Oneil Cruz Height: How tall is the Dominican sensation?

Oneil Cruz was one of the few positives that the Pittsburgh Pirates had to offer fans in 2022. The team has not made the postseason since 2015, and fans in Steel City are getting restless.

Since the days of Andrew McCutchen drawing fans in are gone, the Pirates were in desperate need of a star that could enamor fans and help with ticket sales. When they brought on Oneil Cruz, it looked like they had their man.

"ONEIL CRUZ GETS DEGROM" - @ Talkin Baseball

Cruz was born and raised in the town of Nizao in the Dominican Republic. He is the son of former minor league player Rafael Cruz. His father named him after New York Yankees star Paul O'Neill.

Although he originally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2015, Cruz saw MLB action only a few years later. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017. However, he was immediately sent to the minor leagues.

Late in the 2021 season, Cruz was finally called up to play for the Pirates. He hit one home run and three RBIs in two games that season. Although he failed to make the starting cut out of Spring Training, some roster changes towards the middle of the season saw Cruz finally get his chance to play in the MLB.

"A 92.6 mph ROCKET from Oneil Cruz." - @ MLB

In 87 games for the Pirates in 2022, Cruz hit 17 home runs and 52 RBIs. He also recorded the hardest-hit ball of the StatCast era in August, slapping a ball from Atlanta Braves pitcher Kyle Wright at 122.4 miles per hour.

At 6'7", Cruz is not your typical shortstop. However, he has not allowed his size to get in the way of making nifty plays. His size ties him as the tallest shortstop to ever make an MLB appearance, along with Joel Guzman, who appeared in only a few innings for the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2007.

---

Oneil Cruz could be a real game changer for his team

The only regret that the Pittsburgh Pirates might have about Oneil Cruz is that they did not get him playing sooner. He has shown that he can use his size to his advantage, and that he possesses the ability to absolutely crush a baseball.

Watch out for a lot more from this young giant in 2023.