Oneil Cruz is an anomaly. An outlier. A baseball unicorn. A can’t-miss talent.
No matter the category, he checks almost every box.
On a team lacking a cheerful sunshine and rainbows vibe, Cruz has brought a presence to the Pirates lineup that — outside of Bryan Reynolds — hasn’t been felt in years.
You know the stories you hear from your grandparents and other longtime followers of the Pirates about how fans would stick around Forbes Field until after Ralph Kiner’s final at-bat just to see if he would hit a home run?
Cruz has provided that type of feeling when watching him play this September.