"What in the f**k" "He’ll be a Dodger or Yankee in 4 years" - Fans go wild on Twitter after Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman O’Neil Cruz throws 96 mph bullet from shortstop

The Pittsburgh Pirates just haven't been able to get things going this year the way that they would have preferred. With a record of 27-39, the Pirates find themselves 10.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who are first in the division at the moment.

Despite the mediocre record, the Pirates have shown flashes of an exciting young team that is eager to show off. Last night, it was promising shortstop Oneil Cruz who showed off his cannon from the infield. Fans on Twitter are loving what they saw.

Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz guns a runner down at first, fans love it

Oneil Cruz is a 23-year-old whiz from the Dominican Republic. After playing in the Dominican League and the MiLB, Cruz finally broke onto the radar of the Pirates front office last year.

The Pirates are dealing with a plethora of injuries and have several members out of commission. After playing two games for the Pirates in 2021, Cruz has been recalled from their Triple-A affiliate to play shortstop.

So far this season in Triple-A, Cruz was batting .232 with nine home runs and 35 home runs in 55 games. Some within the Pirates organization are beginning to see Cruz as a future franchise player and All-Star shortstop for the team.

Cruz made his 2022 debut last night against the visiting Chicago Cubs, who are a division rival. Batting sixth last night, Oneil Cruz knew he needed to make an impression and that these opportunities do not come often.

Oneil started in the bottom of the third inning with a bases-clearing RBI double off Cubs starter Caleb Killian. The hit put his team up 7-0 and was his first career double. However, Oneil Cruz did hit a three-run home run last year for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

His play at the defensive end was also remarkable. In the third inning, trying to preserve the Pirates' early lead, Cruz came up with an amazing play at shortstop.

Cruz fielded a ball hit by Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras perfectly. He got under the ball and launched it to Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Michael Chavis. The exit velocity on the throw registered 96.7 miles per hour.

Fans loved the display of skill from Cruz and sang his praises on Twitter. When a talent this good begins to play like this, big name teams will soon take notice.