When a top prospect gets the call to the majors, there is a level of uncertainty of what they will be able to produce at the highest level of competition.
Last year, Oneil Cruz gave Pirates fans a sample, recording the hardest-hit ball measured by a Pirate batter since the start of the Statcast era (118.2 mph) in his first major-league game and a towering home run in his second game.
Monday, the Pirates recalled Cruz from the minors, giving him the runway to start at shortstop and stick for the rest of the year.
So how does one follow a cameo like last season?
“What I can promise you is you’re going to see it a lot more frequently,” Cruz said through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez before the game. “You're going to see a lot of balls hit hard and a lot of balls traveling very far.”
The 23-year-old phenom could do just that. After a slow start to his minor-league season in April, Cruz has turned on the jets in the minors the last two months, convincing the Pirates to give him the call to the majors.
It’s been a long couple months of waiting, though, especially after a strong spring training showing that seemed to indicate he was ready for the next step. However, the Pirates determined it would be best for him to continue his development in the minors to start the season.
“It was hard, especially (with) the way I was able to work and produce in spring training,” Cruz said. “These past few months have been a little bit difficult, but I've remained consistent and focused on the mission.”
There were calls from fans to promote Cruz, especially as the Pirates struggled at shortstop, ranking 29th in baseball in shortstop OPS (.583) and WAR (-1.0, according to FanGraphs).
Cruz just continued his mission.
“My mind set was just to remain focused, not get lost in the comments or the decisions,” Cruz said. “As a ballplayer, I understand that there's a business side. I understand that these are decisions by the staff and front office are outside of my control. I trusted that they knew the correct time to bring me up here. My mission is to make sure that I'm equipped and ready to help the team win, whenever the opportunity is given.”
It couldn’t be ignored, though, that Cruz was staying in the minors while the Pirates’ major-league roster started to be filled with his Indianapolis teammates. Excluding Cruz, the Pirates have nine other rookies either on the active roster or the COVID-19 injured list.
“I didn’t feel bad at all. If anything, I was the opposite,” Cruz said. “I came up with these guys, a lot of these guys are my teammates, guys that I appreciate, cheer for and that I love dearly. They all have their dreams and goals, so who am I to be against that? If anything, I’m going to be in their corner cheering for them. I was fully excited to see a lot of the guys that were coming up and I hope they (stay here) and I can play ball with them up here as well.”
When asked Monday what makes this the right time for Cruz to be promoted, general manager Ben Cherington cited Cruz’s improved swing decisions and defensive work of late.
“Nothing magic about Monday against the Cubs,” Cherington said about why they promoted him now. “Just felt like this was the right time for him to come up and start playing in the big leagues.”
Cherington said the Pirates believe Cruz still can develop in the majors, something the field manager echoed.
“[We do not want to] stifle his enthusiasm in any way, but just make sure there are still some things we're going to talk about,” Derek Shelton said. “Especially tonight because [his debut has] been anticipated, just go out there and play and have fun. Keep the smile on his face that he had when he walked into my office today."
That development and unlocking Cruz’s best stuff will be vital for the future of the Pirates, because the game’s No. 20 prospect according to Baseball America is one of the most talented to come up through the system over the past decade.
“He has tools that come around once every 100 years,” Bligh Madris, who was also promoted to the majors Monday and has been playing with Cruz in Indianapolis, said. “He’s special, to say the least. He can do things with the bat. He can hit pitches out of the ballpark that come guys are lucky to get out of the infield. It’s unbelievable being able to see what he can do.”
Cruz is ready to get that next opportunity, and prove that he deserves to stay here.
“My mindset has always been to be up here,” Cruz said. “Every ballplayer’s dream is to be up here and remain here. So right now that's my focus: Do everything possible to stay here, do everything possible to help the team win and hopefully see a championship in the future.”