Cruz’s Shift to Center Positive for Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates surely will have some homework for their new center fielder, Oneil Cruz, over the winter.

There are a half dozen games left on the Pirates’ 2024 schedule. Three at home against the National League Central Division champion Milwaukee Brewers, and the final road trip of the season will have the Pirates in the Bronx, Friday through Sunday, playing the New York Yankees.

Then, it’s a countdown to spring training, come February, in Bradenton.

Between next week and the Pirates arriving back in Florida preparing for the 2025 season, Cruz will no doubt be working on becoming a better outfielder. Last month, Pirates’ skipper Derek Shelton and club general manager Ben Cherington agreed that a change in position was necessary for their 6 feet 7 inches tall shortstop.

His fielding this season became a liability. Cruz collected 24 errors while at shortstop. Two seasons back in 2022, with 87 games patrolling the infield, the Dominican Republic native registered 17 errors. With less than two full seasons of MLB service time, the Pirates brass had seen enough of Cruz’s infield work.

With his above average speed and a cannon for an arm, the decision was made for Cruz to be a full-time centerfielder. So far, while learning his new position, Cruz has registered but two errors. The 113 games he was at shortstop this season are likely Cruz’s last at that position.

There’s no question that the club needs Cruz in their lineup every game. He is a vital piece to the Pirates’ present and future. Heading into the final week of the season, Cruz has slugged 20 home runs, up from 17 in 2022, and his 75 RBIs tops the 54 he rang up two seasons ago.

Cruz's 22 stolen bases this season reinforce his value when in scoring position. With Cruz on second base, a single to the outfield usually brings him around to score.

The more Cruz works on being a better, more confident center fielder this off-season, the stronger his confidence will be when arriving at Pirate City in February. Where to position himself for hitters, when to let his right and left fielders take the fly balls, where to hit his cutoff man, this is a process that Cruz must take to heart.

When this season began on March 28 in Miami, many questions surrounded Cruz’s ability to handle the physical demands at shortstop. Playing in only nine games in 2023, Cruz suffered a horrific injury in a game against the Chicago White Sox last April.

While attempting to score at the plate, a collision with Chicago catcher Seby Zavala resulted in Cruz suffering a fractured left ankle. There has been speculation this season that, at times, Cruz has played through ankle discomfort. Being in center field full-time should be physically easier on Cruz’s body.

Cutting down on his strikeout totals should be another “work in progress” this winter for Cruz. Heading into Sunday’s game between the Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, Cruz has whiffed 175 times. This seems to be a pattern, as in 2022, he was caught looking 126 times at bat.

The Pirates need Cruz’s speed on the base paths. He will be counted on to be in the starting lineup daily. Granted, there are less than two full MLB seasons to judge Cruz’s abilities. The Pirates should already see enough in Cruz’s play to know what to expect for the coming years.

Whether he returns home to Nizo, Peravia, Dominican Republic, after cleaning out his locker next week at PNC Park in Pittsburgh or spends time training at Pirate City, Cruz’s potential is too great to give up on. Practice makes perfect. The more repetitions in the outfield, the more time spent in the batting cages, the closer Cruz will be to the all-star so many believe him to be.