Oneil Cruz's powerful return could amplify Pirates' playoff hopes a few notches

To put it generously, August has not been kind to the Pittsburgh Pirates. They're 7-11 since the trade deadline, playing so poorly that they've hardly been able to deploy Luke Weaver in high-leverage situations out of the bullpen. A lot of frustrating factors have compounded during this stretch, but nothing has been less inspiring than the team's once-potent offense.

This month, the Bucs rank 25th in team wRC+ (81) and 18th in runs scored (81). Unfortunately, this sudden downturn is being caused by a problem we all know too well: a lack of power. Be it home runs (17, 28th in the league in August), ISO (.125, 27th), or just plain slugging percentage (.350, 27th), the Pirates are in the midst of a season-threatening power outage.

Which is why it was so refreshing to see Oneil Cruz crush a home run in his first game back after a two-month hiatus. As one of the hardest hitters in baseball, he can turn this lineup-wide slump around in a hurry.

Oneil Cruz's strengths can cover for the Pirates' sudden weaknesses on offense

Despite a strikeout rate he hasn't been able to get under control (34.8% this year), Cruz is in the midst of his best campaign by most metrics. His 130 wRC+ and .849 OPS are both the best marks of his career, and his 16 home runs in 68 games played put him on pace to easily cruise past his previous best (21, set in 2024).

Naturally, the things he does best is exactly what the offense has been lacking in. The Pirates rank in the middle of the pack in average exit velocity this month; Cruz has the best mark in the league (95.8 mph). The team is 21st in barrel rate; Cruz is in the 98th percentile, nearly trippling his teammates' output (17.0% compared to 6.4%). And his xSLG of .496 is far superior to that of the August Bucs (.351, 26th).

It's always dangerous to suggest that someone can or needs to be savior in baseball; there's 26 guys on the roster for a reason, and it takes a village to put together a winning effort. But Cruz is as talented as anyone else in the organization, and if he can shoulder this burden and drag the Pirates to the playoffs, he'll earn the "face of the franchise" status so many have been desperate to bestow upon him.

Failing that, the rest of an offense that was so dominant in the first half will need to wake up out of their dormant slumber in order to rescue this sinking ship.

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