Part of a lefty-heavy Pirates lineup; Cruz brings speed and pop potential, offering big upside in steals and power if he times Cavalli’s pitches well.

Cruz, a tools-rich talent, remains a high-variance fantasy asset—elite raw power with plate discipline and adjustment questions as he faces a gauntlet of slop and breaking balls.

Cruz owns a Statcast record for hardest-hit ball in the era (122.9 mph), spotlighting the Pirates' power potential and Cruz's driving ability. His presence alongside the Pirates' lineup underscores a burst-era of hard contact, aligning with Ohtani’s historic blast and elevating Pirates' fantasy relevance.

Cruz’s speed and presence on the Pirates’ roster provided a dynamic contrast to Boston’s big-hit approach, with defensive plays and baserunning shaping the game’s tone as he contributed to holding down an early Pirates lead before the Sox rallied.

Oneil Cruz trails Stanton in the speed-velocity metric, with a noteworthy but much smaller sample size. Cruz’s burst profiles him as a high-end future velocity leader among hitters, presenting a contrast to Stanton’s seasoned power peak and potential for explosive growth if he sustains health.