Pirates' Oneil Cruz First in MLB to Join Exclusive Club
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PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz is having the season the Pittsburgh Pirates would've hoped for and baseball is also taking notice of his performances so far.
Cruz became the first player to hit 10 home runs and steal 10 bases this season, thanks to his solo home run in the top of the fifth inning in the 7-6 defeat to the San Francisco Giants in the series finale at Oracle Park on May 10.
That home run was his first of May and his 10th on the season, while he has 15 stolen bases on 17 attempts. His 10 home runs rank tied for 14th in baseball and tied for sixth in the National League, while his 15 stolen bases rank third-most in baseball and second-most in the NL.
It's a great start to the season for Cruz and one that the Pirates hopes he maintains throughout this crucial 2026 campaign.
Where Cruz Has Excelled in 2026
It was a rough year for Cruz in 2025, as he slashed .200/.298/.378 for an OPS of .676 with 174 strikeouts. His .200 batting average was the worst of any qualified batter and his strikeouts were seventh-most in baseball.
Even as poorly as he hit, he still led the Pirates with 20 home runs and his 38 stolen bases tied him fro the NL-lead with New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto.
Cruz has turned it around this season, slashing .255/.320/.473 for an OPS of .793 in 39 games, with 42 hits, 31 runs scored, six doubles, his 10 home runs, 29 RBI and his 15 stolen bases.
He leads the Pirates in runs scored and RBI, ranks tied with second baseman Brandon Lowe for home runs and is second in hits behind infielder Nick Gonzales.
One of his biggest improvements is against left-handed pitchers, who he had just 11 hits in 108 at-bats for a .102 batting average last season and one home run.
Cruz is now slashing .340/.365/.620 for an OPS of .985, with 17 hits in 50 at-bats, two doubles, four home runs and 11 RBI against southpaws this season.
Pirates manager Don Kelly has love what he's seen from Cruz this season, but also how he's waited for his pitch and shown off the impressive power he has.
“To go oppo’ like that, he’s shown patience at the plate," Kelly said on Cruz. "He’s found a way, against lefties, patience at the plate, taking his walks and then he’s got the power to leave any time.”
Where Cruz Could End Up at the End of 2026
Cruz is on pace for 41 home runs and 62 stolen bases this season, which would automatically make him one of the most versatile athletes in baseball and would be his best season by far.
Even with his poor season in 2025, he still joined the 20-30 club, (20 home runs, 30 stolen bases).
Cruz is one of just four Pirates players to do this, along 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.
No Pirates player has done a 40-60 season before and only Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. has done it in baseball history, with his 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases in 2023.
The most impressive season for a Pirates player with power and speed was Bonds' 1990 season, where he hit 32 home runs and stole 53 bases to join the 30-50 club, one of only four players in baseball history to acheive that.
Cruz likely won't end up hitting 40 home runs or stealing 60 bases, but a 30-50 season could be something he could achieve and the Pirates would easily take that from him.
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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.