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Oneil Cruz gets questioned for his defensive effort

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Mar 29, 2026 4:06 PM ET

Oneil Cruz was back in center field for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, but his play there still raised a few concerns.

Cruz caught a fly ball with a runner on first and one out in the second inning of Sunday’s game against the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York, N.Y. He was noticeably casual after making the grab, and took a long time getting the ball back to the infield.

Pirates broadcasters Greg Brown and Kevin Young felt that Cruz was being a little too casual in center, and noted that Brett Baty could have tagged up and gone for second had he been ready to do so.

Pirates broadcasters share their concern about Oneil Cruz's "lackadaisical" effort on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/nl1FjiRFR5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2026

The flipside of this is that Cruz might have showed a bit more urgency getting the ball back in if he noticed Baty had tagged up. That did not happen, although Cruz does risk being caught flat-footed if this becomes a habit.

The microscope is on Cruz right now thanks to his abysmal Opening Day performance at his new position. He went on to blame the sun for his troubles, even though many pointed out that he chose not to wear sunglasses during the game. That had changed by Sunday.

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

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