Oneil Cruz continued his electrical begin to the 2025 season in jaw-dropping trend Friday night time, launching a leadoff residence run towards Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki at Dodger Stadium. On simply the primary pitch he noticed, Cruz unleashed a towering shot over the middle discipline wall, giving the Pittsburgh Pirates an early 1-0 lead and cementing a historic milestone.
The blast marked Cruz’s fourth leadoff residence run this April, setting a brand new Pirates franchise file for many leadoff homers in a single calendar month. The 6-foot-7 heart fielder has turned the leadoff spot into his private launchpad, offering Pittsburgh with fast sparks on the prime of the lineup.
Cruz’s dominance main off video games has been particularly obvious not too long ago. He began back-to-back contests at PNC Park with residence runs towards the Nationals and Guardians on April 17 and 18, respectively. He added one other leadoff shot towards the Angels on April 24 earlier than delivering his newest towards Sasaki and the Dodgers. Extremely, Cruz has now led off 10 of the Pirates’ final 12 video games, slashing a blistering .325 throughout that stretch with 5 residence runs and 6 RBIs.
Oneil Cruz continues his scorching begin for the Pirates
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Coming into Friday’s recreation, Cruz had already racked up eight residence runs this season, tying him for second within the Nationwide League alongside Tommy Edman, Eugenio Suárez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and James Wooden. Solely Corbin Carroll, with 9 homers, sits forward. Cruz’s total line is equally spectacular: a .264 batting common, .365 on-base share, and a .575 slugging share, good for a .940 OPS by 25 video games.
Including to his distinctive profile, Cruz has swiped 12 bases, tied for the Nationwide League lead with Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. His uncommon mixture of energy and pace has ignited conversations round baseball a few potential run on the elite 40-40 membership — a feat completed by simply six gamers in MLB historical past, most not too long ago Shohei Ohtani in 2024.
Cruz’s projections if he sustains his present tempo are staggering: upwards of 44 residence runs and 69 stolen bases over 162 video games. Ought to he keep wholesome and constant, the Pirates’ dynamic leadoff hitter might put himself within the dialog for one of many best particular person seasons the game has ever seen.
Since being acquired from the Dodgers in 2017, Cruz has steadily developed right into a cornerstone for the Pirates. His immense uncooked energy, blazing pace, and freakish athleticism for his measurement have drawn comparisons to stars like Alfonso Soriano, who posted a 40-40 season in 2006.
Whereas sustaining this tempo over a full season stays a tall activity, Cruz’s historic April has already captured nationwide consideration. With each leadoff residence run and stolen base, he continues to show he’s some of the thrilling abilities in Main League Baseball — and Pittsburgh followers have each purpose to imagine one thing actually particular is brewing in 2025.