Pirates' Center Fielder Among Best In Baseball
Despite just making a brief cameo at a new position last year, Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz already ranks among baseball's best heading into the 2025 season.
MLB Network ranked its top 10 center fielders heading into next season and had Cruz coming in at No. 9. Cruz was one of four players who cracked MLB Network's top 10 after not being in last year's rankings. Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez was No. 1 on MLB Network's list.
After making 24 errors in 112 games at shortstop, Cruz was moved to center field and played his first game at the new position on Aug. 28. Across his 23 games in center field, Cruz made two errors.
While his defensive improvement in center field will bear watching throughout the 2025 season, the main reason he's already ranked among the top center fielders in baseball is his bat. In his first full season, Cruz, 26, batted .259/.324/.449 with 21 home runs and 76 RBIs and he posted a career-high 2.5 Wins Above Replacement across 146 games. The 2024 season marked the first time Cruz had played over 87 games in his big league career.
Along with his solid season at the plate, the dynamic 6-foot-7 center fielder proved to be a threat on the basepaths, stealing 22 bases and only getting caught stealing once. With his ability to impact the game with his bat and his legs, MLB.com predicted Cruz could have the type of season that puts him on par with Barry Bonds.
"Oneil Cruz had aspirations of a 30-homer, 30-steal campaign before the 2023 season, if not a 40-40 season," MLB.com writes. "A fractured ankle in April cut that dream short. He bounced back nicely in 2024, finishing with 21 home runs and 22 steals, but it tells only part of the story. Cruz consistently improved as he healed and got his timing back and turned a corner against left-handed pitching. If he continues to grow — or even just do what he did in the second half of last season over a full campaign — he could join Barry Bonds as the only Pirates to have a 30-30 season."
Cruz putting together that kind of season would go a long way toward improving a Pirates offense in desperate need of improvement. If the 6-foot-7 left-handed hitter is on pace for a 30-30 season, Pittsburgh could find itself in the thick of the National League playoff race throughout the 2025 season.
