Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 Previews: IF Oneil Cruz
The 2020-2021 off-season is one that Oneil Cruz probably wants to forget. It started with him being involved in a crash in the Dominican Republic that killed three people. There were thoughts that drunk driving was involved, and an investigation was launched, but it was discovered no alcohol was involved. He headed to the Dominican Winter League to get his mind off the events of the off-season and just get back to baseball. Now, with Spring Training kicking off this week, Cruz can officially focus on making his Big League Debut in 2021. Where that debut will happen is still in question, as the idea of both shortstop and outfield have both been bounced around.
Last season, Cruz spent the year at the Pirates Alternate Training site, and to the surprise of many was never called to the Big Leagues. Cruz has put up solid numbers through his first four professional seasons, hitting .276 with 32 home runs and 160 RBI. He has hit double-digit home run twice in his career and has hit 10 or more doubles in all four of his professional seasons. 2019 saw him split time between Advanced-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona and he ended up putting together the what season of his career, hitting .298 with eight home runs and 34 RBI. 2021 should be Cruz's year to break through to the Big Leagues, and we look at his career to see where he will fit into the mold.
Cruz Going From Prospect to Big Leaguer
Oneil Cruz has had success in his Minor League career, but the question is whether or not those numbers will translate to the Big Leagues. He has put up consistent numbers in his career, never having an average below .230, but the numbers don't exactly jump off the page either. His best season in terms of average was .298, but when he starts trying to hit for power, that average starts to drop dramatically. The first season that he hit 10 home runs, his average dropped from the .280s to .237 with many more strikeouts. However, he shifted his focus from hitting the ball over the wall to hitting the ball into the gaps. While he hit for a higher average in 2019, his strikeout rate was still way too high as he went down 27.6% of the time on strikes during the season.
Strikeouts have been a big problem for Cruz in his development so far and were one of the things Cruz was working on in Winter Ball. He played for the Gigantes Del Cibao and put together a decent showing in his 14-game showing. He ended up hitting .245 with an RBI spanning 50 total plate appearances. With the strikeouts being the big thing he was working on, he stayed about the same striking out 28% of the time at the plate. He got to show off his wheels a little bit, leading the team with two triples in his 14 games and he was able to raise his batting average from .186 the year before to .245 in this year's Winter League season.
The other question the Pirates need to figure out before Cruz makes his MLB debut is what position he will play. Throughout his first four Big League seasons, Cruz has played shortstop with subpar defensive numbers. He has a career fielding percentage of .927 in just over 1800 innings played at shortstop. There is no question about the incredible arm strength that Cruz possesses, but that strength sometimes gets him in trouble with throws to first. He has the range to play the position but gets too ahead of himself at times. There has been talk about moving him to right field, but that is a position that Cruz has never played in his professional career. He would be able to show off his arm, but he would have to work on his routes and getting to the ball consistently.
Breakthrough Season
Could 2021 finally be the year that we see Oneil Cruz in the Major Leagues? Well, that all depends on how he performs at Triple-A this season. The Pirates have said they want to experiment with Cruz in the outfield, and given he has not played a game at Triple-A yet, that is likely where he will start the year. Cruz had a great season in 2019, but he has to show that he can continue to hit for average and be a big-run producer for his team. He will still be getting reps at shortstop as well as outfield and it may be his quality of defensive play that determines when he gets the call to the show. His offense has been pretty consistent, but without his glove, he may end up costing the team more than he benefits them.
If he does make the show as a shortstop, he will make history being the tallest person to ever play the position at 6'7. He has the ability to generate power with that big frame, but he is more consistent when he is shooting the ball towards the gaps. He made strides at the Pirates alternate training site last season and is trying to use those skills during live games. Being a left-handed hitter will benefit him at PNC Park from a power standpoint, but he has to make sure he isn't constantly swinging for the fences. If he can hit in the .280 to .290 range and generate 15-20 home runs, he could be a big contributor on this team.
To start the year, I think Cruz will be the starting right fielder at Triple-A Indianapolis. With so many middle infielders in the Pirates system, I think a move to the outfield not only helps the Pirates but allows Cruz to find playing time more quickly in the Big Leagues. He will use his progress from Dominican Winter Ball to help propel him into the Triple-A season as he joins what is shaping to be a dominant outfield. With Jared Oliva and Travis Swaggerty also likely seeing Triple-A time, the outfield in Indianapolis is looking strong. As long as Cruz stays along the path of his career numbers, I see no reason why he won't make his MLB debut during the second half of the 2021 season, giving Pirates fans a glimpse of what he can do at the Big League level.
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