Fans typically hold Opening Day in high regard because of how it sets the tone for the regular season. But for Oneil Cruz, it has been a nightmare beginning this Thursday. The Pirates paid the price for the 27-year-old’s costly mistakes as they suffered an 11-7 loss against the Mets. Now, Cruz has received solid criticism from an unexpected source.

“Cruz, get ready to learn DH buddy!!” NBA star Joel Embiid took a sharp dig at Cruz on social media. 

It was in the first inning of the Pirates-Mets Opening Day game when Cruz misjudged the flight of the ball twice. Paul Skenes was pitching for the Pirates when the center fielder missed two consecutive fly balls. 

The Buccos were up 2-1 in the game. Brett Baty was on the plate for the Mets with loaded bases. Baty hit a deep fly ball towards the center field, but it looked like Oneil Cruz misread the ball as he took a few steps toward the home plate. He took a microsecond to adjust and ran back. Unfortunately, he couldn’t reach under it in time. 

The result? Three runs for New York. 

But it didn’t end there. Marcus Semien came to the plate as Baty was on third base. Another fly ball was hit off Skenes, and this time, Cruz ran in the right direction. But somehow, it was worse as he couldn’t pick it up cleanly in the bright afternoon sun at Citi Field. Semien reached second base while Baty completed his run, taking the Mets to 5-2. 

People couldn’t believe what they just witnessed from a player in his 6th MLB season. Broadcaster Matt Vasgersian didn’t even try to sugarcoat the glaring mistakes. 

“A nightmarish start for Oneil Cruz on opening day! Oh no!” he said. Cruz, on the other hand, tried to shift the blame in a postgame interview. 

“It was really uncomfortable today to have the sun right in front of my face – I was trying my best, but it was tough,” he said. 

This didn’t sit well with the fans. And we are not talking about just the MLB fans. Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers blasted him with just one line. 

Oneil Cruz was originally the shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made 24 errors in 112 games in 2024 alone. The club wanted to make better use of his speed and strong arm, which resulted in his transition to center field late in the season. 

Until the end of the 2025 session, he made a total of 13 errors (2 from the previous season) in his new position. Although his ranking improved in the overall MLB list, he remained the worst defender for the Pirates in 2025. In 2025, he also ended with -14 Defensive Runs Saved. 

And for those who hoped for an improvement from him in 2026, they were left hugely disappointed. Joel Embiid’s “learn DH” remark might have been brutal, but it was accurate. If the 6-foot-7 giant of a player’s gloves can’t keep up, his cannon arm might soon put him in that position. 

While the Pirates did their best to score in later innings, they couldn’t recover from the earlier blow. And Cruz’s mistakes now have deeper impacts beyond himself.

Oneil Cruz’s blunders forced Paul Skenes to an early exit

Cruz missed two fly balls, giving away four runs to the Mets. But the impact was much bigger on the Pirates ace. Manager Don Kelly pulled Paul Skenes after only 37 pitches, 26 of which were strikes. 

The reigning NL Cy Young champion allowed only four hits, five ER, and two walks. He only managed one strikeout. But it wasn’t a disaster from him. Yet the manager decided on his early exit. 

Skenes won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2024, and he made the Opening Day roster for the Pirates in 2025. He recorded 12 scoreless starts last season and played 32 games, securing a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts. This makes his 2026 Opening Day like an anomaly through no fault of his own. 

The Pirates fans genuinely hope that this is not a case of ‘morning shows the day’. Oneil Cruz has been rocky in both defensive positions he has played in the last few years. Yet his hitting skills make all of us expect better overall performance from him. And the same goes for Paul Skenes.

Given how his last two seasons have gone for Skenes, this should be just a blip in his remarkable performance this season.