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The 2025 Home Run Derby is six days away, and Pittsburgh Pirates star Oneil Cruz is the latest participant to be added. Cruz now joins Cal Raleigh, Ronald Acuna Jr., James Wood, and Byron Buxton. Three spots remain, and those spots should be filled by the end of the week.
Oneil Cruz is one of the top power hitters in the game. He hits baseballs very hard. In fact, nobody has ever hit a ball harder off the bat than Cruz has. On May 25 of this season against the Milwaukee Brewers, Cruz smashed a home run that hit 122.9 MPH off the bat. That is the fastest-hit home run in the Statcast era. Cruz also has the hardest non-homer ever at 122.4.
Oneil Cruz just hit the FASTEST ball in the Statcast era with a HR🤯🔥
122.9 MPH 😱
(via @Pirates)pic.twitter.com/wtQI6u7UFC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 25, 2025
It is crazy how fast that ball left the yard. The ball left the park before Cruz could even leave the batter's box.
He will certainly be someone to watch for the entirety of the Home Run Derby. Cruz doesn't hit home runs at the rate of his fellow participants, but he does have 15 on the season, which puts him in a tie for 39th in the league.
Wood and Cruz are the two true left-handed hitters in the Derby so far. Raleigh is a switch-hitter, but could very well hit from the left side for this event. Right field is 325 while left field is 335, and right-center field is 375 compared to left-center field at 385. Cruz, Wood, and Raleigh have a slight advantage; however, they will be taking on Acuna Jr., who will be performing in his home ballpark.
The 2025 Home Run Derby has some of the top young power hitters in the game, and in the coming days, we will find out who else will be joining Cruz and the other four.
