Both sides hit him about the same
36% of the contact right-handers make against Cruz is hit hard, against 12.5% of what left-handers make.
183 pitches to right-handed hitters, 134 to left-handed hitters.
Runners on base do not change how he is hit
15.4% of the contact against Cruz with a runner in scoring position is hit hard, against 32.1% with the bases empty.
118 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 199 with the bases empty.
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 26.8% of the contact Cruz gives up is hit hard, 93rd percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 93rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 40th in MLB.
One side of the plate does most of the damage against him
Right-handed hitters average 86.9 mph off the bat against Cruz and left-handers 80.3.
25 tracked batted balls from right-handers, 16 from left-handers.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Cruz's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 91.6 mph, against 75.8 off his splitter.
100 and 166 of them thrown.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Cruz is weak: 84.3 mph off the bat on average, 91st percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 91st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 48th in MLB.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Cruz's stuff spins at 1,494 rpm, 0th percentile in the league.
317 pitches in 2026. 0th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 535th in MLB.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Cruz averages 84.8 mph across his arsenal, 5th percentile in the league.
317 pitches in 2026. 5th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 512th in MLB.
Hitters tend to hit him to one part of the field
51.2% of the balls put in play against Cruz have gone to centre field.
21 of 41 located batted balls allowed.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .348 expected average against them, against .291 on his offspeed pitches.
109 of his fastballs thrown.
He handles both hands about the same
Right-handed hitters project to a .334 average against Cruz and left-handers to .288.
183 pitches to right-handed hitters, 134 to left-handed hitters.
He cannot find the zone often enough
Cruz works off the plate, with only 39.4% of his pitches in the zone, 17th percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 17th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 446th in MLB.
The shape of the contact off him says how he gets outs
39% of the contact against Cruz is on the ground and 51.2% of it is in the air.
41 tracked batted balls allowed.
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The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
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Both sides hit him about the same
36% of the contact right-handers make against Cruz is hit hard, against 12.5% of what left-handers make.
183 pitches to right-handed hitters, 134 to left-handed hitters.
He handles both hands about the same
Right-handed hitters project to a .334 average against Cruz and left-handers to .288.
183 pitches to right-handed hitters, 134 to left-handed hitters.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
Runners on base do not change how he is hit
15.4% of the contact against Cruz with a runner in scoring position is hit hard, against 32.1% with the bases empty.
118 pitches with a runner in scoring position, 199 with the bases empty.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
Almost nothing hit off him is hit well
Only 26.8% of the contact Cruz gives up is hit hard, 93rd percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 93rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 40th in MLB.
Hitters cannot square him up, the contact is weak
Contact against Cruz is weak: 84.3 mph off the bat on average, 91st percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 91st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 48th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One side of the plate does most of the damage against him
Right-handed hitters average 86.9 mph off the bat against Cruz and left-handers 80.3.
25 tracked batted balls from right-handers, 16 from left-handers.
Hitters tend to hit him to one part of the field
51.2% of the balls put in play against Cruz have gone to centre field.
21 of 41 located batted balls allowed.
The shape of the contact off him says how he gets outs
39% of the contact against Cruz is on the ground and 51.2% of it is in the air.
41 tracked batted balls allowed.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Cruz's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 91.6 mph, against 75.8 off his splitter.
100 and 166 of them thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Cruz's stuff spins at 1,494 rpm, 0th percentile in the league.
317 pitches in 2026. 0th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 535th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Cruz averages 84.8 mph across his arsenal, 5th percentile in the league.
317 pitches in 2026. 5th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 512th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .348 expected average against them, against .291 on his offspeed pitches.
109 of his fastballs thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He cannot find the zone often enough
Cruz works off the plate, with only 39.4% of his pitches in the zone, 17th percentile.
317 pitches in 2026. 17th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 446th in MLB.
Reds
Career team 2022–2024