“Oneil Cruz sh**s on baseballs,” “Bro hits the ball over 100 mph with ease” - MLB Twitter reacts after Pirates rookie Oneil Cruz shows off his raw power with a 431-foot home run

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Oneil Cruz hit a 431-foot home run on Thursday night versus the Milwaukee Brewers.
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Oneil Cruz hit a 431-foot home run on Thursday night versus the Milwaukee Brewers.

Oneil Cruz is living up to his rookie hype this season. Ever since the Pittsburgh Pirates called him up last week, the 23-year-old shortstop has hit two home runs and brought in nine runs. He's also stolen a base.

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It's no surprise that Cruz has got power. He's six feet and seven inches tall and weighs 219 pounds — unreal proportions for a shortstop.

Cruz uses his height and weight to his advantage while defending. In his first big league game of 2022, he set the record for hardest ball thrown by an infielder this year. It sped into the first baseman's glove at 96.7 MPH.

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Cruz is the tallest shortstop the MLB has ever seen. Most players his size are either pitchers or power hitters who play in the outfield or as designated hitters.

However, Cruz isn't a one-dimensional talent. He can run as fast as NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill and throw baseballs as hard as MLB starting pitchers. He can also crush baseballs.

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Fans have started calling him one of the rarest sporting phenomenons you will ever see. Here's how they reacted after Cruz hit his massive home run tonight.

The ball traveled over 430 feet. Initial statcasts reported that he hit the ball 431 feet, to be exact, but many fans speculated that it traveled even further.

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With his size and power, Cruz can turn around 100+ MPH pitches for home runs. He makes them look effortless.

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MLB Twitter reacts to Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Oneil Cruz's 431-foot home run

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz has hit two home runs over his first 40 at bats this season.
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz has hit two home runs over his first 40 at bats this season.

Oneil Cruz has showcased the hitting maturity of a 30-year-old veteran this season.

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The Pirates will have Oneil Cruz for a long time. He's under team control until 2028 and won't face arbitration for another couple of years.

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Ever since he was called up, Cruz has shot up in the National League Rookie of the Year odds.

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His jersey sales are about to start skyrocketing around the league.

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The best part is that Cruz loves his fans. He can be found signing jerseys and taking photos with fans before every home game.

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Since he's not a free agent until at least 2028, he'll be a menace in Pittsburgh for a long time.

At the time of writing, Cruz and the Pirates were up 8-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
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