A lot has been said about the work Oneil Cruz did over the offseason to improve his overall game. He traveled back to the Dominican Republic right when the season ended and opted out of relaxation time. Now, as he prepares to represent the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, Cruz is seeing his work turn into early results this spring. 

“It feels really good right now," Cruz said, via interpreter and major-league coach Stephen Morales, after hitting his first home run of the spring in the Pirates' 5-2 win over the Astros here today at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. "That’s a product of the work I put in before I came here. Just going into the batter’s box ready to hit.” 

Cruz's homer, a three-run shot, came on a changeup right down the middle from right-handed pitcher Jayden Murray in the fifth inning. He showcased his power to give the Pirates the lead in that moment, but it's not as if he's been trying to punish the ball so far this spring. 

Cruz came into today's game -- his fifth of the spring -- with hits in each of his previous four games. That includes two multi-hit performances. Over the course of these games, Cruz has still hit the ball hard with exit velocities exceeding the 100 mph mark, but he's hitting the ball on the ground for the most part and making sure it's not just a sharp liner right at a defender. He's having better at-bats, taking what the pitcher is giving him and looking to put the ball in play rather than punish it. For a guy like Cruz, that's the mindset to have, considering the natural power he possesses. The home runs will come. 

“It feels good just to be able to hit the ball all over the place," Cruz said. "It’s all about confidence. Last year, I was not confident enough to be successful, but this year, I’m in a way better spot with my confidence against lefties and in the batter’s box.”