The Pirates are making a big change with Oneil Cruz.
He’s moving from shortstop to center field, although he’s playing as the designated hitter tonight. Manager Derek Shelton mentioned that Cruz will stay in center for the “foreseeable future.” This decision was influenced by Cruz’s injury last season.
Last April, Cruz broke his leg during a slide into home plate, colliding with Seby Zavala. Playing shortstop is often more physically demanding than center field, but despite this, Cruz has played 112 games at shortstop this year.
Cruz is an incredible athlete with one of the best arms in baseball. Although Statcast metrics show him as below average defensively, he’s not terrible. However, he has made 24 errors this season, which is the second most in MLB; twelve of those errors happened since July 21.
Position Change Timing:
It’s unusual to see such a position change so late in the season. Typically, players switch positions during spring training or after major injuries. Nick Gonzales’ return from a groin injury might have played a role here too since he was handling second base before getting hurt.
Interestingly, Cruz has never played center field even in the minors. He only has some experience in left field both in Triple-A and briefly in the majors. Fans might wonder if this move will work out well for him and the team.
This season, Cruz’s stats are solid: batting .265/.324/.468 with 29 doubles, three triples, 18 homers, 63 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 17 steals contributing to his 2.5 WAR.
The Pirates have had mixed results lately—winning four out of their last six games but also enduring a ten-game losing streak earlier this month that hurt their playoff chances significantly.
What do you think about this position change?
