World Baseball Classic gives Oneil Cruz the stage to answer last season with Pirates

Oneil Cruz already had his name-making moment in the 2025 Home Run Derby, when he nearly broke Statcast and lit the internet on fire by displaying herculean exit velocities and dinger distances.

Unfortunately, his performance in the games that actually mattered wasn't quite so electrifying. Though he had his fair share of highlights, they were too few and far between to make up for his day-to-day inconsistencies and frequent slumps.

He hit just .200/.298/.378 last season, posting a career-low wRC+ (86) while continuing to rack up strikeouts at an alarming rate (32.0%). And, after committing to center field on a full-time basis after a late-season switch in 2024, he struggled mightily in the outfield, piling up -14 Defensive Runs Saved (and 0 Outs Above Average).

Suffice it to say, Cruz has a lot to prove in 2026 now that he's 27 years old and just a few years away from free agency. And what better stage to reintroduce himself to the world than the World Baseball Classic?

Oneil Cruz can thrive in WBC and with Pirates thanks to better support from teammates

Last season, it probably felt like Cruz had to do it all for the Pirates. He led the team in home runs (20) and frequently hit in the middle or top of the lineup, even when he was slumping.

Let's just say that problem shouldn't repeat itself this time around. Between Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, Jake Magnum, and Jhostynxon Garcia, the Pirates' offense figures to be much improved from last year, when it ranked last in runs scored. And that fails to account for any improvements made by incumbent starters like Spencer Horwitz, Jared Triolo, or even Cruz himself.

The same kind of lineup protection should present itself to Cruz in the WBC, though it'll be even more magnified. The Dominican Republic's roster is loaded beyond belief, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and others representing the 2013 champions. In fact, it might be hard for Cruz to even get regular playing time in such a stacked lineup, though his versatility and speed should make him a key asset for manager Albert Pujols.

In lieu of an extended run in spring training, Cruz will need to use the WBC as his springboard back to stardom. His raw talent is as prodigious as anyone else's in the league; he simply needs to find more consistency and put his faith in his teammates to pick up the slack.