Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz is a pretty special talent. He hits the ball harder than almost everybody else, throws the ball harder than everybody else and runs faster than almost everybody else. It has not all come together yet at the same time to make him an All-Star-level player, but you can definitely see the potential that exists if he does put it all together.
The one big thing still holding him back right now: He strikes out a lot. While strikeouts are far more common (and even acceptable) than they were for hitters 25-30 years ago, he is still on the high end of the spectrum and needs to cut down on it to really become an effective player.
But even his strikeouts have a way of leaving people in disbelief.
Take his third-inning strikeout against the New York Mets, when he accidentally lost the grip on his bat and sent it flying deep into the Citi Field stands.
Security guard can’t believe he’s still alive pic.twitter.com/hjiymi64Xb
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 16, 2022
Have you ever seen a bat fly that far?!
The reaction of this Citi Field usher probably speaks for everybody after watching that.
This usher's reaction to Oneil Cruz losing his bat was perfect pic.twitter.com/letI4HRFef
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 16, 2022
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