Jun 20, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz (15) high-fives in the dugout after scoring a run against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz wows in first game after call up from minors

By Adam Stites | Last updated 6/20/22

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz impressed both at the plate and the field Monday, leading the way in a 12-1 win against the Chicago Cubs in his first game since getting called up from the minors Sunday.

Cruz, 23, first raised eyebrows in the third inning when he fired a 96.7 mile per hour laser across the infield to throw out the Cubs' Willson Contreras at first base. It was the fastest infield throw of the MLB season, and it was just 0.6 mph behind the fastest since the stat started being recorded.

It's Oneil Cruz's first game of the season and he already recorded the hardest throw by an infielder this year at 96.7 MPH pic.twitter.com/5XUlqHRjac
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2022

In the bottom half of the third, Cruz hit a ball 112.9 miles per hour to the wall in center field, driving in three runs. While Cruz was thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple, the line drive was the hardest hit ball of the season by a Pirates player.

112.9 MPH off the bat of Oneil Cruz for his first hit of the season pic.twitter.com/XWM8ZIGrlK
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2022

To cap his night, Cruz hit an RBI single in the seventh inning that extended the Pirates' lead to nine and gave the shortstop four RBIs on the night.

Oneil Cruz is him. pic.twitter.com/uJnwTqWjXt
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 21, 2022

Cruz, who stands 6-foot-7, batted .232 in 55 games this season with Triple-A Indianapolis with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. Last season, he was called up and played with the Pirates for the final two games of the MLB season.

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