2 Reasons Why Pirates Fans Should Believe Oneil Cruz's Breakout Is for Real

The Pittsburgh Pirates slugger is off to a hot start this season, and MLB.com's Bill Ladson explains why this breakout is sustainable.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 7:56pm

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A fragmented, multi-angled painting depicting the various movements and angles of a baseball player's batting stance and swing, rendered in a cubist style using bold, overlapping geometric shapes and planes in a palette of navy, green, and orange.A cubist interpretation of Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz's breakout season, deconstructing his powerful swing into a dynamic geometric composition.Today in Pittsburgh

Oneil Cruz, the Pittsburgh Pirates' young slugger, is off to a fantastic start this season, leading the National League in stolen bases and posting an impressive .924 OPS. MLB.com's Bill Ladson provides two key reasons why Pirates fans should believe that Cruz's breakout is for real and not a fluke: his improved performance against left-handed pitching and his ability to hit offspeed and breaking pitches better than last season.

Why it matters

Cruz's breakout is a significant development for the Pirates, who are off to a strong start in the NL Central. If Cruz can sustain his production, it would provide a major boost to the Pirates' lineup and their chances of making the playoffs. Fans have been eager to see Cruz reach his potential, and this season could be a turning point in his career.

The details

According to Ladson, Cruz has made two key improvements that are driving his breakout. First, he is hitting left-handed pitching much better, going 10-for-24 (.417) with three home runs against lefties, a significant improvement from his .102 average against them last season. Ladson notes that Cruz has "changed his stance" against left-handed pitchers, which has paid dividends. Additionally, Cruz is performing better against offspeed and breaking pitches, hitting .310 in those situations after struggling to a .164 average against such pitches in 2025.

  • Through the first 19 games of the 2026 season (as of April 19).

The players

Oneil Cruz

A 27-year-old outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates who is off to a breakout start this season, leading the National League in stolen bases and posting a .924 OPS.

Bill Ladson

An MLB.com reporter who provided the analysis on why Cruz's breakout is sustainable.

Paul Skenes

A Pirates pitcher who has also gotten off to a strong start this season.

Brandon Lowe

A Pirates player who has received attention for his performance this season.

Ryan O'Hearn

A Pirates player who has received attention for his performance this season.

Konnor Griffin

A Pirates player who has received attention for his performance this season.

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What they’re saying

“It helps that Cruz is hitting left-handers, going 10-for-24 (.417) with three homers against them entering Saturday's action.”

— Bill Ladson, MLB.com reporter

“Cruz is also doing better against offspeed and breaking pitches.”

— Bill Ladson, MLB.com reporter

What’s next

The Pirates will look to continue their strong start to the season and see if Oneil Cruz can sustain his breakout performance. Fans will be closely watching to see if Cruz's improvements against left-handed pitching and offspeed/breaking pitches hold up over the course of the full season.

The takeaway

Oneil Cruz's breakout season is shaping up to be a real and sustainable development for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His improved production against left-handed pitching and offspeed/breaking pitches, which were weaknesses in the past, suggest he has made meaningful adjustments that could allow him to become a star-level player for the Pirates.