Oneil Cruz
Bats: LThrows: RAge: 27Season: 2025
2025 Season Stats
AVG
.205
OPS
0.688
HR
20
RBI
62
R
62
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55 articles
PIT • Outfielder • #15
about 1 month ago
Cruz returned to Pittsburgh’s lineup for Saturday’s showdown at Truist Park following a two-game absence due to left ankle discomfort. The 26-year-old will close out the season just shy of a 20-40 campaign with a pedestrian 200/.298/.379 slash line with 62 runs scored, 20 homers, 61 RBI and 38 stolen bases in 134 games. There’s obviously some room for improvement in the plate skills department, but Cruz remains one of the more potent power/speed combo outfielders in the fantasy landscape.
Source: MLB.com
PIT • Outfielder • #15
about 1 month ago
Cruz has been on the bench for back-to-back contests since exiting the late stages of Wednesday’s showdown against the Reds with left ankle discomfort. There’s no reason for Pittsburgh to push him with two games left in the season, but it doesn’t appear he’s dealing with anything serious that would impact his offseason preparation for spring training.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
about 2 months ago
Cruz appears to have avoided serious injury after slamming into the center-field wall while attempting to rob Noelvi Marte of an extra-base hit. He’ll likely be sent for some additional imaging to rule out any structural damage.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
PIT • Outfielder • #15
about 2 months ago
Cruz had been stuck on 19 homers since Aug. 30 as he finishes out the season as a platoon player. It will be interesting to see if he gets shopped this winter. The Pirates’ usage of him suggests they’re not particularly high on his future at this point, but we imagine there are plenty of teams out there that would like to take on his upside.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
about 2 months ago
Cruz has been moved up to the top of the lineup card ahead of Jared Triolo for the first time since coming off the injured list back in late August. The 26-year-old center fielder has been relegated to a platoon role of late with the Pirates choosing to give Alexander Canario and Jack Suwinski opportunities in the outfield.
Source: MLB.com
PIT • Outfielder • #15
about 2 months ago
Cruz has now entered a full-on platoon role with the Pirates choosing not to play him at all against left-handed pitchers. It’s hard to blame them since Cruz is hitting .173/.248/.315 against lefties in 399 career plate appearances. Still, this is a tough reality for fantasy managers heading into 2026 because Cruz will come into that season with batting average concerns and a potential cap of around 550 plate appearances. Alexander Canario is in the lineup in centerfield on Wednesday.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
about 2 months ago
It’s a bit surprising to see Cruz take a seat against a right-handed starter in Jameson Taillon. The 26-year-old power/speed combo outfielder has headed to the bench against an assortment of southpaws recently, but the Pirates appear poised to give Jack Suwinski some opportunities in center field over the final two weeks of the season.
Source: MLB.com
PIT • Outfielder • #15
2 months ago
With the Orioles starting left-hander Cade Povich, the Pirates will put Cruz and Spencer Horwitz on the bench while also giving a day off to Henry Davis and Cam Devanney. Joey Bart, Liover Peguero, Nick Yorke, and Alexander Canario will enter the starting lineup. Cruz is hitting just .200 on the season, but also has a .105/.233/.181 slash line against lefties, so there’s a strong argument that he should simply be a strong side platoon bat. That should drastically impact his fantasy value in 2026.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
2 months ago
Cruz drove in one of the two runs the Pirates were able to muster up against Brewers’ starter Quinn Priester with a single and he swiped second immediately after. That steal gave him 37 on the season, good for third-most in the league. That’s a relief too because those stolen bases have somewhat saved his fantasy value in spite of a .205 batting average.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
2 months ago
Cruz has sat out all three games against lefties since coming off the concussion IL and the two games prior. And, yes, he’s been a disaster against left-handers this season, hitting .106/.212/.183 in 118 plate appearances. He’s still the most talented position player the Pirates have come by in many years, and it makes a heck of a lot more sense to let him to try to overcome his issues against lefties than to give the at-bats to Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
2 months ago
Cruz led off the sixth inning with a solo homer off Dustin May to extend the Pirates’ lead. It was the 19th home run of the season for the 26-year-old outfielder. He’s slashing .203/.304/.385 with 60 runs scored, 553 RBI, and 35 steals across 474 plate appearances.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
2 months ago
The Pirates are easing Cruz back into action following his concussion, so they’ll give him a breather against Red Sox’ rookie left-hander Payton Tolle on Friday night. Alexander Canario will start in his place in center field and bat sixth for the Bucs on Friday evening in Boston.
Source: MLB
PIT • Outfielder • #15
3 months ago
Cruz is back after missing two weeks with a concussion. He played in two games for Double-A Altoona on a rehab assignment, collecting a triple and two walks in eight plate appearances. The Pirates haven’t announced tonight’s lineup yet, but Cruz should be in there somewhere.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
3 months ago
Cruz has been on the concussion injured list since last week’s scary on-field collision with teammate Jack Suwinski. The 26-year-old power/speed combo outfielder should only require a handful of rehab contests to get back up to speed and figures to rejoin Pittsburgh’s lineup by the end of August.
Source: Alex Stumpf
PIT • Outfielder • #15
3 months ago
Cruz’s head injury occurred when he collided with Jack Suwinski in the outfield during Tuesday’s game against the Brewers. The 26-year-old won’t be able to return until he clears the protocol. Ronny Simon is up to take his place on the roster.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
3 months ago
Cruz was attempting to make a sliding catch when he crashed into Suwinski. He remained in the game to finish the inning defensively, but was lifted for a pinch-hitter when his spot in the lineup came around. Expect that the dynamic 26-year-old will have to pass through the concussion protocol before he’s able to return to action.
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates
PIT • Outfielder • #15
3 months ago
It appears to be a routine night off for the dynamic 26-year-old with left-hander Jose Quintana toeing the slab for the Brewers. Alexander Canario will start in his place in center field and will bat sixth for the Pirates on Monday evening.
Source: MLB
PIT • Outfielder • #15
3 months ago
The Giants are starting a left-handed pitcher, but this seems like a routine day off for Cruz that just happens to coincide with facing a tough lefty in Robbie Ray. The 26-year-old has continued to struggle in the second half, going 13-for-67 (.194) with two home runs, five steals, and 21 strikeouts in 17 games. The homers and steals keep him useful in fantasy leagues, but it would be nice to see the hits start falling. Alexander Canario will start in centerfield and bat seventh on Wednesday.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
3 months ago
Cruz’ home run was his 18th of the year. He crushed a grand slam off Antonio Senzatela in the first inning. The 26-year-old outfielder is hitting .218 with a .743 OPS and 48 RBI on the year.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Cruz had two of the three hardest hit balls in the game, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise. After a rough stretch in June and early July, Cruz has started the second half by going 10-for-32 with one home run, four runs scored, and seven RBI in nine games. He should be in for a big second half.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Cruz provided all the offense in this one, slugging a two-run homer off Merrill Kelly in the second inning for the only runs of the game as the Pirates won a low-scoring affair. The 26-year-old outfielder is up to 17 homers while slashing .217/.318/.423 with 52 runs scored, 42 RBI, and 34 steals across 393 plate appearances.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Cruz drove in a run in the third with a sac fly off Troy Melton. The pair of swipes now puts him at 33 on the season, while the pair of hits helps improve his slash to .219/.319/.419. Even if the strikeouts will prevent Cruz from ever hitting for a high average, the other tools will keep him fantasy relevant for a long time. A recent report has linked Cruz as someone teams are trying to acquire before the July 31 deadline, and with all due respect to the Pirates, it’s ever-so-intriguing to think what he could do with a better baseball team.
Source: Noah Hiles
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Pittsburgh’s lineup was stifled by Jonathan Cannon and the White Sox bullpen in this one. Cruz alone accounted for two of their five hits and drove in their only run. He had three hard-hit balls, per usual, and we’re all collectively hoping he can get his strikeout rate in check on his way to what’s a strong second half.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Cruz takes a seat for Sunday’s first-half finale after leaving Saturday’s game with a hip flexor issue. The 26-year-old is slated to compete in the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday, so his absence is likely for precautionary reasons to ensure that he’s ready to compete.
Source: MLB.com
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
With some of the more obvious candidates opting out, there might be another non-All-Star or two in the mix for Derby spots. Cruz, who has 15 homers this year, is a fun pick with the ability to launch balls as far as anyone. He leads the majors with an average exit velocity of 96.1 mph, and his 122.9 mph home run on May 25 was the hardest ball hit in the league this year.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Cruz heads to the bench after making eight consecutive starts in center field for Pittsburgh since June 28. Alexander Canario will patrol center field on Monday night in Kansas City. The 26-year-old power/speed combo threat has gone hitless in four of his last five games and hasn’t batted higher than fifth since June 25. His fantasy stock is clearly trending in the wrong direction, but it’s not out of the question that he uses the upcoming All-Star break to make adjustments and turn his season around.
Source: MLB.com
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
He’s now up to 28 steals on the season to go along with 15 home runs, which is propping up his fantasy value that would otherwise be torpedoed by a .210/.322/.416 slash line. The 26-year-old has been disciplined a few times this year for a lack of hustle, and his defense has not shown signs of improvement in center field. Given his poor defense and clear frustration, it might make sense for the Pirates to see what they can get for a talented player with major contact concerns. In the meantime, fantasy managers should continue to put Cruz in their lineup if they need stolen bases, but if you’re doing well in that category, you could also explore trading or benching Cruz.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Cruz remains stuck in the fifth spot despite a two-homer performance during Sunday’s drubbing of the Mets. It’ll be Spencer Horwitz leading off on Monday night as Pirates interim manager Don Kelly continues to shake up his lineup card. The 26-year-old power/speed combo center fielder has been scuffling in recent weeks, so the decision to drop him in the lineup could wind up igniting an offensive surge.
Source: MLB.com
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Both homers were two-run shots. The struggling Cruz hadn’t homered since June 10, had a multi-hit game since June 4, or had a multi-RBI game since May 28. It’s his second career two-homer game; he also had one on May 23 just before his slump started.
PIT • Outfielder • #15
4 months ago
Cruz has batted fifth or lower in each of his last three starts since a highly-public incident earlier this week when he was benched by Pirates interim manager Don Kelly for a lack of on-field energy and effort. The 26-year-old, who has mostly batted leadoff this season, remains one of the most potent power/speed combo threats from a fantasy standpoint, but it would be a hit to his counting stats potential if he remains stuck near the bottom of Pittsburgh’s lackluster lineup for an extended period.
Source: MLB.com