Dominican Pittsburgh Pirates sensation Oneil Cruz was chosen to participate in the Monday, 14 July 2025 Home Run Derby. Last year, Cruz had opted out due to his recovery from a fractured left ankle.
Cruz’s inclusion in the Derby is a testament to his remarkable power. He boasts the highest average exit velocity in Major League Baseball at 96.1 mph, and his 122.9 mph home run on May 25 stands as the hardest-hit ball since Statcast began tracking in 2015. Furthermore, Cruz accounts for six of the ten balls hit at least 118 mph this year, and since his 2022 debut, he has recorded 11 of the 19 hardest-hit balls in the sport. His longest career home run measured 472 feet, and he leads the Pirates with 16 home runs this season, including a 458-foot blast against the Royals.
Cruz will compete against fellow MLB stars Ronald Acuña Jr., Cal Raleigh, James Wood, and Byron Buxton, among others. Cruz will be the first Pirate to compete in the Derby since Josh Bell in 2019.
The 2025 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby is a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby is a warm-up event for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game that will be played at the same Atlanta Truist ballpark on 15 July.
Read more:
MLB
9 July 2025