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Pirates’ Oneil Cruz is on pace for 40/40 season
The emergence of Oneil Cruz
Oneil Cruz is putting Major League Baseball on notice.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Center Fielder has begun the 2025 season with a dynamic combination of power and speed. Following a hot start in April, where he crushed 8 homers. Cruz has cooled a bit in May, nevertheless delivering entertaining performances at the plate and basepaths.
On May 25, in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Cruz crushed a 432-foot solo home run into the Allegheny River with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph—the hardest-hit ball recorded since Statcast began tracking in 2015. The home run broke his own record of 122.4 mph, set in 2022.
The homer also marked Cruz’s sixth to reach the river on the fly, placing him in rare territory as one of baseball’s most feared power hitters.
As of May 26, Cruz is slashing .236/.321/.532 with 11 home runs, 23 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases in 46 games. His OPS sits at a strong .853, ranking 31st in the league. He leads the Pirates in home runs and stolen bases, a rare feat for any shortstop.
Cruz’s raw metrics are even crazier. His average exit velocity sits at 97 mph—good for the 100th percentile among MLB hitters—and his average bat speed of 78.9 mph puts him among the league’s elite. During his record-setting blast, his swing topped out at 83.7 mph, one of the fastest in Statcast history.
Not to mention Cruz’s arm ranks in the 100th percentile of baseball. He is the definition of all gas, no brakes.
Cruz’s electric blend of speed and power has him on pace for a historic season. With 11 homers and 18 stolen bases in just 46 games, Cruz is on track to be the latest member of the 40/40 club, accomplished by a small list of players in MLB history, including players like Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Shohei Ohtani.
If he stays healthy and maintains his current trajectory, Cruz could become the first Pirate in franchise history to join that exclusive list.
As summer approaches and All-Star ballots open, Oneil Cruz’s name begins to circulate in national conversations. With highlight-reel homers, elite metrics, and game-changing speed, he’s rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting players in baseball.
Currently at the bottom of the NL Central, the Pirates will need every ounce of Cruz’s talent for the future of their franchise. But for now, Pittsburgh fans have every reason to be thrilled: Oneil Cruz is only getting started.
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