2025 Stats
AVG
.203
HR
19
RBI
56
R
60
SB
37
Rest-of-Season Projections
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Cruz missed nearly all of 2023 due to a fractured ankle but avoided the injured list last season and played in 146 games. He provided plenty of fantasy production with 21 homers, 22 steals, 76 RBI, 72 runs and a .259/.324/.449 slash line, but his 30.4 percent strikeout rate illustrates the ongoing concern with the swing-and-miss in his stroke. A 20-20 campaign is nothing to sneeze at, though the homer total is still a bit underwhelming given he hit 17 long balls in just 87 games as a rookie in 2022. Cruz also committed 24 errors with minus-nine DRS in 112 contests at shortstop, which led to the Pirates moving him to center field for the final month of the season. It was his first time playing center field as a professional, and he posted minus-three DRS in 195 innings. Having a full offseason to get more comfortable with the position should help immensely, and Pittsburgh is reportedly committed to keeping him in the outfield. Fantasy managers will benefit from the dual-position eligibility for at least 2025, and another 20-20 campaign -- with room for growth -- should be the expectation for Cruz. Read Past Outlooks

Sitting again versus lefty
Cruz is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers.
Analysis
Southpaw Blake Snell is on the bump for the Dodgers, marking the fifth straight game the left-handed-hitting Cruz has been out of the lineup versus a lefty (when healthy). The 26-year-old is slashing a woeful .106/.212/.183 with a 36.4 percent strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season, so he now appears to find himself in a platoon. Alexander Canario will be in center field and bat seventh for the Pirates on Thursday.
Southpaw Blake Snell is on the bump for the Dodgers, marking the fifth straight game the left-handed-hitting Cruz has been out of the lineup versus a lefty (when healthy). The 26-year-old is slashing a woeful .106/.212/.183 with a 36.4 percent strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season, so he now appears to find himself in a platoon. Alexander Canario will be in center field and bat seventh for the Pirates on Thursday.
Batting Stats
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2025 MLB Game Log
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2022
2021
Minor League Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
47
10
11
22
3
4
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
8
1
3
2
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2023
+36%
OPS vs RHP
2025
+98%
OPS vs RHP
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2023vs Left | .580 | 281 | 7 | 30 | .182 | ||||
Since 2023vs Right | .791 | 850 | 34 | 106 | .253 | ||||
2025vs Left | .398 | 120 | 1 | 8 | .105 | ||||
2025vs Right | .789 | 372 | 18 | 48 | .236 | ||||
2024vs Left | .686 | 154 | 6 | 21 | .224 | ||||
2024vs Right | .804 | 445 | 15 | 55 | .271 | ||||
2023vs Left | 1.314 | 7 | 0 | 1 | .600 | ||||
2023vs Right | .636 | 33 | 1 | 3 | .185 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
Minor League Splits→ | View Minor League Split Stats |
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2023
+29%
OPS at Home
2025
+26%
OPS at Home
OPS | PA | HR | RBI | AVG | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Since 2023Home | .831 | 577 | 22 | 84 | .265 | ||||
Since 2023Away | .644 | 554 | 19 | 52 | .205 | ||||
2025Home | .769 | 256 | 10 | 35 | .223 | ||||
2025Away | .612 | 236 | 9 | 21 | .183 | ||||
2024Home | .883 | 308 | 12 | 48 | .298 | ||||
2024Away | .658 | 291 | 9 | 28 | .218 | ||||
2023Home | .684 | 13 | 0 | 1 | .222 | ||||
2023Away | .768 | 27 | 1 | 3 | .261 | ||||
More Splits→ | View More Split Stats |
Stat Review
How does Oneil Cruz compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
BB/K
0.39BB Rate
12.2%K Rate
31.5%BABIP
.264ISO
.184AVG
.203OBP
.305SLG
.388OPS
.693wOBA
.305Exit Velocity
96.0 mphHard Hit Rate
41.4%Barrels/PA
10.6%Expected BA
.243Expected SLG
.480Sprint Speed
22.5 ft/secGround Ball %
47.3%Line Drive %
15.4%Fly Ball %
37.4%Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Cruz's season lasted all of nine games before he fractured his ankle on a contact play April 9 against the Chicago White Sox. He attempted to come back before the end of the season, but the soreness in his ankle never quite went away and the team decided to shut him down and get him healthy for 2024. It is best if we just wash 2023 away and look back at 2022 where we saw him strike out at a high volume, yet his O-Swing percentage as well as his overall contact percentage improved as the season went on. Cruz should have the double blessing of hitting in the middle of the Pittsburgh lineup as well as the permission to play every day that his ankle permits him on the field. We may not see the same speed we saw from him right away, but the power should be there as he is reacclimated himself to the grind of daily games at the big league level. This is more of a rust/reward issue than a risk/reward one.
More Fantasy News

Receiving break Tuesday
Cruz is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.
Analysis
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Swipes 35th base
Cruz went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base Thursday against the Cardinals.
Analysis
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Back from injured list
The Pirates reinstated Cruz (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Analysis
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Will not be activated Monday
Pirates interim manager Don Kelly said that Cruz (concussion) will not be activated from the 7-day injured list prior to Monday's game in St. Louis, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis
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Could be activated Monday
General manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Cruz (concussion) is expected to rejoin the Pirates in St. Louis and could be activated prior to Monday's series opener versus the Cardinals, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis
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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Pirates getting trade inquiries
The Pirates "have received many calls" regarding the availability of Cruz, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis
Hiles notes that the Pirates are not actively shopping Cruz but are listening to what teams are willing to offer. Cruz is one of the most gifted athletes in the game, but he still hasn't had a true breakout season and is slashing just .219/.319/.419 with a 31.9 percent strikeout rate this season. He's only 26 and is under team control through 2028, so the Pirates are in no rush to move the tantalizing talent.
Hiles notes that the Pirates are not actively shopping Cruz but are listening to what teams are willing to offer. Cruz is one of the most gifted athletes in the game, but he still hasn't had a true breakout season and is slashing just .219/.319/.419 with a 31.9 percent strikeout rate this season. He's only 26 and is under team control through 2028, so the Pirates are in no rush to move the tantalizing talent.