There aren’t many players like Oneil Cruz.
The Pirates shortstop is a towering presence on the diamond — literally. At 6-7, Cruz is one of baseball’s tallest-ever position players. He strikes fear into opposing pitchers with each lumbering trot into the batter’s box. It’s easy to see why. Cruz hits the ball harder than any other player in MLB and is renowned for moonshots that dance through the night sky in Pittsburgh.
In a great many ways, Cruz is a baseball anomaly. He, too, has predecessors, though, including one whose legacy is stamped quite literally on Cruz’s identity: former Yankees and Reds outfielder Paul O’Neill.
With that, here’s what you need to know about Cruz, O’Neill, and the curious connection they share by way of Cruz’s unique first name.
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Oneil Cruz name, explained
Cruz’s first name is no coincidence. It’s a testament to his father’s passion for the sport that Cruz would eventually star in.
The story goes as follows: Cruz’s father, Rafael, is an avid Yankees enthusiast who spent three years in the minors. The Bronx Bombers were at their pinnacle in 1998, capturing their third-straight World Series with a sweep of the Padres.
O’Neill was one of New York’s leading lights during its triumph. The then-35-year-old hit .317 with 24 homers and 116 RBIs in the regular season.
Perhaps it was his elegant hitting, or maybe it was O’Neill’s impressive range and arm in the outfield that season — he produced 11 total zone fielding runs. Regardless, Cruz’s father was entranced. So, to pay homage to one of his favorite players, he named his son after him. The title proved something of a premonition.
“In my hometown, ever since I was a child, everyone used to assume my name came from Shaquille O’Neal,” Cruz told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2022. “I’d have to correct them and said, ‘No, it’s another guy, my dad’s favorite ballplayer.’ To this day, I haven’t really dug in to find out, but I need to get the full story.”
In 2022, Cruz got a chance to talk to O’Neill for the first time when the Bucs took on the Bronx Bombers. O’Neill wasn’t able to attend the matchup, but he sent Cruz a signed jersey and FaceTimed his hulking namesake.
Oneil Cruz is named after Paul O’Neill.
This afternoon the two FaceTimed and Paul gave Oneil a signed jersey! pic.twitter.com/DMLy2mGWP9
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 21, 2022
Two years later, the duo finally met. Suffice to say, sparks flew.
“I feel really happy,” Cruz said. “It’s my pleasure to finally meet him.”
Cruz hasn’t quite reached O’Neill’s heights in his still burgeoning career, but he still has plenty of time — and more than enough skills — to emerge from his predecessor’s shadow.