After playing waiting game, Pirates No. 1 prospect Oneil Cruz arrives with plans to stay

Oneil Cruz not only got a taste of playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates last October but gave a glimpse of greatness: After setting a club Statcast-era record with a 118.2-mph exit velocity in his debut, he dropped to one knee to hit an ankle-high pitch for a home run the next game.

“What I can promise you is you’re going to see it a lot more frequently,” Cruz said through team translator Mike Gonzalez. “You’re going to see a lot of balls hit hard and a lot of balls traveling very far.”

Pirates SS Oneil Cruz set a Statcast-era team record with a 118.2-mph exit velocity on his first major league hit (a single) in his major league debut and homered in his MLB second game.
What’s next for the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect now that he’s back in the big leagues? pic.twitter.com/JsVK5EQ6JG

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 20, 2022

Say this about the 23-year-old shortstop: He doesn’t lack for confidence, with bravado that matches his 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame — and the ability to back it up. No wonder that after his smashing debut, Cruz never expected to return to the minor leagues. So spending the first 55 games of this season at Triple-A Indianapolis seemed like an eternity for the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect.

“My mindset was just to remain focused, not get lost in the comments or the decisions,” Cruz said. “As a ballplayer, I understand that there’s a business side. I understand that these are decisions by the staff and front office are outside of my control. I trusted that they knew the correct time to bring me up here. My mission is to make sure that I’m equipped and ready to help the team win, whenever the opportunity is given.”

Even as the Pirates turned to rookie after rookie this season — 11 players made their major-league debuts — Cruz remained focused on a mission that finally came to fruition when the Pirates promoted him to the majors Monday and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup at shortstop against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.

“I don’t know that there is a perfect day,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “Nothing magic about Monday against the Cubs. Just felt like this was the right time for him to come up and start playing in the big leagues.”

Pirates GM Ben Cherington on promoting the club’s top prospect, SS Oneil Cruz, to the majors. pic.twitter.com/N7Wn4RWLpY

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 20, 2022

Cherington talked about how Cruz was trending in the right direction. Offensively, he had a .232/.336/.422 slash line with seven doubles, three triples, nine homers and 35 RBIs this season. In 14 games in June, he was hitting .277/.357/.489 with two doubles, a triple, two homers and eight RBIs. To hear outfielder Bligh Madris tell it, those numbers don’t do justice to what kind of impact Cruz can make on a game.

“Guy’s unreal. He has tools that come around once every 100 years,” said Madris, who also was promoted from Indianapolis on Monday. “He’s special, to say the least. He can do things with the bat. He can hit pitches out of the ballpark that some guys are lucky to get out of the infield. It’s unbelievable being able to see what he can do. Just seeing his work ethic grow throughout the last couple of months has been spectacular to watch, and him being here now is only going to propel him to bigger and greater things.”

That’s what the Pirates are counting on from Cruz. They continue to express concerns about his defense, given Cruz committed 13 errors in 188 chances at shortstop last season at Double-A Altoona and another 14 errors in 170 chances this season at Indianapolis. Much to his chagrin, they experimented with playing Cruz at nine games in left field.

“In the beginning, it was a bit challenging,” Cruz said. “But the more that I was able to take reps out there and even get in-game reps, I got a little bit more comfortable and loose over there. Now, not only do I feel comfortable but I became a lot more confident.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton plans to play Cruz at shortstop, where he will be the seventh player to start at the position this season.

That includes rookie Diego Castillo and No. 5 prospect Liover Peguero, who was promoted in a pinch Friday from Altoona and started Saturday night against the San Francisco Giants. Cherington warned errors are going to happen, and the Pirates aren’t expecting perfection from Cruz.

Cruz is both compelling and a curiosity. He’s the tallest position player in Pirates history and at his position, where his athleticism is an anomaly for someone his size and prompts Pirates players and coaches to describe him as a unicorn.

“In my eyes, he’s a generational talent with the tools he has,” Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes said. “I’m excited for him finally getting that call up and to see what he does.”

Manager Derek Shelton on what the Pirates can expect from 6-7, 220-pound shortstop Oneil Cruz, based on his MLB debut last October. pic.twitter.com/G7qOCdF4Eo

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) June 20, 2022

What intrigues Shelton is how many ways Cruz can impact a game with his arm, bat, power, range and speed on the basepaths. Shelton has emphasized how much faster the game is played in the majors and how it takes time for rookies to learn how to slow it down.

“We have to continue to talk to him about that and continue to let him learn and grow,” Shelton said. “Not stifle his enthusiasm in any way, but just make sure there are still some things we’re going to talk about. Especially (Monday night) because it’s been anticipated, just go out there and play and have fun. Keep the smile on his face that he had when he walked into my office.”

Cruz couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he conducted an interview in front of his locker, standing in front of his No. 15 jersey — a number that shows he’s not just here to play right away but has plans to stay.

“My mindset has always been to be up here,” Cruz said. “Every ballplayer’s dream is to be up here and remain here. So right now that’s my focus — do everything possible to stay here, do everything possible to help the team win and, hopefully, see a championship in the future.”