PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – He continues to work his way back from an ankle injury that ended his 2023 season after nine games. So far not just so good, but much better for Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz.
The 25-year-old is hitting .344 with a pair of home runs. It's not the average or the multiple home runs in the first week of games, but it's where he is hitting the ball that has the Pirates excited.
The home run to right field is great, but the line drive to left for a single and the infield single to third base that shows Cruz is hitting it where he wants.
"Definitely a good sign to be able to go the other way," Cruz said Friday. "That means as a hitter that you are in a really good spot. That you can just use the whole field. It feels really good right now."
"I think it's a concerted effort to make sure he stays within himself," said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. "When you come to the big leagues and you're a guy his size and has the ability to hit the ball as far as he does, the natural reaction is to see how far you can hit the ball."
He's hit it a long way, but it's been the discipline to go with the pitches and shorten his swing with two strikes. He said he's not swinging as hard when he's in the hole and it's paying off.
"Yeah, definitely it's going to be an adjustment that you guys will see this year because 2022, in my mind, I was just hitting the ball to the right field side of the field," Cruz said. "Yeah, as a hitter you mature, definitely I have to use the whole field when I hit."
Shelton credits hitting coach Andy Haines with making his young shortstop realize there is a lot of field to use and he should just go ahead and use it.
"If he uses the other side of the field, I think we saw with the one ground ball, you're not going to throw him out," Shelton said. "It's just the maturation of him as a hitter."
Cruz even has three bats in the dugout at all times. Not three of the same bats, rather three different bats that he will use depending on the pitcher. The bat he uses depends on velocity-softer tosser-bigger bat, conversely a smaller bat for hard throwers or a pitcher with really good stuff.
"Like I said earlier this year, it's always a blessing to be back on the field," Cruz said. "Then to just be on the same field with my teammates. It feels pretty good."
When Cruz feels pretty good, it should be pretty good for the Pirates.
