Oneil Cruz didn’t just have a rough 2025. He had the kind of season that makes a fanbase start arguing in circles: is he still “the guy,” or is this just what the ride looks like with a player this volatile?
And then, the North Shore Nine podcast tossed out a simple observation that’s hard to unsee: Cruz’s downturn seemed to line up — coincidentally or not — with Derek Shelton getting fired.
We’re not saying Derek Shelton was some magical on/off switch for Cruz. But the timing is hard to ignore. The Pirates fired Shelton on May 8, 2025, after a brutal 12–26 start, and bench coach Don Kelly stepped in as the interim manager.