Pirates Christmas Wish List: O'neil Cruz's Major League Debut
Whenever a top prospect finally takes the next step to the Big Leagues, it can be an exciting time for the fan base. Pittsburgh Pirates fans got a taste of that last season when Ke'Bryan Hayes made his Major League debut on September 1st, 2020. Hayes took off and set himself up to be the everyday first baseman in 2021, and now the Pirates are looking for more of their prospects to do the same. The next Pirates' top prospect ready to make that jump to the Major Leagues is infielder/outfielder O'neil Cruz. After being involved in a deadly car crash this off-season, where he was cleared of wrong-doing, Cruz is looking to get back to baseball and becoming a star for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Throughout his entire Minor League career, Cruz has played shortstop and has had success at every level he has gone. Cruz is currently making up for lost time this season, playing in the Dominican Winter League where he is hitting .229 with an RBI in nine games played. He spent time at the Pirates alternate training site in 2020, but it isn't the same as getting live in-game reps. While the middle-infield situation is a little jumbled right now, there is still an opportunity for Cruz in 2021. The Pirates have been working Cruz out in right field, giving him more versatility at the Big League level. Today, we look at Cruz's progression through the Minor Leagues and what we came to expect from him in 2021.
Cruz's Climb Through the Minor Leagues
When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Tony Watson to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017, they brought in a young prospect by the name of O'neil Cruz. Cruz had only reached low-a ball but performed well hitting a combined .297 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI. It was rare to see a middle-infielder with power, and Cruz fit the bill perfectly filling a need the Pirates had at the time. Now, that he is performing well at Triple-A, he is knocking on the Major League door and ready to show what he can do in the Big Leagues. 2019 was Cruz's best professional season to date as he hit .298 with eight home runs and 34 RBI over three levels of the Minor Leagues
Cruz has shown power potential throughout his career, hitting double-digit home runs in two of his four professional seasons. Standing at 6'7, many experts have doubted whether or not Cruz would stick at shortstop due to his size. If he comes up as a shortstop, he will be the tallest shortstop in the league and uses that body to generate power. His best power season was in 2018 when he hit .286 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI. Not only can he hit the ball out of the ballpark, but he can find the gaps as well. He has hit 10 or more doubles in every pro season, including 15 doubles last season between Low-A, Advanced-A, and Double-A. With the big gaps at PNC Park, this gap power will play out into Cruz's favor as he tries and racks up the extra-base hits.
While his offense has always been good, his defensive game has been up and down throughout his career. He started with a .881 fielding percentage at shortstop in 2016 and has gotten better every single season. Between the three levels of the Minor Leagues in 2019 went through the roof as he had a .951 fielding percentage in 598.1 innings of work as a shortstop. He committed 16 errors over that span and helped turn 41 double plays throughout the season. With several middle-infielders in the Big Leagues now, Cruz worked out in right field at the Pirates satellite camp in 2020. He showed good progress but hasn't played in a live game in the outfield to show how his progress was going.
Cruz's Projection For 2021
Cruz sparked a lot of fan interest at the beginning of Spring Training 2020 when he got off to a hot start. He blasted a ball over 400 feet over the left-field wall and was hitting over .300 at the time. However, the batting average didn't stay as he finished hitting .208 with one home run and four RBI in 16 games played. Being that Cruz never played above Double-A ball, look for Cruz to begin the year in Triple-A Indianapolis. With the Pirates trying Cruz in the outfield at the alternate training site, look for him to split time between the outfield and infield in 2021. That way he can come up and help in any way that the Pirates may need during the season.
After nearly a year off of live-action, and a hectic off-season, it will be interesting to see how he bounces back. His average was higher than ever in 2019, but his power seemed to take a little dip. He went from 14 home runs in 2018 to eight in 2019 and from 59 RBI to 34 RBI. He fought through an early-season injury that forced him to miss two months of the season and picked it back up at the end of the season. If he can show consistent power while keeping a batting average around the .270 mark, the Pirates will have no choice but to promote him to the Major Leagues. With versatility under his belt, it would just make his chances of moving up that much more likely in 2021.
As for if and when Cruz will make his MLB Debut, that will all depend on how he performs in Triple-A Indianapolis. If he hits the ball well, expect him to be up in the Major Leagues by early to mid-August. However, if he struggles, he will more than likely be a September call-up. With the Pirates in a rebuild, Cruz's performance is going to be crucial. He is one of the up and coming prospects and having success will make Ben Cherrington's job that much easier. As for where Cruz will play, I expect him to be an outfielder and not a middle-infielder. His power and speed make him more fit to be a corner outfielder. For the Pirates, it would be a Christmas blessing if he came up and could make an immediate impact on this Pirates team.
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