History of Oneil Cruz in Timeline

Oneil Cruz is a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic, currently playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates in MLB. He plays both center field and shortstop. He began his Major League Baseball career in 2021.

Sections (1)

Full Timeline

October 4, 1998: Oneil Cruz's Birth

On October 4, 1998, Oneil Cruz was born. He is a Dominican professional baseball center fielder and shortstop.

Others born on this day/year

2007: Joel Guzmán Shortstop Appearance

In 2007, Joel Guzmán, another 6-foot-7-inch player, made an appearance at shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays.

July 2015: Signs with Los Angeles Dodgers

In July 2015, Oneil Cruz signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an international free agent for a $950,000 signing bonus.

2016: Professional Debut

In 2016, Cruz made his professional debut with DSL Dodgers 1, where he batted .294 with 23 runs batted in (RBI) in 55 games.

July 31, 2017: Trade to the Pirates

On July 31, 2017, the Dodgers traded Oneil Cruz and Angel German to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Tony Watson. Cruz was then assigned to the West Virginia Power.

2017: Joins Great Lakes Loons

In 2017, Cruz began the season with the Great Lakes Loons.

2018: South Atlantic League All-Star

In 2018, Cruz played for the West Virginia Power, batting .286 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 103 games, earning South Atlantic League All-Star honors.

November 20, 2019: Added to 40-Man Roster

On November 20, 2019, the Pirates added Oneil Cruz to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

2019: Season with Multiple Teams

In 2019, Cruz began the season with the Bradenton Marauders, suffered a foot fracture, was assigned to the Gulf Coast League Pirates, and was later promoted to the Altoona Curve. He hit .298 in 73 games across the three teams for the 2019 season.

September 22, 2020: Vehicle Crash

On September 22, 2020, Oneil Cruz was involved in a deadly vehicle crash in the Dominican Republic in which three people were killed. Cruz survived the accident without serious injury.

2020: Season Cancellation

In 2020, Oneil Cruz did not play in a game due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 2, 2021: MLB Debut

On October 2, 2021, Oneil Cruz was promoted to the active roster for the first time to make his MLB debut.

2021: MLB Debut

In 2021, Oneil Cruz made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut.

2021: Minor League Season

In 2021, Oneil Cruz split the minor league season between Altoona and the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, hitting .310/.375/.594 with 17 home runs, 47 RBI, and 19 stolen bases.

August 24, 2022: Hardest-Hit Ball

On August 24, 2022, Oneil Cruz hit the then hardest-hit ball since the advent of Statcast at 122.4 miles per hour against Kyle Wright of the Atlanta Braves.

April 10, 2023: Fractured Fibula

On April 10, 2023, Oneil Cruz fractured his left fibula while sliding into home plate, leading to him being ruled out for the entire season.

August 26, 2024: Position Change to Center Field

On August 26, 2024, manager Derek Shelton announced that Oneil Cruz would be moving to center field for the foreseeable future.

2024: MLB Exit Velocity Record

In 2024, Cruz batted .259/.324/.449 with 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases, and had the highest maximum exit velocity in MLB, at 121.5 mph.

April 16, 2025: First Career Grand Slam

On April 16, 2025, Oneil Cruz hit his first career grand slam against the Washington Nationals in a 6-1 victory.

May 25, 2025: Hardest-Hit Ball in Statcast Era

On May 25, 2025, Oneil Cruz hit the hardest-hit ball in the Statcast Era at 122.9 miles per hour against Logan Henderson of the Milwaukee Brewers for a 432-foot home run, breaking his own previous record.