Oneil Cruz Finally Became the Player We Waited For. Now What?

Oneil Cruz has spent most of his career as one of baseball’s biggest “what ifs.” In 2026, Alex Stumpf argues, Pirates fans finally got the clearest look yet at what Cruz can actually be. He breaks down the adjustments, the production that followed his return from a lengthy hand injury, and the 30-homer, 50-steal pace a healthy season might have produced. With two years of team control left, the bigger question now becomes what Cruz’s future in Pittsburgh looks like.

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