Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz to compete in MLB All-Star Home Run Derby
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz has launched some of the hardest-hit balls since MLB started keeping track of exit velocity in 2015.
He’ll get a chance to show that skill to a national audience when he participates in the Home Run Derby on Monday, the annual prelude to MLB’s All-Star Game.
“I’m really, really happy,” Cruz said through Pirates assistant coach and interpreter Stephen Morales on the SportsNet Pittsburgh pregame show Tuesday. “That’s what I do — I like to hit balls far, and I think I’m going to enjoy it a lot.”
Morales, who regularly translates for the Pirates’ contingent of Latin players, including the 26-year-old Cruz, a native of Nizao, Dominican Republic, will serve as his pitcher Monday.
“I’m just happy and glad that he wanted me to throw to him,” Morales said. “It’s his show. I’m just going to try to put him in the best position ever, and it’s his show.”
Cruz is hitting .203 with a team-best 15 home runs and 35 RBIs this season. He has a .315 on-base percentage and .402 slugging percentage.
Those numbers aren’t particularly impressive, but these are: Cruz has blasted the two hardest-hit balls ever recorded, a 122.9-mph homer against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 25 this season and a 122.4-mph single against Atlanta in 2022. This season, he is responsible for five of the seven hardest-hit balls in MLB.
“Definitely, I’m going to try to hit one how I know how to hit it — really far — that way the people can enjoy that,” Cruz said. “But for sure, I’m going to try to do that a few times.”
While Cruz continues to hammer the baseball like usual, his overall offensive body of work this season has featured elongated cold stretches.
After batting .262 in April, Cruz hit just .202 in May and .176 in June.
Entering Tuesday’s game against the Royals in Kansas City, he’s gone just 1 for 17 (.059) in July.
Cruz told reporters in Kansas City on Tuesday that he has already consulted with Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, a 2022 and 2023 Home Run Derby participant, as well as Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the 2023 winner, for advice.
“It’s all about consistency, and we’ve got to work on that the next few days,” Cruz said.
Cruz will be the seventh Pirates player to compete in the derby, joining Bobby Bonilla (1990), Barry Bonds (1992), Jason Bay (2005), Andrew McCutchen (2012), Pedro Alvarez (2013) and Josh Bell (2019).
None has fared particularly well. The contest has been played with a variety of formats over the years, but no Pirates player has ever advanced out of the first round of competition. Bonilla and Bay failed to hit a single homer.
Cruz is the fifth player to be announced for the derby, joining Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton, Washington outfielder James Wood, Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh in the eight-man competition.
New York Mets slugger and two-time winner Pete Alonso, Philadelphia designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. have said they will skip the event.
MLB has allowed players not selected for the All-Star Game to compete in the Home Run Derby since 2013.
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