After spending that summer at the alternate training site in Altoona, he has only 310 at-bats above the Class A level. When that is, I don’t think any of us know."Ĭruz’s development was delayed by the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
“Oneil is going to have an impact on our club this year at some point. “There’s still development to be had there,” Shelton said. Pirates manager Derek Shelton called his October call-up for two games a “reward,” which general manager Ben Cherington explained was based on how Cruz responded to challenges laid out to him in spring training last year.īoth Cherington and Shelton have said that they want Cruz to experience playing other positions – primarily in the outfield – which is an experiment better suited to the minor leagues than the majors. In the season finale, Cruz drilled a 0-2 changeup 408 feet into the right-field seats at PNC Park.Ĭruz, however, is likely ticketed to start the regular season at Triple-A Indianapolis. In his MLB debut against the Cincinnati Reds, Cruz roped a single that had the highest exit velocity (118.2 mph) in Pirates history in the Statcast era. When he went 11 for 21 (.524) with five homers in six games, the Pirates brought Cruz to Pittsburgh to play the final two games of the season. 292/.346/.536 with 15 doubles, five triples, 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 63 games at Double-A Altoona, so they promoted him to Triple-A Indianapolis in mid-September. The Pirates were impressed with how the native of the Dominican Republic recovered from a forearm strain last summer to slash. “So my mindset right now is working double time.” “That’s the goal, that’s the mindset – not only to reach the big leagues, but stay in the big leagues,” said Cruz, who hit his second home run of the spring on a similar pitch on Monday. Cruz has made no secret of his desire to stay in the majors after a cameo appearance last fall. Regarded as one of the linchpins in Pittsburgh's rebuilding project, the 23-year-old Cruz projects as the potential five-tool player the Pirates so desperately need after a 101-loss season and third consecutive last-place finish in the NL Central.
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