Pittsburgh Pirates fans wowed as infield liner blazes off Oneil Cruz’s bat at 110.4 MPH and nearly decapitates pitcher: "What a laser"
In his inaugural season as a Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, Oneil Cruz caught the attention of many baseball fans. He also caught the eye of Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Sherriff in a spring training game on Thursday.
In the seventh inning of Pittsburgh's 7-4 loss to the Red Sox, Cruz smacked an infield liner clocked at 110.4 MPH just over the head of a ducking Sherriff and through the infield for his lone hit of the contest.
Look out! Off the bat at 110.4 MPH! 😮 🚀 https://t.co/gb1xWV2hP5
The video of the hit went viral on Twitter, with fans watching the hit through their fingers for fear of Sherriff's well-being.
@CodifyBaseball i have watched this 37 times fearing for the pitchers life.
🏼 that could’ve been ugly @CodifyBaseball Wow 🙏🏼 that could’ve been ugly
What a laser
@CodifyBaseball I get that's how kids get max velo nowadays, but you are just in no position to field the ball.
Sherriff, being pressed into greater duty with the Red Sox due to a rash of injuries in the Boston bullpen, nearly became the latest and worst of the team's pitching casualties.
Sherriff, 32, has pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays for parts of the four MLB seasons before signing a minor-league contract with the Red Sox this past winter. His health, and his reflexes, have likely earned him a spot on Boston's Opening Day roster.
@CodifyBaseball Check bros pants
@CodifyBaseball That couldve been really bad
Oneil Cruz squaring up on a baseball is literally lethal twitter.com/codifybaseball…
Many Boston fans looked past Sherriff's near-decapitation and towards Boston shortstop Niko Goodrum's rather feeble defensive effort at shortstop.
@CodifyBaseball Elite effort at short
@CodifyBaseball That shortstop probably got DFA’d next inning. Should be at least
@CodifyBaseball Ik it was fast asf but come on short
@CodifyBaseball come on dorn get in front of the ball dont give me this ole bullshit
Oneil Cruz a star in the making for Pirates
Oneil Cruz was originally signed as an international free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of his native Dominican Republic in July 2015. At the tender age of 17, he was given a $950,000 signing bonus for his young signature.
Two years later, he was traded to the Pirates for relief pitcher Tony Watson while still just 19 years old.
After hitting 58 home runs and 242 RBIs in six minor-league seasons, he made his major-league debut on October 2, 2021, in time to play two games before the season ended. He made it count, hitting his first big-league home run in his second game.
He began 2022 in Triple-A, but was called up to play in 87 games last season, hitting .233 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI with 10 stolen bases.