Oneil Cruz Just Hit a 117 MPH Bomb Off the TOP of the Foul Pole and Baseball Might Never Be the Same

Look, I've been grinding through every game this season trying to actually understand baseball again after basically a decade of ignoring it, and something wild has happened: I've developed a serious appreciation for certain players. Oneil Cruz is sitting at the top of that list, and after what he just pulled off, you need to understand why.

Here's the thing about Cruz that makes him absolutely captivating to watch. He's a legitimate freak. We're talking elite power, elite speed, and a right arm that throws like a damn rifle. The dude is a unicorn. But here's the catch: he's also kind of a disaster waiting to happen in center field. Early season, he was getting cooked on routine fly balls in the gap. The kind of stuff that should be an easy out but turned into highlight reel chaos.

The Numbers Are Telling a Different Story Now

Last year? Rough. Cruz finished at .200 with 20 home runs. Painful to watch. But through 24 games this season, he's already got 7 homers and he's hitting .283 with a .903 OPS. He's also second in all of MLB with 10 stolen bases. This isn't a fluke. This is a complete reset.

And then there's that 117 MPH bomb. A home run that literally bounced off the top of the foul pole in right field. The kind of absolute moonshot that would be a home run in maybe half of baseball stadiums. It's the exact kind of logic-defying moment that defines who Cruz is as a player right now. He's doing things nobody else is even attempting.

He's the Most Entertaining Player in Baseball Right Now

The Pirates have one of the most exciting young rosters in the league, and Cruz is the engine running it all. Yeah, he's cleaned up his defense significantly since those early-season disasters. But it's the offensive explosion combined with that elite speed that makes him must-watch baseball.

This is a guy who's basically become an Elly De La Cruz clone who happens to patrol the outfield and bat leadoff for Pittsburgh. At his size and speed? If he'd grown up in the States, some high school gym coach probably would've yanked him aside and forced him into football. But baseball got him. Baseball kept him.

Keep swinging, Oneil. The rest of the league is starting to notice.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.