The Pittsburgh Pirates have already seen what it looks like when a player can do things with a baseball that barely seem real. Now Tony Blanco Jr. is flashing that same kind of thunder, and with it comes the same old question.
Blanco has quickly become one of the most fascinating power prospects in the organization, and the resemblance to Oneil Cruz is impossible to miss. Both are listed at 6-foot-7.
Both bring outrageous raw pop. Both can send exit velocities into territory reserved for a tiny slice of the sport.
And both have had to answer for the same flaw: too much swing-and-miss.
That’s what makes Blanco’s rise so compelling for Pittsburgh, and so tricky. Cruz has grown into a productive big leaguer, but his path has also shown how hard it is to turn elite physical gifts into steady offense. The Pirates now have to hope they’re better equipped to guide Blanco than they were when Cruz was coming up.
Blanco’s 2026 season gave the organization plenty to like. The 21-year-old first baseman hit .253 with 25 home runs, 60 RBI and an .896 OPS in 84 games, mostly at High-A Greensboro. Those numbers carry even more weight when you factor in the force behind them.
During the 2025 Arizona Fall League, Blanco blasted a 464-foot home run and posted a 120.4 mph double. He also won the Fall Stars Home Run Derby, with one swing clocked at 122.9 mph. That’s the kind of raw impact that puts him in the same conversation as Cruz, who has become a Statcast fixture in the majors.
But the power comes with a price. Blanco entered 2026 with a career strikeout rate of 35.1%, and while he trimmed that to 29.5% this season, the swing-and-miss remains a real issue. He still has to show he can identify pitches, stay within the strike zone and make enough contact to get to that big power against better arms.
That’s where the Cruz comparison gets uncomfortable.
Cruz has long been one of baseball’s most electric physical specimens, but his career has also been a reminder that tools alone don’t guarantee production. In 2025, he hit .200 with a .676 OPS, though he still managed 20 homers and 38 steals. The power and speed were there; the contact was not.
He bounced back in 2026, hitting .280 with an .854 OPS, 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 97 games despite missing significant time with a hand injury. It was one of the best offensive seasons of his career, and it reinforced the idea that when Cruz’s approach improves, the results can follow.
Even then, the strikeouts never disappeared. Cruz still struck out in more than 33% of his plate appearances in 2026, a reminder that swing-and-miss remains baked into his game even when he’s producing at a high level.
Blanco’s road is different, though. Unlike Cruz, he doesn’t bring the added value of speed and athleticism.
As a first baseman, his bat has to carry more of the load. If the power doesn’t come with consistent production against advanced pitching, he won’t have as many other ways to help.
The encouraging part is that Blanco seems aware of the problem. In an October interview with MLB.com, he said pitchers had started taking advantage of his aggressiveness by getting him to chase pitches outside his best zones.
That’s the kind of lesson the Pirates need to keep hammering home, along with the importance of health. Blanco’s 84 games in 2026 were a step forward after injuries had limited him in earlier seasons, and more time against quality pitching will matter as he climbs.
None of this means Blanco is destined to repeat Cruz’s path, and it certainly doesn’t mean Cruz has been a disappointment. His 2026 season showed exactly why Pittsburgh has stayed invested in his upside.
But the broader takeaway is clear. Raw power gets attention. Plate discipline, pitch recognition and contact rate determine how far that power actually goes.
The Pirates have already spent years trying to unlock Cruz. They shouldn’t have to learn the same lesson twice with Blanco. The goal now is not just to find another player who can launch baseballs into the stratosphere, but to turn that kind of power into something dependable.
In Other News...
Pirates Suddenly Have A Middle Infield Question They Can't Ignore
Injuries have already pushed the Pirates to think harder about the middle of the diamond, with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin among the players who have complicated the picture in 2026. Pittsburghs depth there is suddenly a real issue, and it is the kind of problem that can force a front office to look beyond internal options if it wants to keep the infield stable through the season.
One avenue worth watching is Miami, where Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards have surfaced as possible trade fits for the Pirates. Both bring a mix of offensive and defensive value that would make sense for a club trying to shore up the position group, especially with uncertainty hanging over Brandon Lowes future in Pittsburgh. The Marlins are not actively shopping either infielder, but they also do not appear to view them as untouchable, which is enough to keep this possibility alive as the Pirates weigh their next move. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Linked To A Brewers Bullpen Piece They Clearly Need
The Pirates are already being tied to bullpen help this winter, and JoJo Romero has surfaced as a name worth watching. MLB Trade Rumors pegged the left-handed reliever as a potential free-agent fit for Pittsburgh, pointing to the kind of relief upgrade the club has been searching for as it tries to strengthen a group that needs more stability heading into 2027.
Romeros appeal is easy to see from the Pirates side. He just played a meaningful role in Milwaukees championship run, and a pitcher with that kind of late-season track record fits the profile of someone who could slide into a useful leverage spot in Pittsburgh. The question now is whether the Pirates will be willing to move quickly enough to turn that interest into a real addition. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates May Need To Pay For The Bullpen Arm Theyre Missing
The Pirates have spent the winter talking like a club that wants to do more than merely patch holes, and the bullpen is one of the places where that ambition could show up first. As they map out improvements for the 2027 season, one name has surfaced as a possible fit: Bryan Abreu, a right-hander who has spent the last eight seasons in Houston and has put together a strong stretch from 2022 through 2025. His previous work with Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy only adds to the appeal, since familiarity can matter when a team is trying to make a targeted upgrade.
The catch is that this kind of bullpen help may not come cheaply. Projections for Abreu point to a deal in the neighborhood of $10.5 million per year, whether that comes on a shorter commitment or something a little longer, and Pittsburgh is expected to carry a record Opening Day payroll as it tries to push toward the postseason. In other words, if the Pirates want the sort of arm they believe they are missing, they may have to spend like a club that is serious about closing the gap. [Read more 🡒]