Do you know who the last hitter to hit 40 home runs in Pittsburgh?”
On the 18th (Korean time),먹튀검증 Pittsburgh’s training facility located in Bradenton, Florida, USA, was agitated by a player’s bold remark. O’Neill Crews (25), who is now taking his place as the team’s top prospect and now the starting shortstop, was the main character who provided a big issue in the media. Cruz met with reporters and boldly declared, “This year, I will aim for 30-30 (30 homers-30 stolen bases) or 40-40.”
Pittsburgh reporters gathered in the press room exchanged light jokes while searching for the last player on the team to hit 40 home runs. Only one player has hit 40 homers for Pittsburgh since 1960, and that’s Willie Stargell, who is still talked about as a legend. Stargell hit 48 home runs in 1971, and broke the 40 home run barrier again in 1973 with 44 home runs. But since then, no one has come close to the feat.
In 2019, Josh Bell challenged this high with a steep home run race, but ended the season at 37. Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez and Bell are just three players who have hit 30 or more home runs for Pittsburgh since 2010. However, it was natural for the reporters to be surprised as Cruz, who had not yet played full-time, said he would try to hit more than 30 home runs and even steal more than 30 bases.
Cruz is receiving a lot of attention from fans as a shortstop with the best athletic ability in the major leagues. He is a shortstop and is 201 cm tall. He has the size of major league players, but few shortstops are actually taller than six feet. Just because he’s big doesn’t mean he’s dull. When he gains momentum, he has tremendous main power that is second to none, and even his shoulders are special.
He still has more to prove to be a good baseball player, but if he’s a ‘good athlete’ he’s already shown it. He can hit far, throw hard, and run fast. Pittsburgh isn’t putting their hopes on this player for nothing.
Cruz, who debuted in the major leagues in 2021, walked the path to becoming the starting shortstop in 87 games last year. His .233 batting average was somewhat disappointing, but he proved again to be an excellent talent, adding up 17 homers, 54 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
This year, if the full-time starting shortstop is strong and the number of games increases and his skills improve, he can expect more home runs and more stolen bases. He’s also likely to become one of the most dynamic players in the major leagues. Attention is focusing on what kind of performance Crews, who expressed his strong aspirations, will achieve this year.