Cruz falls short, but ties record at Home Run Derby
In case fans weren't aware before Monday night's Home Run Derby, Oneil Cruz can hit the ball a long way.
A long, long way:
That 513-foot home run tied the record for the longest non-Coors Field home run in the Derby since Statcast started tracking distance in 2016. It's also the longest-tracked homer in the history of Truist Park.
"I jammed myself a little bit," Cruz joked through interpreter -- and pitcher -- Stephen Morales.
But for Cruz, the Home Run Derby was just another batting practice. At least, that's the way he approached it.
"It was a really good experience," Cruz said. "I felt no pressure. I went out there and acted like I was taking another (batting practice). It felt pretty good."
"Pretty good" amounted to 21 home runs in the first round, which gave Cruz the first seed heading into the knockout stage in the semifinals. That number matched Junior Caminero, but his 513-foot blast was the tiebreaker, as distance broke all ties in the first round.
For nearly 12 minutes, Cruz had players and fans in awe of the moonshots flying off his bat, including five home runs of at least 479 feet:
While Cruz only need to hit enough home runs to finish in the top four of the eight contestants to advance, he went on to face MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh in the semifinals. Raleigh barely squeaked past Brent Rooker, as both hit 17 home runs in a tie for fourth place. Raleigh won the tiebreaker by less than a foot.
However, Raleigh blasted 19 home runs in the second round, putting all the pressure on Cruz. Once again, Cruz dazzled everyone watching, launching a 498-foot blast that left the ballpark. However, he fell six home runs short of forcing a tie-breaking swing off:
While Raleigh pummeled baseballs over the right field wall, Cruz maintained his "no pressure" mentality.
"I just set my mind to hit 20 in that round," Cruz said.
Raleigh went on to win the Home Run Derby with 18 home runs in the final round.
Cruz has had a volatile year for the Pirates. Amid posting 16 home runs, a .733 OPS and 1.5 bWAR, Cruz has sometime left fans in wonderment and awe, and other times pulling their hair out. However, this event put the Pirates centerstage and Cruz represented himself and the team in the best way possible.
No, he didn't win. But, he lived up to the hype of being a true threat of winning the Home Run Derby. And even though he didn't win, it gave everyone a nice reprieve from a rather frustrating season. Fans got to watch what Cruz does best, and Cruz himself got to experience an event he's made to compete in.
"It was pretty good," Cruz said. "As a player, this is the kind of stage you want to be on. If I happen to do it again at some point, and try to win the whole thing, I'll do it. That's for sure."
THE ASYLUM
Cruz falls short, but ties record at Home Run Derby
In case fans weren't aware before Monday night's Home Run Derby, Oneil Cruz can hit the ball a long way.
A long, long way:
That 513-foot home run tied the record for the longest non-Coors Field home run in the Derby since Statcast started tracking distance in 2016. It's also the longest-tracked homer in the history of Truist Park.
"I jammed myself a little bit," Cruz joked through interpreter -- and pitcher -- Stephen Morales.
But for Cruz, the Home Run Derby was just another batting practice. At least, that's the way he approached it.
"It was a really good experience," Cruz said. "I felt no pressure. I went out there and acted like I was taking another (batting practice). It felt pretty good."
"Pretty good" amounted to 21 home runs in the first round, which gave Cruz the first seed heading into the knockout stage in the semifinals. That number matched Junior Caminero, but his 513-foot blast was the tiebreaker, as distance broke all ties in the first round.
For nearly 12 minutes, Cruz had players and fans in awe of the moonshots flying off his bat, including five home runs of at least 479 feet:
While Cruz only need to hit enough home runs to finish in the top four of the eight contestants to advance, he went on to face MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh in the semifinals. Raleigh barely squeaked past Brent Rooker, as both hit 17 home runs in a tie for fourth place. Raleigh won the tiebreaker by less than a foot.
However, Raleigh blasted 19 home runs in the second round, putting all the pressure on Cruz. Once again, Cruz dazzled everyone watching, launching a 498-foot blast that left the ballpark. However, he fell six home runs short of forcing a tie-breaking swing off:
While Raleigh pummeled baseballs over the right field wall, Cruz maintained his "no pressure" mentality.
"I just set my mind to hit 20 in that round," Cruz said.
Raleigh went on to win the Home Run Derby with 18 home runs in the final round.
Cruz has had a volatile year for the Pirates. Amid posting 16 home runs, a .733 OPS and 1.5 bWAR, Cruz has sometime left fans in wonderment and awe, and other times pulling their hair out. However, this event put the Pirates centerstage and Cruz represented himself and the team in the best way possible.
No, he didn't win. But, he lived up to the hype of being a true threat of winning the Home Run Derby. And even though he didn't win, it gave everyone a nice reprieve from a rather frustrating season. Fans got to watch what Cruz does best, and Cruz himself got to experience an event he's made to compete in.
"It was pretty good," Cruz said. "As a player, this is the kind of stage you want to be on. If I happen to do it again at some point, and try to win the whole thing, I'll do it. That's for sure."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits!
We’d love to have you!