Oneil Cruz Caps Off Huge Series With Record-Setting Homer

PITTSBURGH — There was a common reaction to the record-setting home run hit by Oneil Cruz in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon.

Thankfully, that one cleared the seats.

“I’m really glad that got out of the stadium, because if it would’ve been into the stands, that thing was flying,” said manager Don Kelly.

Leading off the top of the third inning, Cruz belted a 432-foot home run off Brewers starter Logan Henderson. The ball cleared the stands atop the 21-foot high fence in right field and bounced into the Allegheny River.

“I was actually looking at my at-bat from the inning before and I heard it. I’m just glad that ball got over the fence and didn’t hit somebody because that could have been bad,” said Adam Frazier, who went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI in the loss. “You might see something special any time he steps in the box.”

Oneil Cruz just hit this ball 122.9 mph.

That is the hardest hit ball in the Statcast era. pic.twitter.com/dZYilTHie1

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 25, 2025

Cruz, himself, was also concerned for the well-being of the fans sitting on the Clemente Wall.

“Today’s ball I was kind of worried off the bat that it would hit somebody and hurt somebody,” he said through coach/interpreter Stephen Morales.

But with the ball leaving the stadium, the awe of the big blast comfortably set in.

The distance was already impressive. This was the 83rd instance of a home run ball landing in the river in PNC Park history. It was also the sixth time Cruz has done so in his career.

While 432 feet is a healthy enough distance, the real shock came from the exit velocity — a whopping 122.9 mph. Since Statcast starting tracking exit velocity in 2015, no ball has ever been hit harder.

“It feels good,” Cruz said. “I was looking for a good pitch to hit and I connected really well. It feels even better to know its the hardest hit ball in the history of Statcast.”

The player Cruz topped to set the new record? Oneil Cruz. The Pirates’ center fielder also held the previous record, a 122.4 mph single against the Braves in 2022.

So far this season, Cruz is the league leader in average exit velocity, just ahead of superstars Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge.

While Cruz is having a strong season, he took things to a new level this series against the Brewers and.

Cruz hit two home runs in Friday’s win. The second of those two home runs sent the game to extra innings, and the Pirates won in the bottom of the 10th.

On Saturday, Cruz hit a go-ahead triple in the seventh in a 2-1 win.

“I can’t say enough about him, how he played and how he’s been playing, especially this series with the home runs, the triple, he made a heck of a play in right-center, too,” said Kelly. “It looked like a tough play. He’s doing great things.”

During this four-game series, Cruz recorded a double, a triple, three home runs, five RBI, two walks and five runs scored. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, he’s only the fifth Pirates player ever to post those stats or better in a series of any length. The last Pirate to do that was Brian Giles in 2002.

“It feels good as a player, just being able to do that,” he said. “But it’s just about the focus and the work that I’ve been putting in lately. It’s the main key. But it always feels good as a player just to be able to do that in one series.”

In a series filled with clutch hits and big moments, Cruz’s missile on Sunday was his most impressive feat.