Meet Oneil Cruz: MLB’s Most Intriguing Prospect
From starting the MLB season in the Triple A to becoming a rising star and one of the league’s top young prospects, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz is already showcasing his sky-high potential on a nightly basis with his unbelievable cannon of an arm and his effortless home run swings.
The 23-year old phenom was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He got his name, Oneil, after his father’s favorite baseball player, Paul O’Neill. The physical freak-of-nature stands at a staggering 6-foot 7-inches and 220 pounds, making him the tallest shortstop in the history of the MLB. Cruz was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in July of 2015 as an international free agent and made his pro debut with the DSL Dodgers in 2016. That means he got signed to a pro contract at 16-years old!
In his first ever MLB play, Oneil Cruz put his physical dominance on display by throwing the fastest throw of the season, sending a missle to first base at 96.7 mph. This would be just the start of many jaw dropping plays made by the Dominican prodigy.
One of his most famous plays came recently when he hit a one-handed line drive home run into the Allegheny River against the New York Mets. A home run out of the park is absurd itself, but a line drive out of the park??? That has never been heard of before.
This season, as of September 20, 2022, Cruz has played in 74 games with 280 at-bats. In those at-bats, he has tallied 62 hits, 34 runs, 51 RBIs, 18 walks, 116 strikeouts, and 17 home runs for a batting average of .221.
Although Oneil Cruz has some improving to do in terms of consistency, there’s no doubt that he’s a special talent with a freak-of-nature build. If this is only his first year in the MLB at 23-years old, I’m excited to see what he looks like in his prime down the line in his career. Stay tuned to this generational talent on the rise.
