Oneil Cruz: The Next Big Thing in Baseball?

If you want to maximize Cruz's speed, chasing down fly balls and giving him a large canvas to work with in center field could do it. In smaller spaces like shortstop, reaction distance and bursts towards short distances are more important. O’Neill got a $49.5 million deal that is equally split to $16.5 million each of the next three seasons. Sánchez got an $8.5 million contract for likely a backup role behind All-Star. The Pirates are moving talented youngster Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field. He's in the lineup as designated hitter Monday night, but will transition to center and. Cruz’s missile was the hardest-hit ball all season, beating, ahem, his 120.4-mph single in the first — and it came off a 100.3-mph cutter from Doval, no less. He also hit a 116.3. Pirates manager Derek Shelton joins MLB Tonight to discuss Oneil Cruz's transition to center field, players taking the next step and more News. Rule ... Rule Changes Probable.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton joins MLB Tonight to discuss Oneil Cruz's transition to center field, players taking the next step and more News. Rule ... Rule Changes Probable. He could have made a mockery of Triple-A pitching for the first two weeks, forcing the Pirates to call him up before the end of April. But the next big service-time milestone is. Baseball America considers Cruz the top prospect, best power hitter and best infield arm in the Pirates minor league system, ranking him the No. 14 overall prospect in. Cruz has the raw power and bat speed to produce some incredible power numbers and exit velocities. But on Tuesday, he did something no player has done in the. If baseball requires a very specific kind of physicality—fast hands, meaty haunches, torque-able hips—Cruz is a truly stupefying athlete by any standard; At 6’7, 220 pounds, he’s. O’Neill got a $49.5 million deal that is equally split to $16.5 million each of the next three seasons. Sánchez got an $8.5 million contract for likely a backup role behind All-Star. Oneil Cruz is a player of extremes. The 6-foot-7 shortstop — the tallest man ever to play the position regularly — doesn’t just have incredible bat speed and power, he can lay claim to the... Scouting Report: Cruz boasts plus power, speed and throwing ability and has a legitimate chance to stick in the infield. He possesses otherworldly raw power, generating elite. The Pirates are moving talented youngster Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field. He's in the lineup as designated hitter Monday night, but will transition to center and. Cruz, the Pirates' 6-foot-7 prospect, made some noise in his big-league debut and could be a sign of the Pirates' fortunes changing.

Maybe that Oneil Cruz is about to be a breakout slugger. The Pirates' 23-year-old, 6-foot-7 shortstop played only two games when making his big league debut at the very end of. Baseball America considers Cruz the top prospect, best power hitter and best infield arm in the Pirates minor league system, ranking him the No. 14 overall prospect in. Oneil Cruz completed his first extended look of big league action after the Pirates called up the recently-turned 24-year-old midseason. In 87 games with the Bucs, Cruz posted a .744 OPS. He hit 17 homers, drove in 54. He could have made a mockery of Triple-A pitching for the first two weeks, forcing the Pirates to call him up before the end of April. But the next big service-time milestone is. Now, with the injury in his rearview, Oneil Cruz will be looking to help the Pittsburgh Pirates take the next step toward contention. At 6-foot-7, Cruz will literally be a big part of the... The Pirates are moving talented youngster Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field. He's in the lineup as designated hitter Monday night, but will transition to center and. Cruz’s missile was the hardest-hit ball all season, beating, ahem, his 120.4-mph single in the first — and it came off a 100.3-mph cutter from Doval, no less. He also hit a 116.3.

Cruz, the Pirates' 6-foot-7 prospect, made some noise in his big-league debut and could be a sign of the Pirates' fortunes changing. The Pirates are moving talented youngster Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field. He's in the lineup as designated hitter Monday night, but will transition to center and.