Nelson Cruz Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 2" / 230 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 7/1/1980 (41)
- Experience
- 15
- College
- None
Nelson Cruz Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Nelson Cruz News
Many National League teams are pursuing free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz with the perception being that there will be a universal DH next year whenever a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is done. The 41-year-old continues to defy Father Time and made his seventh All-Star team while slashing .265/.334/.497 with 32 home runs, 86 RBI and 79 runs scored in 584 plate appearances over 140 games for the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays in 2021. Although he did have 13 home runs in 238 plate appearances after being traded to Tampa, Cruz wasn't as productive in 55 games for the Rays, slashing only .226/.283/.442 with a .725 OPS. Staying at DH has kept Cruz healthy and productive late in his career, and he's hit 73 combined HRs in the last two seasons.
Tampa Bay Rays 41-year-old designated hitter Nelson Cruz told reporters last week that he plans to continue his career after this season. He is set be a free agent for the second straight offseason after the 2021 postseason concludes. Last offseason, he signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, who traded him to the Rays in July. Cruz showed no signs of aging at the plate this year. Over 140 games, he slashed .265/.334/.497 with 32 home runs, 86 RBI and 79 runs. He ranked in the 94th percentile in hard-hit rate (52.5%) and in the 93rd percentile in average exit velocity (92.9 mph).
Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Nelson Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Game 1 of the American League Division Series 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox. He launched a towering blast off the catwalk to give the Rays a 3-0 lead. The 41-year-old became the second-oldest player to homer in a postseason game, only trailing Julio Franco, who hit two at the age of 43. Cruz is batting .287 with 18 home runs, 38 RBI, and 34 runs scored over 47 career postseason games.
Nelson Cruz Stats
Last 10 Games
Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz was his usual, reliable self last season providing fantasy managers plenty of power in the shortened campaign. The 40-year-old's name littered MLB batting leaderboards as he was top-10 in baseball in OPS (.992), wOBA (.441), and wRC (164). That translated into 16 homers and 33 RBI as Cruz continued to be a fantasy asset despite DH-only eligibility. A look at Cruz's advanced metrics shows no sign of decline in his advanced age. Cruz's 15-percent barrel rate was top-seventh percentile in baseball, yet was still a drop from the league-leading 19.9-percent mark he put up in 2019. His 93 MPH average exit velocity over the last two seasons is elite and justifies his absurd .624 slugging percentage in that span. Omitting 2020, Cruz has at least 37 homers in every season since 2014 and cleared the 100 RBI mark four times. His role as an everyday DH has clearly helped fend off Father Time as Cruz has been a staple in a loaded Twins lineup. He re-signed in Minnesota for the 2021 season and will bat third or fourth for a lineup that will provide plenty of run and RBI opportunities. DH-only eligibility hurts his fantasy stock a little, but that is baked into his average draft position of 98th overall. Draft Cruz with confidence as a four-category contributor.