Nelson Cruz

At 43 years old, Nelson Cruz has this physical status:

Nelson Ramón Cruz Martnez (born July 1, 1980) is a professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB).

He appeared for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners. Cruz is a six-time MLB All-Star.

In 2011, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 American League Championship Series, in which he hit six home runs and 13 runs batted in, both MLB records for a single season.

Cruz was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for his role in the Biogenesis baseball controversy on August 5, 2013.

As a member of the Orioles in 2014, he led the American League in home runs.

In the 2010s, he hit 346 home runs, more than any other player.

Early life

Cruz was born in Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic, on July 1, 1980. Nelson Cruz Sr., his father, also played in professional baseball in the Dominican Republic. Cruz and his two sisters, Nelsy and Olga, were raised in a wealthy Dominican neighborhood, and both his parents are highly educated. Cruz's obsession, rather than baseball, assassinated as he advanced. Michael Jordan was his idol growing up, and Cruz, a youth, competed for the Dominican Republic Junior National Basketball Team. He attended the high school where his father taught history. Cruz served as a mechanic's helper with his uncle at a tractor factory in addition to playing sports. He also excelled in shoes and learned how to fix them. He raised $20,000 to help buy a fire truck for Las Matas de Santa Cruz in September 2012, enlisting AMR's assistance in donating two ambulances.

Personal life

Cruz has one daughter and three sons. In the offseason, he lives in Las Matas De Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic.

Cruz became an American citizen after the 2018 season.

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Professional career

Cruz became a free agent with the New York Mets on February 17, 1998. Cruz played in the Dominican Summer League for three years.

The Mets traded Cruz to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for shortstop Jorge Velandia, as starting shortstop Rey Ordóz was out with a fractured arm, and Kurt Abbott was unable to fill in. Cruz was slashing.283/.409 in 23 games during the 2001 season with the AZL Athletics, slashing.250/.409 with 3 home runs and 16 RBI in 23 games. He played for the Low-A Vancouver Canucks in the batting series, batting.276/.397 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI. Cruz spent the year in Single-A with the Kane County Cougars in 2003, posting a career-best in home runs (20) and RBI (85). Cruz finished the 2004 season as a member of the High-A Modesto A's, Double-A Midland RockHounds, and Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, all setting new career records in home runs (26) and RBI (100), while batting.326/.562 in 137 games between the three teams.

Cruz was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for infielder Keith Ginter on December 16, 2004. Cruz was sent by the Double-A Huntsville Stars to start the 2005 season before being promoted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

Cruz made his major league debut with the Brewers on September 17, 2005 as a late inning defensive replacement at right field wearing #8 against the Houston Astros. In limited play, the Brewers had one hit in five at-bats. On September 28, Aaron Harang of the Cincinnati Reds hit his only double. Cruz was sent to Nashville to begin the 2006 season and had a.302/.528 average in 102 games with the team.

The Brewers traded Cruz and outfielder Carlos Lee to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, and minor league pitcher Julian Cordero on July 28, 2006. During Cruz's time in Texas, he would wear #17. On July 31, he scored his first home run against Willie Eyre of the Twins, his first home run. Cruz claimed his first grand slam of his career on August 16, over Angels Kevin Gregg. He hit an inside-the-park home run against the Athletics on September 4, 2006, in which his bat broke on impact. Cruz got off to a slow start in spring training for the 2007 season, but he came back to a good start in the final game of spring training, with three home runs and a walk-off home run.

Cruz failed to make the big league roster prior to the 2008 season and received waivers after being refused for service because he had exhausted his minor league choices. Cruz was batting average of.341 and had 37 home runs and 100 runs batted in with the Oklahoma RedHawks, earning the 2008 Pacific Coast League MVP Award for his efforts. Cruz began playing an open batting style during his time with the Redhawks, which helped him see the ball better and became a more effective hitter. The Rangers purchased Cruz's RedHawks' contract on August 25, 2008.

Cruz had a breakthrough season in 2009. He was named as an All-Star in July as a replacement for injured Torii Hunter. He also competed in the 2009 Home Run Derby, finishing second behind Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. Cruz had 33 home runs last season.

Cruz and teammate Ian Kinsler both hit three home runs against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2010 AL Division Series, marking the second time in Major League history that two teammates combined hit three home runs in a series of five games or fewer (joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, who did it in the 1928 World Series). Cruz flies off Tim Lincecum in Game 5 of the 2010 World Series vs. the San Francisco Giants. Cruz began to refer to his baseball bat as a "boomstick."

Cruz and Ian Kinsler were the first two players in major league history to homer in any of the first three games of a season, beating Dean Palmer (1992) as the only Texas ballplayers to homer in the first three games of the season. In addition, Cruz became the third player to homer in each of the first four games of the season, joining Willie Mays and Mark McGwire.

Nelson Cruz was the second hitter to bat into the upper deck in right field as a right-handed batter in the history of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. During the 2000 season, Chad Curtis, a former Ranger, struck the other arm. Cruz had 8 RBIs in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 22, his first appearance in RBIs; it was his first appearance in RBIs.

Cruz hit.263 with 29 home runs in 2011. For the third year in a row (2.29), he led AL right fielders in range factor (2.29). Cruz scored a walk-off grand slam against the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the ALCS on October 10, 2011. He became the first player in baseball to win a walk-off grand slam in a postseason game.

Cruz won Game 4 of the ALCS against the Tigers after hitting a 3-run home run. He was the first player to hit multiple extra-inning home runs in the same postseason series. Cruz had six home runs and 13 RBIs in the 2011 ALCS, both postseason series records. He has been named the 2011 ALCS MVP for his efforts. In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, Cruz won by a solo home run to bring the Texas Rangers up 6 to 4. Cruz set the record for most home runs in a season at 8 years old; he shares the feat with Carlos Beltrán and Barry Bonds.

Cruz was first connected to buying performance-enhancing drugs from a Miami clinic. Cruz was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for his role in the Biogenesis fiasco on August 5, 2013. Cruz said in a tweet that from November 2011 to January, 2012, there had been an undiagnosed "serious gastrointestinal disease, helicobacter pylori," which went undiagnosed for over a month. He sold $4,000 of product to Nelson Cruz, whom he affections "Mohamad." Cruz is one of 13 players suspended for their links to the anti-aging clinic.

Cruz became a free agent following the 2013 season, after refusing a $18 million qualifying bid from the Rangers. The fact that he received draft pick compensation as a result of his latest PED suspension made it impossible for him to find a new one during the offseason.

Cruz signed with the Baltimore Orioles on February 24, 2014. Cruz wore #23 with the Orioles and then wore 23 in his Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, and Tampa Bay Rays appearances.

Cruz lost his first home run on July 5, two singles, two doubles, and a home run, falling a triple shy of the cycle (he was tagged out just short of third base). He was named as a designated hitter for the American League in his third MLB All-Star Game. Cruz went 4-for-5 with two home runs and 7 RBIs, including his 100th RBI of the season on September 7, 2014. His previous season high in RBIs was 90, which was not set in 2012. Cruz had a field day with the Orioles scoring in all 7 runs. Cruz had a.271 batting average, 32 doubles, and 108 RBI in 159 games played in 2014.

Cruz homered against Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers in the first game of the 2014 ALDS. It was his 15th home run in 35 games during the postseason, tying Cruz for 10th place on the all-time home run list with Babe Ruth. Cruz scored his 16th postseason home run against the Tigers' David Price in his third game of the 2014 ALDS, tying him for ninth on the all-time home run list with Carlos Beltrán. After turning down the Orioles' qualifying bid of $15.3 million, Cruz declared a free agency.

Cruz signed a four-year deal with the Seattle Mariners worth $57 million on December 4, 2014.

Cruz was named the starting DH for the 2015 American League All-Star team, marking the 4th time (3rd consecutive) that he was deemed a All-Star for the fourth time (3rd consecutive). In 2015, he had one of his best seasons of his career, batting.302 with a career-high 44 home runs and 93 RBIs. In 2015, he had his third home run in MLB, at 483 feet. He also earned his first Silver Slugger Award in his career, and finished 6th in the American League MVP rankings.

Cruz batted.287 with 43 home runs and 104 RBIs in 2016. He was not chosen as an All-Star, but in the American League MVP rankings, he came in 15th place. His batted balls had the highest exit velocity in the major leagues, at 94.4 mph. In 2016, he recorded his second longest home run in MLB, at 493 feet.

Cruz was named an All-Star in 2017 for the fifth time in his career. In a Mariners victory over the Oakland Athletics on July 7, he scored his 300th home run in his career. Cruz led the Mariners in RBIs with 119 runs (39), walks (70), on-base percentage (.375), and slugging percentage (.549). He was named on the Edgar Martnez Award, also known as the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award.

Cruz was selected to play in the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He batted.256 for the season, along with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs. He was the eighth-oldest player in the American League. He became a free agent after the 2018 season.

Cruz agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins worth $14.3 million on January 2, 2019. For the 2020 season, the deal also included a $12 million team option.

Cruz scored his 400th home run and 40th home run of the season against the Kansas City Royals on September 22, 2019. In 120 games on the season, he batted.311/.392/.639 with 41 home runs and 108 RBI. At 52%, he had the highest hard-contact percentage of all major league batters. He was the fifth-oldest player in the American League. He did not play in the field for the first time in his MLB career; he appeared in 114 games as a DH and six as a pinch hitter; His 1.031 OPS matched the club's record, and his home run and RBI totals tied club records at DH. He came in second in OPS and SLG, tied for third in home runs, sixth in batting, and seventh in RBI. He followed Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds as the only players to hit 40 home runs in their age-39 season or later. Cruz earned his third Silver Slugger Award for his third year. Cruz will also win the Edgar Martinez Award for the second time.

During the 2010s, Cruz had 346 home runs, the most home runs hit by any player in the decade.

Cruz's pick for 2020, in which he batted.303 with a.992 OPS, 16 home runs, and 33 RBI, was the Twins. Cruz appeared in 53 of 60 games despite being slowed by a sore knee later in the season. In a season-ending AL Wild Card Series loss to the Houston Astros, he doubled twice in a span of six at bats. He finished third in the AL in OBP (.397), fourth in OPS, fifth in SLG (.595), tied for fifth in home runs and seventh in batting average, leading to his fourth overall Silver Slugger Award at DH, his fourth overall Silver Slugger. In the AL MVP poll, he came in sixth place.

Cruz was voted as the 2020 Marvin Miller Man of the Year by the MLB Players Association as the player with the most respect based on his work and community, especially in his hometown of Las Matas de Santa Cruz. In 2020, he was named the ESPYs Muhammed Ali Humanitarian Award winner. Cruz also funded a police station, a fire station, and spearheaded a $400,000 appeal to help eliminate food shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. His leadership inspired his coworkers to serve in their own communities.

Following the 2020 World Series, Cruz became a free agent. Cruz signed a one-year, $13 million deal with Minnesota for the 2021 season on February 10, 2021. Cruz was named an All-Star for the team in 2021 and finished with 19.370/.537, 50 RBI in 85 games.

Cruz was named "one of the game's top power hitters" in 2021 by TheAthletic.com, while CBS Sports described him as "a steady purveyor of elite power production."

Cruz was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays with Calvin Faucher in exchange for Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman on July 22, 2021.

Cruz agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with a mutual option for 2023 with the Washington Nationals in March 2022. Cruz went 2 for 4 against the San Diego Padres on August 15, his first 2,000 appearances in his MLB career.

Cruz was batting.337/.337 in 448 at bats in 124 games at DH, converting to 16 double plays (9th in the AL). He was the first qualified batter in major league baseball.

International career

Cruz was selected by the Dominican Republic national baseball team at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, the 2013 World Baseball Classic, and the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Cruz and the Dominican Republic national baseball team won the 2013 World Baseball Classic, and Cruz was selected to the 2013 All-World Baseball Classic team.

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