Oneil Cruz's projected arbitration salary for 2026 is $3.6 million. On the surface, it doesn't sound like much – until you consider that his 2025 season was, by multiple metrics, the worst of his major league career so far.
Cruz batted .200 with a slugging percentage of .378 in 135 games (471 at-bats) in 2025 as his walk and strikeout issues resurfaced. But you don’t cut a lottery ticket just because it hasn’t hit yet — especially when the odds are this rare.
Although the outcomes lagged for Cruz in 2025, the elite tools are still there.