Pirates' Oneil Cruz is proving a simpler approach might be his biggest weapon

Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Matt Hague deserves some credit for helping Oneil Cruz thrive this year, but then again, it's been mostly Cruz's offseason work ethic that has resulted in such a productive 2026 so far. Hague told Foul Territory recently that Cruz was in the cages three days after the end of last season, as Oneil was deeply unsatisfied with his play in 2025.

The work has paid off. Cruz is performing like a star for Pittsburgh this season, and his dual-threat home run and base-stealing prowess has Cruz — believe it or not — aligned with Barry Bonds in franchise history.

Cruz logged 10 homers and 16 stolen bases through his first 45 games of the year. His .259 batting average and .759 OPS are well above his career numbers of .236 and .741. Cruz has been particularly hot at the plate recently, and Hague's advice is really showing through.

Pirates hitting coach has Oneil Cruz simplifying things at the plate

"For [Cruz] it's just [about] simplifying everything," Hague said. "The talent is so great ... [we] trust him to adjust because ... he can do things that other guys can't do, and he can hit the ball harder [than other guys]."

Hague also revealed that Cruz has worked on some two-strike approaches and ideas to help him be a tougher out.

Cruz's behind-the-scenes work has resulted in a swing and overall aura that always come across as effortless, especially when he's launching lasers into the right field bleachers.

And while Cruz's defense has been erratic at times, his electric athleticism ultimately wins out and makes him a player capable of covering a ton of ground.

Cruz was the National League's stolen base leader in 2025, but his list of individual accolades pretty much ends there so far in his career. That's probably about to change, as the 27-year-old Cruz looks every bit the part of a budding star in Pittsburgh. And with two arbitration seasons remaining beyond this season until Cruz hits free agency, the Pirates should be benefiting from his bat through 2028.

The Pirates will continue to rely on Cruz's production in the present moment as they battle within a wildly competitive NL Central in which every team in the division has largely remained within five games of first place. After a hot start to the year, the Pirates have cooled off a bit in recent weeks, but if they can continue to stay afloat, the postseason is well within reach.

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