It didn’t take long for Pirates phenom Oneil Cruz to impress in his 2022 debut.
With one out in the top of the third inning Monday, the club’s No. 3 prospect ventured toward third base to backhand a slow grounder off the bat of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras.
The 23-year-old unleashed the hardest tracked throw by an infielder this season, a 96.7 mph bullet, to nab Contreras at first. Only one infielder has thrown a ball harder in the Statcast era (since 2015). His name? Fernando Tatis Jr., who has twice surpassed Cruz but maxed out by flashing 97.3 mph heat on an assist in 2020 against the Mariners.
A true five-tool prospect, Cruz showed off with his bat and legs as well. By the end of the third inning, he had already posted the hardest-hit ball (112.1 mph) and three fastest sprint speeds (31.5, 30.7, 30.3 ft/sec) by a Pirate this season.