Steven CruzKCR · RP

2026 review

Steven Cruz was a power arm reliever with swing-and-miss stuff but shaky control: he posted a 4.30 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 58.2 IP across 56 games, with 8 SV and 5 HLD, and a 26.4 K% and an 8.1 BB% over 246 BF. He was optioned Mar 20, recalled Apr 1, optioned again Apr 9, and recalled May 8, then closed the year placed on the paternity list Sep 24 and the restricted list Sep 27. Drafted at NFBC ADP rank 574, he finished 507th of 1472 in the TDK LABS 5x5 value rank and 174th of 575 relief pitchers. His 4-seam fastball ticked up from 98.1 mph in Mar-Jun (259 pitches) to 98.9 mph in Jul-Sep (264 pitches). The TDK LABS card followed his role climbing: in mid-May it had him back as bullpen depth off a rough earlier stint, by mid-Jul it noted his opener usage as a sign of possible save chances, by mid-Aug it had him picking up saves in a role that still rotated by matchup, and by late Sep it described him as part of a closer committee with volatile results.