Oct 2, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (61) runs the bases on his way to scoring a run against the Cincinnati Reds during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pirates call up top prospect Oneil Cruz

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 6/19/22

Pittsburgh Pirates fans haven’t had much to get excited about this season, but that’s changing.

The Pirates are calling up top prospect Oneil Cruz, Kody Duncan first reported on Sunday.

Cruz was not in the lineup for his Triple-A team on Sunday. Combine that with what Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said earlier in the day, and it was no surprise to see the news on Cruz being called up.

Pirates GM Ben Cherington says on @937theFan talking about Oneil Cruz: "We think Oneil is really, really close. We'll see what happens here in the next few days."

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) June 19, 2022

Cruz was only batting .233 in the minors this season, but he is highly intriguing.

Cruz is 23 years old and stands at 6-foot-7 despite playing shortstop. He has a natural swing and some major power as a lefty. He seems to especially like hitting pitches low in the zone.

Oneil Cruz really golfed this baseball for a home run last night

pic.twitter.com/iPpZGoUEbp

— Farm To Fame (@FarmToFame_) June 10, 2022

The shortstop saw action in two games with the Pirates last season and batted .333 with a home run in nine at-bats. Pittsburgh waited until the Super Two deadline passed before calling him back up this season.

Cruz might struggle with his batting average upon being called up, but it’s his power out of the shortstop position that is intriguing.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: