Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) circles the bases on his second home run of the game against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz Joins Historic Company With Multi-Home Run Explosion

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 1:33 PM ET

Oneil Cruz has been going through an up-and-down season to say the least, but the Pittsburgh Pirates' young star still found a way to make history at the plate on Sunday.

Cruz went yard twice in the Pirates' 12-1 win over the New York Mets, helping his team complete the sweep with two-run bombs in the first and seventh innings. He is now batting .210 with 15 home runs, 35 RBIs, 45 runs, 27 stolen bases, a .740 OPS and a 1.0 WAR through 74 games this season.

According to Underdog Fantasy's Justin Havens , Cruz is only the third Pirates player this century to post a 15-home run, 25-stolen base season, and he did it with three months to spare. Starling Marte achieved the feat three times – in 2015, 2018 and 2019 – while Andrew McCutchen did so in both 2010 and 2013.

Oneil Cruz is the 3rd Pirates player in the last 25 years to put up a 15+ HR/25+ SB season, along with Starling Marte (2015, 2018, 2019) and Andrew McCutchen (2010, 2013).
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) June 30, 2025

By joining Marte and McCutchen in the history books, the 26-year-old shortstop-turned-center fielder is proving his worth on the stat sheet. If he wins over management by erasing any concerns about his hustle and effort – considering they benched him Friday – Cruz could become a franchise cornerstone once again.

The Pirates will open a series with the St. Louis Cardinals at 6:40 p.m. ET on Monday.

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

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