Oneil Cruz: The Dominican Cannon Returns to Impose His Power
PITTSBURGH – Dominican Oneil Cruz once again demonstrated his tremendous power at the plate, hitting a double that left everyone speechless with an exit velocity of 119 miles per hour. This impressive hit became the most powerful recorded in the Major Leagues during the current season.
The hit occurred in the fifth inning of the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Nationals, held at PNC Park. This new achievement solidifies Cruz as one of the most feared hitters for his ability to connect with the ball with tremendous force.
The Pirates’ outfielder is no stranger to these types of records. Since the implementation of the Statcast system in 2015, Cruz holds the record for the hardest hit ball ever recorded, with an astonishing connection of 122.9 mph. In addition, he leads the categories of hit and home run with the highest exit velocity.
119 MPH off the bat 😳 This Oneil Cruz double is the hardest-hit ball of the season so far!
Cruz also holds the record for the most powerful double, with a hit of 121.5 mph connected in 2024, surpassing even his own mark from Thursday.
In total, Cruz has 13 connections of at least 119 mph in his career, a figure only surpassed by Giancarlo Stanton, who leads that category in the Statcast era.
With each at-bat, Oneil Cruz reaffirms his reputation as one of the most explosive hitters in today’s baseball, capable of producing contacts that border on the historical limits of the sport.
