Scouting Report

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Cruz sports a tantalizing set of tools that brim with upside. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is credited for showing baseball instincts far beyond his 17 years.

Known as a hitter capable of spraying the ball to all fields due to his tremendously strong hands and forearms, Cruz has enough strength in his swing to enable him to hit to right field as if he were a left-handed batter. With an easy load and superb bat speed, his sound offensive approach portends to lend itself to 20-25 homer power as he matures. Despite being known as an aggressive swinger, he has an advanced feel for the barrel.

An alert defender with a quick first step and an above-average arm, Cruz has the look and tools to hold down the shortstop position long-term. His 6-foot, 180-pound frame is muscular and lean with little body fat, aiding in him already grading out as a plus runner who can impact the game both with the glove and on the basepaths. Cruz trains with Mejia Top 10, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40

The cousin of former Cubs All-Star Starlin Castro, Cruz ranked fifth on MLB Pipeline's 2024 International Top 50 and signed for $4 million out of the Dominican Republic. He injured his left shoulder on a headfirst slide two weeks into his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, which led to offseason surgery that sidelined him for the first month of the 2025 Rookie-level Arizona Complex League season. He fared poorly in his U.S. debut, batting .165/.247/.316 with a 47 percent strikeout rate.

Cruz still possesses some of the best all-around tools in the system and Chicago hopes that they'll begin to translate better during a fully healthy 2026 season. He has more bat speed and strength than most teenage shortstops, and he shows the ability to elevate balls to his pull side while also flashing opposite-field power. To get to more of his solid-to-plus raw power, he'll need to learn to recognize pitches better, tone down his long right-handed swing and adopt a more measured approach.

Cruz features plus speed and some basestealing savvy, though he wasn't as daring last year, perhaps in an attempt to protect his shoulder. He has fluid actions, plenty of range, quick hands, solid arm strength and a finely tuned internal clock at shortstop, and some club officials believe he's their best defensive prospect at the position. His twitchy athleticism would allow him to play almost anywhere on the diamond, and he also saw action at second base last summer.

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

Starlin Castro signed with the Cubs out of the Dominican Republic for $50,000 in 2006 and made four All-Star Games in a 12-year big league career. Cruz, his cousin, hopes to follow the same path after turning pro in 2024 for $4 million, the second-largest bonus for an international amateur in franchise history (Jorge Soler landed a $6 million bonus as part of a $30 million contract in 2012). Cruz injured his left shoulder on a headfirst slide early in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and wasn't fully healthy until Dominican instructional league in the fall.

With strong hands and forearms, and a build that carries 25 pounds more than his listed 155, Cruz has more bat speed and power than most 18-year-old shortstops. He already shows the aptitude to drive balls in the air to his pull side, can hit the ball out of the park to the opposite field and could grow into 25-homer power in his prime. His right-handed swing looked long and his approach looked aggressive while he was slashing just .215/.326/.329 with a 27.2 percent strikeout rate in the DSL, so he has adjustments to make.

Cruz's twitchy athleticism makes him an asset on the bases and at shortstop. He used his plus speed to steal 11 bases in 12 attempts during his 25 games in the DSL. He has smooth actions, very good body control, solid arm strength and a good internal clock at short, and there's no reason he won't be able to remain there.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

Cruz is a cousin of Starlin Castro, who signed with the Cubs for $50,000 in 2006 and made four All-Star teams. His price tag was considerably higher, as his $4 million bonus in January was the second-largest in franchise history for an international player behind only the $6 million Jorge Soler received as part of a $30 million contract in 2012. The No. 4 prospect in MLB Pipeline's 2024 international rankings, he's more advanced than Chicago's other recent big-money Dominican shortstops, Cristian Hernandez and Derniche Valdez.

With strong hands and forearms, Cruz creates plenty of bat speed and more power than most shortstops. Closer to 180 pounds than his listed 155, he has room to add more muscle and could produce 25 or more homers annually once he's fully developed. Though he has an aggressive approach and his right-handed swing can get a bit long at times, he also exhibits good feel for the barrel.

Cruz's plus speed and athleticism will allow him to make an impact on the bases and in the field as well. His smooth actions, quick first step and solid arm strength should enable him to remain at shortstop for the long term. If he slowed down a bit and his range diminished to the point at which he had to move, he'd profile well at third base.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/21/2026	SS Fernando Cruz assigned to Chicago Cubs Prospects.
	03/05/2026	SS Fernando Cruz assigned to Chicago Cubs Prospects.
	06/09/2025	ACL Cubs activated SS Fernando Cruz from the 7-day injured list.
	05/03/2025	ACL Cubs placed SS Fernando Cruz on the 7-day injured list.
	04/30/2025	SS Fernando Cruz assigned to ACL Cubs from DSL Cubs Red.
	06/01/2024	DSL Cubs Red activated SS Fernando Cruz.
	01/15/2024	SS Fernando Cruz assigned to DSL Cubs Red.
	01/15/2024	SS Fernando Cruz roster status changed by DSL Cubs Red.
	01/15/2024	Chicago Cubs signed free agent SS Fernando Cruz to a minor league contract.