in the fifth inning of the eventual 4-1 win, then hit an RBI-single in the first inning of the 4-3 win in the series finale on Aug. 19.

His first home run was quite impressive, 107.7 mph off the bat and 422 feet to right-center field off a knuckle curve down and away, which Cruz made it look so easy.

Cruz got a great pitch to hit, a 98.8 mph four-seam fastball down the middle of the plate from Dodgers right-handed relief pitcher Kyle Hurt, allowing Cruz to unleash and smash it 112.8 mph and 424 feet to deep center field.

NEW BALL GAME ‼️ pic.twitter.com/1pOSzz9ogC
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 22, 2026

There aren't many more powerful hitters in the major leagues than Cruz and those two home runs were great examples of exactly that.

Cruz leads all qualified major league hitters with a 95.8 mph average exit velocity and ranks second with a 58.7% hard-hit rate (95+mph exit velocity), just behind Chicago White Sox star rookie Munetaka Murakami at 58.8%.

He also has the hardest hit baseball this season, an 119 mph double off the Roberto Clemente Wall at PNC Park against the Washington Nationals on April 16, and the hardest hit ball in the Statcast era (since 2015), 122.3 mph home run he hit out of PNC Park against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 25, 2025.

The Pirates have lacked the power that Cruz brings over the past month and they will need it over the last five weeks of the season.

Cruz Growing in Center Field

Missing two months with injury for Cruz didn't necessarily impact his running or range in center field, but it was quite some time out from serving his defensive role at the major league level.

Cruz has done a solid job in his first three games back and this contest vs. the Dodgers was his best yet.

He showed off his arm with an 101 mph throw from center field to catcher Rafael Flores Jr. at home plate, keeping a runner at third base in the third inning.

Cruz then made one of the better catches in center field, as he sprinted to his left made a basket catch sliding in the ninth inning, forcing the game into extra innings.

Oneil Cruz lookin' too smooth out there 😮‍💨

Extra innings on the way in LA! pic.twitter.com/nNMV1tC3uu
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) August 22, 2026

The Pirates center fielder has had his struggles adjusting to the position after moving there towards the end of the 2024 season, particularly on Opening Day vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field.

Cruz showed in this game and recently that he can make the important plays and use his athleticism to make him a benefit in center field for the Pirates, rather than a liability.

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