Not many analysts know what to make of the Pittsburgh Pirates heading into the 2025 season. They have a few intriguing players, some of whom could be in for breakout seasons, but their overall roster is not strong.
Everyone knows about the dominance of Paul Skenes, but their hitters are the most prominent question marks. One player that is due for a breakout season is O’Neil Cruz.
O’Neil Cruz Hits Spring Training Moonshot
Cruz has always been seen as a five-tool player but has never been able to put them all together. Not to mention, he is frequently injured. Last season, Cruz surpassed 100 games played in a season for the first time. He played 146 while batting .259 with 21 home runs and 76 RBIs. He also added 22 stolen bases.
Cruz is known for having some of the best raw power in baseball. He showed that off in his last Spring Training game by hitting a mammoth home run. This ball cleared the boardwalk in center field at LECOM Park, the Pirates Spring Training facility.
Oneil Cruz is UNREAL 😱 #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/RU711Tgtnz
— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2025
According to Baseball Savant, Cruz ranks amongst the best in the league in average exit velocity, hard hit, and barrel %. Also, his max exit velocity is consistently amongst the best in the MLB.
Is Cruz an MVP Darkhorse?
Cruz has a bat that can easily hit 40 home runs in a season. All he needs is to make more consistent contact for that to happen. His K% and Whiff% are among the worst in baseball, meaning he strikes out a ton, including swing and missing often.
Also, his stolen base potential is elite. He is in the 88th percentile in sprint speed, averaging 28.8 feet/second. It is rare to see a 6’7″, 240lb player move that fast, but Cruz is built differently than anyone else in the sport. On some sportsbooks, Cruz is currently +15000 to win NL MVP.
The Pirates will likely not find themselves in playoff contention, but that does not mean they won’t be fun to watch.
Along with Skenes and Cruz, the Pirates have some impressive players like Jared Jones and Bryan Reynolds. Also, it helps that they play in the NL Central, which seems to be a division up for grabs.
No one knows what the 2025 season has in store for the Pirates, but at the very least, it should be intriguing.
