Oneil Cruz's WBC dominance is giving Pirates fans hope for 2026 breakout

The 2025 season represented a step backward for Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz. There were some positives (20 home runs and a career-best and NL-leading 38 stolen bases), but those were largely drowned out by the negatives (.200 batting average, 32% strikeout rate, and consistent growing pains in center field).

Cruz is often maligned for his effort and attitude, but his offseason work should dispel those concerns. He attacked two of his greatest weaknesses with a vengeance, hiring a left-handed batting practice pitcher to work with him throughout the winter and undertaking multiple sessions of outfield lessons with Kevin Kiermaier, one of the greatest defensive center fielders this side of Willie Mays.

The next checkbox Cruz was tasked with facing was the World Baseball Classic, giving him another chance to put his superlative skills on display in front of an even larger audience (he, of course, put his name on the map for good at last year's Home Run Derby). And it would be tough to envision Cruz's first WBC getting off to any better of a start.

It's a very small sample, as Cruz isn't a regular starter on the stacked Dominican Republic squad (which is understandable, given they're starting Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez, and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the outfield), but he's been a human highlight reel when he's gotten on the field.

Oneil Cruz is shining on the big stage, giving Pirates fans hope for what's to come

In true Oneil Cruz fashion, his first-ever WBC plate appearance resulted in the greatest home run ever tracked in the event's history. It was, in no uncertain terms, an absolute moonshot.

Even in a game that also saw home runs hit by Rodriguez and Junior Caminero, Cruz's blast stood out. A 450-foot blast is no joke, even if Pirates fans are accustomed to seeing that from their center fielder.

Cruz earned the honor of having his name written into the star-studded lineup by manager Albert Pujols for Monday's contest against Israel, and he did not disappoint — he walked twice, doubled, and, of course, hit another high-exit velocity home run.

If Cruz's performance in the WBC is any indication of what he has in store for 2026, the Pirates could boast a playoff-caliber offense. He clearly has all the talent in the world—if he puts it all together, he could be one of the most exciting players in all of baseball, and a key reason why playoff baseball could return to Pittsburgh this season. It's an early and small sample, but the results so far have been extremely promising.