Oneil Cruz Just Smoked 116.9 mph Into the Foul Pole and Nobody in Baseball Is Hitting Harder This Season

Oneil Cruz told Marcell Ozuna he was going deep. Twice. And on the second promise, the Pittsburgh Pirates star delivered the hardest-hit ball in Major League Baseball this season.

In the ninth inning Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers, with two runners on and the Pirates needing to break a tie, Cruz wasn't messing around. He'd already struck out three times earlier in the game. But he stepped up to the plate and connected on a cut fastball from Jalen Beeks, rocketing it 432 feet off the top of the right-field foul pole.

116.9 mph: That's the Hardest Shot We've Seen All Year

The exit velocity told the whole story: 116.9 mph. That's the hardest-hit ball in the majors so far in 2026 and the second hardest ever recorded at Globe Life Field since it opened in 2020. Only Houston's Yordan Alvarez has hit one harder at that park, launching a 117 mph missile off José Ureña back in August 2024.

But here's the thing about Cruz: he's got the all-time record for hardest-hit ball in the Statcast era. Back on May 25, 2025, he crushed one at 122.9 mph off Milwaukee's Logan Henderson. So for Cruz, 116.9 is almost routine at this point.

After Three Strikeouts, Cruz Found His Moment

The homer came at the exact right time. The Pirates had just pushed across a tie-breaking run, and with two more runners on base, Cruz's blast put the game out of reach. It was redemption after a rough night at the plate, but this is the kind of power that reminds you why he's one of the most feared hitters in the league.

He stood motionless in the batter's box for a moment, watching the ball sail out, like a golfer following his drive. He knew it was gone before it landed.

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