Former Chicago Cubs draft pick Ronny Cruz has an interesting story and some massive upside
The biggest piece the Washington Nationals got back in the Michael Soroka deal is shortstop Ronny Cruz. He is a raw 18 year old shortstop, but a player who has massive upside. Cruz also has a very interesting and unusual journey we will dive in to.
“He generated some of the highest exit velocities during BP at the MLB Draft Combine and could produce 25 or more homers on an annual basis once he’s fully developed.” -MLB Pipeline on Ronny Cruz, newest Washington Nationals prospect
pic.twitter.com/jCDfQY8rcM— Paul Cubbage (@PaulCubbage23) July 31, 2025
In a lot of ways, Cruz is the epitome of a boom or bust prospect. He has four really good tools. The raw power is massive, he is an above average runner with a cannon of an arm and could be an above average fielder at shortstop. However, there are real questions about his pure hitting ability.
Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America have him graded as a below average 40 grade hitter. They mention that he has some mechanical issues and can be overly aggressive. His 5.3% walk rate in the Arizona Complex League shows that lack of discipline. However, he is just 18 and the other tools are so impressive that if he becomes a .235 hitter with big power, he can be a starting player. It is just a long road to even get to that point.
I like the fact that they combined Cruz with Christian Franklin, who is much more of a high floor guy, but at 25, he does not have Cruz’s upside. Ronny Cruz is a swing for the fences by Mike DeBartolo. There is a decent shot he flames out by Double-A, but there is also a decent shot he explodes and becomes a top 100 prospect.
Beyond the player himself, Ronny Cruz’s journey to get to this point is a very cool human interest story. He was born in the Dominican Republic, but did not take the path most Dominican players take. Most Dominicans sign deals at 16 years old with teams. Cruz actually had a $200,000 deal lined up with a team, but it fell through.
Instead of staying in the Dominican, he moved to Florida and actually went to high school. This is a very interesting and brave decision for a guy who most likely spoke very little English at the time.
It ended up being a decision that payed off for him. After two years in high school, he ended up being drafted by the Cubs in the third round and receiving a $620,000 bonus, much more than that deal which fell through. This is despite not being healthy for a lot of his senior year.
One thing that makes Cruz raw is the lack of high end pitching he has faced. He has only been in the US for a couple years, and he missed time with injury for some of that time as well.
This is a real ball of clay that will be a fun test for whoever the Nationals next player development team is. I am not always the biggest fan of players this raw, but getting a player with this upside for Michael Soroka is a nice bet, especially when you also get a high floor player to go with it. Ronny Cruz is boom or bust, but if he hits, this could be a fantastic player.