Pirates found an unexpected spark while waiting for Oneil Cruz to return

What has quickly become known as the Brandon Lowe trade is yielding immeasurable benefits for the Pittsburgh Pirates this year. Lowe, of course, is the star of the show, leading all position players on the roster in fWAR (2.3) through the middle of June.

Meanwhile, Mason Montgomery owns an enormous 28.8% strikeout rate this year, fighting through bouts of inconsistency and too many walks in order to emerge as one of the Pirates' few semi-reliable relievers this year.

Still, there was a third piece of that trade, one that had gone relatively unnoticed until recently. Jake Magnum has stepped into the starting center fielder role in Oneil Cruz's absence, and he's done his best impression of the Pirates' star slugger.

In the first week after Cruz landed on the injured list, Magnum hit .346/.370/.423 (122 wRC+) while starting in center field every day and batting seventh or eighth in the lineup. He's been a revelation at the plate, offering the Pirates another offensive lifeline as they attempt to survive a June swoon.

Jake Magnum is crucial to keeping Pirates afloat in Oneil Cruz's absence

Cruz, despite a slight downtick in offensive production in May, was in the midst of his best season prior to suffering metacarpal non-displaced fractures in his left hand. The 27-year-old owns a career-high 127 wRC+ in 2026 and is a virtual lock to reach the 20-20 club for the third consecutive year.

Unfortunately, his injury comes with a lengthy recovery timeline. General manager Ben Cherington confirmed that Cruz is expected to miss four-to-six weeks before returning to Pittsburgh, putting his expected return date right around the All-Star Break on July 13.

That's a month of baseball that needs to be played without one of the faces of the franchise, making Magnum's rapid ascent all the more important. Since the calendar flipped to June, the Pirates are just 4-8, ranking just 16th in runs scored and 13th in team wRC+. Those marks should be good enough to win against most teams, but a tough schedule (they went 1-5 against the Braves and Dodgers last week) and imploding bullpen (ranks 27th this month in ERA) requires the Buccos' lineup to be better than merely average.

Magnum obviously isn't the same explosive force that Cruz is, but he does offer upgrades over the larger-than-life center fielder in a few key areas. The 30-year-old strikes out at roughly half the rate that Cruz does, steals bases on an even more frequent basis, and plays superior defense in the outfield.

Even if he begins to struggle at the plate, those aspects of his game should keep him in the lineup on a nightly basis until Cruz is back. If his offensive gains prove to be sustainable, however, the Pirates are looking at a really good problem to have.

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