Starkey & Mueller

Oneil Cruz was a disappointing player in 2025, but was it one of false hope? Early on, it looked like Cruz had figured things out, showing off a .902 OPS across March and April. May was OK, but things really tailed off as we got into the summer months. He only hit 8 home runs in the final 4 months of the season. Is he the forgotten man in the Pirates lineup? The front office went out and signed 69 home runs worth of power this offseason and the organization touts the #1 prospect in all of baseball, Konnor Griffin. Does that ease the pressure for Cruz? Everything also orbits around Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young. The existence of the new bats, Griffin and Skenes takes some off Cruz’s shoulders. What will the Pirates lineup look like? Is it getting late early for Cruz or is he entering his hypothetical prime? Cruz was flailing and failing in the back half of 2025, so it feels like things can only go up. Chris is afraid to say Cruz will finally blossom, but he can be the biggest pivot point for the 2026 P