How Soon Is To Soon: When Should The Pirates Promote Oneil Cruz
In the middle of a rebuild, the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates are right about where we thought they would be, in the basement of the NL Central. With more trades coming in July, Ben Cherington is looking to continue to add talent to the Pirates farm system to help build the team from the ground up. Because of this, fans have once again turned to the Minor Leagues to see what the future holds for the Pirates and if the rebuild is truly working. If you look in the Minor Leagues now, one name you are almost certain to see pop up is shortstop Oneil Cruz. The 22-year-old prospect is ranked #4 overall in the Pirates system and is hitting the ball all over the ballpark in Double-A.
After a slow start, Cruz has turned things around and in 122 at-bats is hitting .303 with a team-high eight home runs and 26 RBI. He has been getting a majority of his reps at shortstop this season, but that is not a position that he figures to stay in for too long. While he is hitting the ball well, he is one of the worst defensive shortstops in Double-A, with a fielding percentage of .916 at shortstop. The question the Pirates really have to answer with Cruz is if good offensive numbers trump bad defensive numbers. As of now, the only guy ahead of Cruz at Triple-A Indianapolis is light-hitting Cole Tucker and at the Major League level, it is Kevin Newman and Erik Gonzalez. All three of those players are better defensively than Cruz but aren't hitting nearly as well. Today, we look at Cruz's progression this season and whether or not it is too soon to give him the call.
From Ice Cold to On Fire
At the beginning of the 2021 Minor League season, Oneil Cruz looked nowhere near ready for a promotion to Triple-A. The 22-year-old shortstop started out his season by hitting .227 on May 23rd, with his average getting as low as .167 at one point. There needed to be a change, as Cruz already struggled in Spring Training, and was starting to concern scouts. However, since May 27th, he has turned it on and has his average up just over 70 points from where it was. Cruz finished the month of May hitting .375 (6-16) over his final five games and finished May hitting a more respectable .256. The Indians would then be heading on the road for a five-game series against the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
This was the series that turned things around as Cruz broke out in the second game of the five-game series. He went 4-5 with a home run, four RBI, and seven total bases in the game. That jumped his batting average to .287 in just one day and brought attention to Cruz on the national level. In the five-game series against Richmond, Cruz ended up going 9-24 (.375) with a home run and four RBI. He had a 10-game hitting streak broken the very next series but was right back at it the following day. In total, Cruz is currently on a six-game hitting streak and is well on his way back to offensive success. However, for as good as his offense has been, his defense has been just as bad.
When you think of a shortstop, you often label them as one of the best defenders on the field. However, in Cruz's case, this didn't true as his fielding percentage sits at a dismal .912 in 32 games played this season. He has committed a total of 10 errors at shortstop and just isn't showing the defensive prowess you like to see from a shortstop. The Pirates tried him out in the outfield during Spring Training, but they have yet to play him there in a double-a game. If push comes to shove, the move is going to eventually have to be made as you can't have a shortstop who commits a ton of errors. Cruz's bat is certainly on fire this season, but his all-around game needs some work.
Cruz Moving Forward
One of the things that Cruz has working for him this season is his status on the Pirates' 40-man roster. It would be very easy to make Cruz a September call-up this season because no one would have to be taken off the roster. At just 22-years-old, however, there is still a lot of development for the young shortstop to do before he can be Big League ready. Double-A success is all fine and good, and usually has you as one of the guys with a legitimate shot to make it, but in the end, he has to prove he can hit in Triple-A. Cruz has yet to play a game above Double-A in his career, and fans were calling for him to be promoted last season. He still has a lot of work to do before he gets called up, and you don't want him to be rushed to the Big Leagues.
One player who is an example of why you don't rush players to the Big Leagues is Gregory Polanco. He made his Major League debut back in 2014, and at the time of his call-up, he had played just 71 games above the Double-A level. He was tearing up Triple-A during that 2014 season, hitting .328 with seven home runs and 51 RBI in his 69 games. With this success, and the Pirates contending for a playoff spot, people were excited to see Polanco finally get that call to the Big Leagues. However, in that half a season, Polanco started out strong but hit just .235 during that season in 89 games played. The highest batting average of his MLB career to this point is only .258 and he is hitting a measly .204. There is no guarantee, but if he was given more time in Triple-A, it may have helped him develop a little more and be more ready for the Big Leagues.
To avoid this with Cruz, I think we are still a year away from seeing the 22-year-old in the Big Leagues. If he continues to hit the ball well, the Pirates will more than likely promote him to Triple-A ball after the trade deadline. This will give Cruz half a season's worth of work at Triple-A, and then allow him to get another full year of work in 2022. This would put his Big League timeline at 2023, the year the Pirates are supposed to hit their turnaround. However, he has to find a place on the field where he is not a defensive liability. His offense is great, but if he can't field the ball it greatly diminishes his value. Patience is key with a rebuilding team and that is what the Pirates need to show with Cruz.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (23-44) are off tomorrow, but return to action on Friday when they welcome the Cleveland Indians (36-28) to PNC Park. Chad Kuhl (0-4, 6.52) gets the start in the opener for the Pirates as he takes on J.C. Mejia (1-1, 4.26) for the Indians. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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