Have the Pirates finally decided on an unconventional leadoff hitter?

Through the first 20 games of the 2025 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have deployed eight different leadoff hitters.

Eight.

That's more than any other MLB team.

The constant revolving door at the top of the Pirates lineup has featured the likes of veteran outfielder Tommy Pham; utility players Adam Frazier, Enmanuel Valdez and Ji Hwan Bae; and power-hitting outfielders Jack Suwinski and Oneil Cruz. In other words, there was no semblance of a strategy – until now.

Have the Pirates finally decided on an unconventional leadoff hitter?

In the Pirates' game against the Washington Nationals on Thursday, Cruz was batting first for the third time in the last four games. In his first trip to the plate, he hit a leadoff home run – the first of his career – and it would end up being the only run of the game in a 1-0 Pirates win.

Now, the fact that the Pirates' offense could only muster up one run is really illustrative of a larger problem; but as long as the club is going to commit to their mediocre lineup, manager Derek Shelton might as well use the very few assets he has to his advantage. Cruz is beginning to emerge as the obvious choice to lead off against right-handed pitchers, while Hayes seems to be the preferred option against lefties.

Cruz profiles as more of a middle-of-the-order power bat and has also proven that he can do damage further down in the order whenever Hayes (or someone else) is in the leadoff spot. On Wednesday against Washington Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker, Cruz batted cleanup and went 2-for-4 with his first career grand slam in the seventh inning to lift the Pirates to a 6-1 win.

Of course, Cruz is known primarily for his powerful bat, but he has other qualities that make him an intriguing leadoff hitter as well. His 14.9% walk rate ranks in the 89th percentile, per Statcast, and he leads all of baseball with nine stolen bases this season.

If Shelton continues to tinker too much with the top of the order, he could end up doing more harm than good to any progress the Pirates see at the plate. If they can settle into a routine with Cruz and Hayes tag-teaming the leadoff spot, perhaps the Pirates can establish some consistency and finally start giving their pitching staff some more consistent run support.

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