{"id":116792,"date":"2026-03-27T01:03:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T05:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=116792"},"modified":"2026-03-27T01:03:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T05:03:17","slug":"oneil-cruz-center-field-where-do-pirates-go-from-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/27\/oneil-cruz-center-field-where-do-pirates-go-from-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Oneil Cruz and Center Field: Where the Pirates Go from Here"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Pirates are kicking off 2026 with Oneil Cruz<\/a> as their center fielder once again. Known more for his bat than his glove<\/a>, his first game went about as poorly as you could imagine from a defensive standpoint. Cruz misplayed two flyballs that were hit in his direction, losing both in the sun. The first was over his head, resulting in a three-run, bases-clearing triple. The other was a pop fly with a high 46-degree launch angle, which Cruz lost in the bright sun.<\/p>\n

However, it raises an important and uncomfortable question, the Pirates may have to answer sooner rather than later: how much longer can they put up with Cruz in center field?<\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

Oneil Cruz’s Rough Day in Center Field Raises Questions for Pirates<\/h2>\n

From Gold Glove Promise to Shaky Defense<\/h3>\n

Cruz originally started getting regular reps in center field in September 2024. The move was made to accommodate the trade deadline acquisition of Isiah Kiner-Falefa<\/a>. However, the move first looked like a massive success. He was getting fantastic jumps and running good routes. He covered 38.7 feet in his jump, which was the most of any outfielder in 2024. His 0.6 route running was the 15th best.<\/p>\n

However, Cruz took a significant step back in 2025. His jump on flyballs fell to 33.8 feet, which only ranked as the 47th best in baseball. He still was a solid route runner, at 0.1, but it was a downturn from his brief 2024 look in center field. Defensive metrics were all over the place. The defensive runs saved metric hated Cruz\u2019s glove work in center. He had -14 DRS. That was the fewest by a Pirates center fielder since Bryan Reynolds<\/a> in 2022, who also had -14. The last Pirates center fielder with a worse mark than -14 was Andrew McCutchen<\/a> with -26 in 2016. However, outs above average didn\u2019t hate his fielding, putting him at league average of zero.<\/p>\n

\n

Oneil Cruz with two of the worst center field plays you’ll see in a big league game<\/p>\n

…in the first inning of the first game of the year pic.twitter.com\/kaBWNd58a3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n