Pirates' Oneil Cruz Shows Promise in CF Debut
It didn't take long for Oneil Cruz to make a strong impression in his first start in center field in the Pittsburgh Pirates' 14-10 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday at PNC Park.
Cruz had a pair of putouts, but it was a throw that caught the eye of Pirates fans and likely many in the organization who are monitoring his move from shortstop to center field.
On a base hit to center field by Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Hoerner was rounding third base and Cruz fired a seed home but Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal could not make the pick and it led to Crow-Armstrong advancing to third base. Cruz was given a tough error, though, it would have been a close play if Grandal came up with the ball.
This is the hardest throw by a Pirate outfielder this season and the second-hardest throw by an outfielder across baseball all year https://t.co/KX6CTY5lH7
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) August 28, 2024
Cruz's throw was 103.3 miles per hour, the second-hardest this season, according to Baseball Savant. He only trails Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser, whose hardest throw was 104.3 MPH.
Cruz's arm translating well to the outfield isn't a surprise. He has the highest average velocity among all second basemen, shortstops and third basemen, averaging 95.6 miles per hour. Cleveland Guardians' third baseman Gabriel Arias has the second-highest average velocity at 93.9 MPH.
Cruz also holds a significant lead among shortstops, as St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn has the second-highest average velocity per throw at 93 MPH.
Ultimately for Cruz, it's going to come down to his range and glove once he gets acclimated to center field. His -3 outs above average rank in the 19th percentile by Baseball Savant and his 24 errors are the second-most in baseball.
With Pittsburgh all but out of the wild card race barring one of the greatest runs in MLB history, Cruz only playing center field for the rest of the season shouldn't be out of the question. The more reps he can get, the better it is for his development and it can accelerate his learning curve and development at the new position.
If Cruz can get his fielding to catch up to his arm, Pittsburgh may have found something with him making the move from shortstop to center field.
