Oneil Cruz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz launched a solo home run in a 6-5 loss to the Brewers on Sunday, his 11th of the season. This wasn't your average homer, as it was hit with a monstrous exit velocity of 122.9 mph. It was the hardest-hit ball ever recorded by Statcast, which the league implemented in 2015. Not only is his raw power now officially at the top of the leaderboards, but he also has 18 stolen bases which is good for the third most in the league. This combination of power and speed gives him one of the highest ceilings of any player in fantasy.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz was among the driving forces in Friday's Bucs' 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Cruz went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs, including a game-tying blast off right-hander Abner Uribe in the ninth inning. The Pirates went on to win in the 10th. The team has a subpar record of (18-for-34) this year, but Cruz has been a rare bright spot for Pittsburgh. Although the 26-year-old is sporting a low batting average and a high strikeout rate (31.6 percent), his overall line is .229/.358/.464 sits well above the league average. He has totaled 10 home runs, meaning he's well on his way to eclipsing last season's career high of 21 and a league-leading 18 stolen bases. Cruz has done most of his damage against right-handers and will face Brewers righty Quinn Priester on Saturday.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. Alexander Canario will make another start in center field and will bat fifth against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo. Cruz was held out of the lineup for four straight games last week due to back soreness before playing the final two games of the series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and Sunday, but he went hitless in eight at-bats with seven strikeouts. Hopefully, the 26-year-old is just out of action on Monday because the Bucs are facing a left-hander and not because he's had a setback with his back. Cruz has hit just .223 (31-for-139) on the year but does have eight long balls and 16 stolen bases for his fantasy managers. Canario won't be a recommended DFS sleeper against a pitcher that he hasn't faced in his career.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the hosting Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Matt Gorski will give it a go in center field and will hit eighth against Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez. This will be Cruz's fifth straight game on the sidelines with back soreness, and if he doesn't recover in time to play this weekend in Philly, the Bucs might decide to put him on the injured list. Cruz hasn't impressed with his .238 average (31-for-130) in 37 games this year, but he's added eight home runs and a league-best 16 stolen bases. Gorski should be considered a low-upside deep DFS streamer near the bottom of Pittsburgh's batting order on Friday night. In his first 14 major-league games in 2025, Gorski has gone 8-for-38 (.211) with two homers and four RBI.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz (back) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the New York Mets. Cruz is set to miss his fourth game in a row due to back soreness that he suffered over the weekend. It doesn't sound like the Pirates want to place him on the injured list, but they might be forced to if he doesn't start getting better. In his absence, Ji Hwan Bae will cover center field and bat eighth versus right-hander Clay Holmes. The Pirates are off on Thursday, so fantasy managers will need to check back on Friday for another update on Cruz.