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Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) high-fives in the dugout after scoring a run against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pirates Might Already Know Their Best Hitter in 2026

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Apr 12, 2026 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made many additions to the offseason in order to bolster their lineup, but their best hitter so far has come from a known returner.

Center Fielder Oneil Cruz has been excellent so far for the Pirates in 2026 and had his best game of the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 11, as he had four hits in five at-bats and stole three bases in the 4-3 win in extra innings.

He became the first Pirates player to have four hits and three stolen bases since Matt Lawton did so on July 26, 2005 vs. the Florida Marlins on the road.

Cruz also showed off the strength behind his bat, with three of his hits having exit velocities at 113 mph or higher, becoming the first player in the Statcast Era (Since 2015) to do that in multiple games.

It was a big performance from the 27-year old, who is looking to finally have his real, breakout season and establish himself amongst the best in the game.

Why Cruz Has Been the Pirates Best Hitter So Far

He is now slashing .345/.400/.618 for an OPS of 1.018 in 14 games, with 19 hits in 55 at-bats, 10 runs scored, three doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, five stolen bases and four walks to 17 strikeouts.

Cruz leads the Pirates in most stats, with only his runs scored second to left fielder Bryan Reynolds and his on-base percentage second to right fielder/first baseman Ryan O'Hearn.

He is also the first player in MLB that reached a 10-game hitting streak, where he is hitting .414 with 17 hits in 41 at-bats

It's been a big change for Cruz, who struggled massively towards the end and mostly throughout 2025, with his .200 batting average the worst of any qualified MLB hitter.

Pirates manager Don Kelly has noticed that Cruz is going out and actually enjoying himself when he's in the batter's box and making plays with his bat, which is what he's been doing recently.

"I think he's just proving he worked his tail off this offseason and did what he needed to do to come in ready to play," Kelly said. "He came into camp really good, went and had a really good WBC for the Dominican and then during the season, has continued to get better. I mean, those were great swings he put on the ball and the stolen bases too, he's playing great baseball."

Important Improvements for Cruz This Season

One of the biggest improvements for Cruz has come against left-handed pitchers, where hes truggled massively last year, but has been brilliant against this season.

Cruz has slashed .500/.556/1.063 for an OPS of 1.619 against southpaws, with eight hits in 16 at-bats, three home runs, six RBI and two walks to three strikeouts.

This is a massive difference from his 2025 showing vs. left-handed pitchers, slashing .102/.224/.176 for an OPS of .400, with just 11 hits in 108 at-bats and one home run.

It makes Cruz a much more dangerous left-handed hitter and one that the Cubs intentionally walked in the 11th inning, even with southpaw Caleb Thielbar on the mound.

"It feels good," Cruz said through interpreter Stephen Morales. "Like I said before, it's the product of the work I put in the Dominican [Republic] in the offseason and it's just being focused in at-bats, plays, defense, everything I do just to be more into it."

If Cruz can keep up this play, then he will help command a Pirates lineup that needs his production to make the postseason.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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