Comparing players isn’t always fair. Still, every sports fan does it. As do sportswriters. Even the players.
Comparisons between the two shortstops in Monday night’s game at PNC Park were inevitable. Beyond the Pirates vs. Reds, it was Oneil Cruz vs. Elly De La Cruz. The two have obvious similarities. Two Dominican Republic-born shortstops with dreadlocks, Cruz is 6-foot-7 and De La Cruz is 6-5, with tremendous baseball abilities and athleticism. These players break Statcast due to their high exit velocities, sprint speeds, and other metrics, as the kids say.
Cruz made his major-league debut late in 2021 and De La Cruz was promoted up last season, but they had never played before Monday night. Cruz broke his left ankle in his tenth game last season, about two months before De La Cruz debuted. The Pirates and Reds met for the first time this season on Monday, despite being National League Central rivals. The night’s biggest star was Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes. The first overall pick in last year’s amateur draft held the Reds to one run in six innings to improve to 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA in seven starts.
The 22-year-old continues to meet high expectations after joining the majors on May 11. Subplot Cruz vs. De La Cruz was intriguing. Cruz won’t be available for free agency until after the 2028 season, while De La Cruz won’t be allowed to enter the market until a year later. Both managers were asked about the rivalry before the Pirates defeated the Reds 4-1 in the first game of a three-game series. Both were excited to watch two excellent players compete for years. It may not be MLB’s Bird vs. Magic, but it should be fun.
“I think we’re so focused on all of our players and the team games, but it’s nice when you have young players who stand out,” Reds manager David Bell said. “They are both entertaining.” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said, “You’re talking about two dynamic athletic players who can win games with all their skill sets. Excellent for the game. Young energetic players bring a lot of energy, which is fun for fans.
Round 1’s winner was hard to pick on Monday. De La Cruz went 3 for 4 with a double but didn’t score or drive in. Skenes caught his MLB-leading 37th base steal on first. Cruz was 1 for 4, but his first-inning two-run single opened the scoring. That RBI won the game. The 25-year-old Cruz and 22-year-old De La Cruz will fight many more times. Who wins the bouts is unknown. They could protect Statcast with plexiglass.
