60-Day IL
Injury Lower Leg
Est. Return 8/10/2023
2023 Stats
AVG
.250
HR
1
RBI
4
R
7
SB
3
Rest-of-Season Projections
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Cruz is a walking highlight reel. He is a physical specimen at 6-foot-7, 210 pounds and packs some of the loudest tools you're ever likely to see on a baseball field. In late August, Cruz hit a batted ball at 122.4 mph, setting a new record for the Statcast era. His sprint speed ranked in the 98th percentile last season. As expected, there were some swing-and-miss issues (34.9 K%), though he shaved the strikeouts down over the season's final month and really took off (.288/.359/.525). The upside is obvious with the former top prospect, but it's important to remember that he's still just 24 years old and will be playing for a Pirates team without much around him in one of the game's worst ballparks for offense. Read Past Outlooks

Likely to ditch boot next week
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (fibula) is expected to transition out of his walking boot next week, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
When that happens, he'll be cleared for strength and range-of-motion exercises for his surgically-repaired left leg. Cruz is expected to be on the shelf until sometime in August.
When that happens, he'll be cleared for strength and range-of-motion exercises for his surgically-repaired left leg. Cruz is expected to be on the shelf until sometime in August.
Batting Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2023 MLB Game Log
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Minor League Game Log

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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
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#2
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1
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2021
+50%
OPS vs RHP
2023
+107%
OPS vs LHP
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2021vs Left | .555 | 122 | 3 | 12 | .173 | ||||
Since 2021vs Right | .834 | 288 | 16 | 49 | .263 | ||||
2023vs Left | 1.314 | 7 | 0 | 1 | .600 | ||||
2023vs Right | .636 | 33 | 1 | 3 | .185 | ||||
2022vs Left | .532 | 111 | 3 | 11 | .158 | ||||
2022vs Right | .837 | 250 | 14 | 43 | .265 | ||||
2021vs Left | .000 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .000 | ||||
2021vs Right | 1.800 | 5 | 1 | 3 | .600 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2021
+15%
OPS at Home
2023
+12%
OPS on Road
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2021Home | .802 | 203 | 10 | 36 | .270 | ||||
Since 2021Away | .700 | 207 | 9 | 25 | .202 | ||||
2023Home | .684 | 13 | 0 | 1 | .222 | ||||
2023Away | .768 | 27 | 1 | 3 | .261 | ||||
2022Home | .795 | 181 | 9 | 32 | .269 | ||||
2022Away | .690 | 180 | 8 | 22 | .194 | ||||
2021Home | 1.000 | 9 | 1 | 3 | .333 | ||||
2021Away | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Oneil Cruz compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.88BB Rate
17.5%K Rate
20.0%BABIP
.292ISO
.125AVG
.250OBP
.375SLG
.375OPS
.750wOBA
.339Exit Velocity
89.5 mphHard Hit Rate
8.0%Barrels/PA
2.5%Expected BA
.213Expected SLG
.366Sprint Speed
23.1 ft/secGround Ball %
44.0%Line Drive %
8.0%Fly Ball %
48.0%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
Rarely has a 38 plate-appearance sample shifted the perceived value of a player to the extent we've seen with Cruz. He had a very strong run at Double-A last season, hitting .292/.346/.536 with 12 home runs, 18 steals, a 23.4 K% and 7.3 BB% in 62 games. Cruz was then rewarded with a six-game run at Triple-A followed by two games in the majors. He hit .466 with six home runs, nine strikeouts and eight walks in those eight games and propelled himself into the top 300 of early NFBC ADP in the process. His most bankable fantasy-relevant tool is 70-grade raw power that he utilizes to all fields. Cruz's lanky 6-foot-7 frame enables him to leverage the ball in a manner matched by few sluggers in the history of the game. His long levers will always lead to plenty of strikeouts, but he is not stiff at the plate and he has the flexibility to golf out balls below his knees for home runs. Cruz's physical dimensions make it impossible to confidently project his hit tool, and the massive gap in pitching quality at Triple-A and the majors can't be overstated. While his run at Triple-A and the majors can't be thrown out completely, his Double-A performance is a more relevant data point. Pittsburgh figures to give him the keys at shortstop early this season and while his plus-plus raw power and plus speed give him a very high power/speed ceiling, his batting average as a rookie could be anywhere from the .181 Jarred Kelenic logged to something above .250.
More Fantasy News

Out of boot by early June
The Pirates revealed Wednesday that they expect Cruz (fibula) to be able to remove his walking boot within the next 10-14 days, MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Cleared for upper-body work
Cruz (fibula) returned to the clubhouse Thursday after he had the staples removed from his surgically-repaired left leg this week, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Transferred to 60-day IL
Cruz (fibula) was transferred Tuesday from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
ANALYSIS
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Officially placed on injured list
The Pirates placed Cruz (fibula) on the 10-day injured list Monday.
ANALYSIS
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Expected to miss four months
The Pirates announced that Cruz is expected to miss four months after undergoing surgery Sunday to repair a fractured left fibula and damaged syndesmosis.
ANALYSIS
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