Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz was announced Tuesday as the fifth participant in this year's Home Run Derby, bringing one of the game's biggest sluggers to the forefront of MLB's ultimate test of power.
Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who will be making his second All-Star appearance this year, offered some words of excitement after news of Cruz's addition to the player pool was announced.
Skenes has watched his teammate take batting practice many times over the past year, and he described it as being "the most impressive batting practice I've ever seen in my life."
"My pick is Oneil to win (the Home Run Derby). The BP he takes everyday is the most impressive batting practice I've ever seen in my life. Just some of the balls he hits––he mishits balls and they go into the fifth row and the second deck at some of these stadiums. I think he hit a ball over the Chop House when were in at Atlanta last year, so he's gonna be doing that a lot," Skenes said via MLB Network Radio.
"I think I'm as excited about that as I am about the actual All-Star Game. It's going to be pretty dang cool."
Oneil Cruz is the 5th confirmed player into the #HRDerby.
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 8, 2025
Paul Skenes: "(Oneil Cruz's) batting practice is the most impressive batting practice I've ever seen in my life."#Pirates | @Pirates | #LetsGoBucs
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/Xt2hiracKQ
Cruz is frequently listed atop or near the top of Statcast's tracked data for hardest hit baseballs. On May 25, he mashed the hardest hit home run in Statcast history, cranking a 122.9 mph blast into the seats against the Milwaukee Brewers. That type of power is rare to find, and Cruz will be looking to showcase all of it at the derby.
Skenes seems to already know what's coming next Monday, and he's eager for the rest of the baseball world to get a glimpse of what he's seen regularly from his slugger of a teammate.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paul Skenes Had High Praise for Oneil Cruz Ahead of Home Run Derby Debut.
