PITTSBURGH — It was as if the moment froze in time. Bases loaded, one out, bottom of the first inning on opening day at Citi Field.

New York Mets designated hitter Brett Baty smacked a screaming line drive to center. At first glance, the ball looked to be a routine out, a step closer for Paul Skenes to escape what had been a rough opening frame. Everyone seemed to have a clear read on the ball — everyone except the Pirates’ starting center fielder, that is.

As most of you know, Cruz misread the ball. He took his first step forward on what should’ve been a routine play. By the time he had realized his mistake, it was too late. The ball soared over his head and raced to the wall. Three runs had scored and the Pirates’ lead had vanished for good.

“Here we go again,” I remember thinking to myself before the relay throw even reached home plate.

One pitch later, it happened again. Cruz lost a shallow pop fly in the sun. Baty scored, giving the Mets a 5-2 lead. Three of their runs fell on Cruz’s shoulders. It wasn’t difficult to predict what would happen next.

Cruz came to the plate again in the top of the top of the third inning, determined for redemption. He battled his way through a seven-pitch at-bat. The final pitch was originally deemed ball four, but before Cruz could reach first base, the call was reviewed and overturned. Predictably, that strikeout killed his confidence. He was a non-factor for the rest of the day.

Following the loss, Cruz’s manager and teammates did their best to not throw him under the bus. Manager Don Kelly used careful language to hold him accountable, calmly saying the 27-year-old needs to “keep working.” Skenes, meanwhile, didn’t mention Cruz’s name, but also allowed room for some to read between the lines.

“You gotta look at it for what it is,” he said. “There wasn’t a ton of hard contact. Leadoff walk is not great. But some balls landed … the Polanco ground ball, stuff like that. The batting average on balls in play thing was super high today. That’ll go down as the season goes down.”

It was just one game into the major league season, but the issue stems much deeper than a few mistakes that played into an opening day loss. We’ve seen this song and dance before. All of it. And if the Pirates truly hope to contend for the postseason in 2026, it can’t continue.

How we got here

Some fans liken Cruz to former Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco, a comparison I personally loathe. Yes, both were high rated prospects deemed to have endless potential thanks to their stellar physical tools. And yes, both were born in the Dominican Republic. But their careers tell two different stories.

Polanco debuted in 2014, in the midst of the best stretch the Pirates have experienced in the 21st century. He joined a team already loaded with talent, one that had already been to the playoffs and was capable of getting there again without him. In the beginning, he was a reinforcement, someone who would have time to develop before becoming a key figure within the organization. He made mistakes but also flashed promise. Injuries ultimately derailed his career.

Hardly any of this applies to Cruz. He was deemed the franchise’s most important player before he arrived to the major leagues — and his final steps to the show were a contentious process to begin with. When he arrived in 2022, there was no star to lean on, no established veteran to learn from. The team was also in the midst of its second consecutive 100-loss season, and its seventh straight year of missing the playoffs.

He followed an overall promising rookie year with a season-ending ankle injury in April 2023. His performance at the plate in 2024, his first full year in the majors, was fine. But his fielding at shortstop became too big of an issue to ignore, resulting in a position change to center field in late August. Last year was his first full season following the move, and we all know how that went.

Throughout that entire stretch, there was little to no stability within the Pirates organization. Cruz has had multiple managers, worked with multiple hitting coaches and has played multiple positions. The lineup has also remained a revolving door due to the team’s inability to secure established talent long term.

Despite this aforementioned mess, Cruz has always been expected to not only succeed, but dominate. His physical tools made him the guy everyone depended on, regardless if he was up for the challenge. He made plenty of his own mistakes along the way, more than a few of them that are almost impossible to defend. But context matters when reviewing how we got to where we are now.

Nonetheless, we’re here.

An ‘enigma’

There really isn’t another player in baseball like Cruz. He has been described as an “enigma,” due to him being so difficult to understand. Nothing could be more true.

Cruz is equally known for his sky-high potential and mindless blunders. It’s not uncommon for him to hit a 450-foot, go-ahead homer one night, only to make a costly error the next. But everyday, it’s something; and for most, that’s all there is to know.

Cruz isn’t much of a talker. Unlike some of his teammates, most fans aren’t aware of his backstory or what his life looks like away from the field. Heck, I’ve covered the guy for three years and one of the only times I’ve truly seen him open up was when I asked about his collection of customary designed cleats.

This isn’t an issue. Some people are private by nature. But private people can be difficult to understand, especially when they’re constantly in the spotlight.

Last season, on my day off, I attended a Pirates game with a few friends. It was the game where Cruz, after allowing a ground ball to slide beneath his glove, stood and watched it roll to the center field wall, rather than making an effort to recover from his mistake.

I still recall watching everyone react in the stands. Fans were understandably livid. Some booed, even a few that had Cruz’s jersey on their backs. As it all unfolded, Cruz stood in center field with a stoic look. I remember wondering what was going through his mind at that moment, and I spent the next few weeks trying to figure it out.

Some fans think Cruz doesn’t care, that he either lacks focus or is apathetic toward the game. But that might not be the case.

I’ve talked to people who know Cruz well — people who’ve coached him since he was an 18-year-old prospect who was new to America, people he leans on during the tough times, of which there have been many.

They all suggest it to be the opposite. They say Cruz thinks too much, sometimes to a point where he gets in his own way. They also rave about his work ethic, something I can personally confirm to be among the best on the team.

He wants to be better and knows he can be. But we’re at the point now where it’s truly worth wondering what happens if he never figures it out?

Nowhere to hide

Again, we’re not even a full series into the 2026 season. Yet, everyone’s concerns about Cruz are legitimate. The Pirates need him to be better; better than last year would be a start, but realistically, he needs to be better than he was in 2024 — his best major league season — for this team to have a shot at winning the division.

But what if he never figures it out in center field? What if these mistakes continue? What if he never gets out of his own head, and as a result, continues to regress?

Moving him elsewhere is not really in the cards. His fielding woes won’t vanish if he’s pushed to a corner outfield spot. Range isn’t the issue. Reading fly balls and situational knowledge are the problems, and those don’t get any easier in the corners.

Some have suggested third base. While I don’t hate that idea in theory, I also don’t think it would work in this specific circumstance. They’ve changed his position once midseason. Doing so again is asking for trouble, especially for an individual who seems to have trouble dealing with failure.

The designated hitter spot could’ve been a viable fallback plan, but that’s no longer the case with Marcell Ozuna on the team. They need his bat too, and similar to Cruz, he also has nowhere else to go.

Giving up on Cruz is not an option — at least for now. This lineup, albeit with a few new bats who will make a difference, is far lesser without him. While inconsistent, he can still do things few others can. They need him for his best, which means another year of living with him occasionally at his worst.

This year, however, should be his final chance. Even if the organization is to blame for his development, time is ticking. The Pirates have alternative long-term options in Jake Mangum and Jhostynxon Garcia. Neither have Cruz’s high ceiling, but both would be competent replacements in center field.

If Cruz can’t at the very least return to his 2024 form by midseason, then it might be time to move on. If he can’t put it together in center field in 2026, it’s just never going to work in Pittsburgh — a notion some fans have already accepted. Plenty of former Pirates have gone on to experience better success elsewhere. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Cruz become the next.

It’s not over yet. He doesn’t need to be perfect. Though Cruz has the talent to be elite, the Pirates would happily settle for “good.” An occasional mistake in the field would be tolerated, as long as the pros outweigh the cons.

Last year they didn’t. This year, they have to.

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