Steven Cruz Bio
Steven Adalberto Cruz (born June 15, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). A right-handed reliever who works out of the bullpen, Cruz signed his first professional contract in 2017 and worked his way through the minor leagues before reaching the majors in 2023. Wearing jersey number 64, he has built his career as a strike-throwing late-inning option, recording his first major league win in 2025.
Originally signed by the Minnesota Twins organization, Cruz was traded to Kansas City in January 2023 and made his MLB debut later that summer. He has continued to develop with the Royals, bouncing between Triple-A Omaha and the parent club while logging consistent strikeout numbers.
Early Life and Background
Steven Adalberto Cruz was born on June 15, 1999, in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic has long been one of the most fertile regions in the world for producing professional baseball talent, and Cruz grew up in a country where the sport serves as a dominant cultural force. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 17, indicating that he spent his formative years developing as a pitcher within the Twins’ Dominican scouting and development system.
Like many Dominican prospects, Cruz was identified and developed through the Minnesota Twins’ academy pipeline, which feeds young players into the organization’s Dominican Summer League affiliate. His rapid progression from international signing to professional starter reflects the structured pathway that the Twins organization provides for its young Dominican arms.
Path to Baseball
Cruz began his path to professional baseball on March 20, 2017, when he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins organization. He made his professional debut that same year with the Dominican Summer League Twins, where he posted a 3.68 earned run average across 16 games. That strong opening season set the tone for his climb through the minor leagues.
The following year, Cruz moved to the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Twins, where he recorded a 3.12 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched across 13 appearances. He returned to the rookie level in 2019, pitching in 17 games for the Elizabethton Twins and logging a 2.90 ERA with 48 strikeouts, further cementing his status as a strikeout-oriented arm in the organization.
Steven Cruz Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Cruz’s early career was spent entirely in the Twins’ rookie-level affiliates. After debuting in 2017 with the Dominican Summer League Twins, he spent 2018 with the Gulf Coast League Twins and 2019 with the Elizabethton Twins. Across those three seasons, he showed consistent swing-and-miss stuff, striking out 33 batters in 2018 and 48 in 2019.
He did not pitch in an official game in 2020 after the minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed in 2021, Cruz returned to the mound for the Single-A Fort Myers Miracle and High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels, pitching to a 4-2 record and 4.32 ERA with 80 strikeouts across 50 innings in 28 combined contests.
Double-A Wichita Wind Surge (2022)
In 2022, Cruz moved up to the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge, where he worked exclusively out of the bullpen. Across 48 relief appearances, he registered a 5.14 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 56 innings of work. The heavy workload at Double-A served as his final tune-up before reaching the upper levels of the minors.
Kansas City Royals (2023–Present)
On January 24, 2023, the Minnesota Twins traded Cruz and Evan Sisk to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Michael A. Taylor. The change of organization gave Cruz a fresh opportunity, and he spent most of 2023 in the Royals’ system, splitting time between the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. Across 43 appearances, he worked to a cumulative 3.81 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 9 saves in 49 and 2/3 innings.
On August 29, 2023, Cruz was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. In 10 appearances for Kansas City during his rookie campaign, he posted a 4.97 ERA with 15 strikeouts across 12 and 2/3 innings. Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2024 season and made five scoreless appearances for Kansas City that year, striking out four batters across 5 and 2/3 innings.
Cruz was again optioned to Triple-A Omaha to begin the 2025 season. On May 9, 2025, he recorded his first career MLB win after tossing the final 2/3 innings of an extra-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox. Through statistics recorded on June 21, 2026, he owns a 4-3 record with a 4.40 ERA and 87 strikeouts in his major league career.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cruz profiles as a strikeout-driven reliever who has consistently punched out batters at every level of the minors, including 80 strikeouts across 50 innings in 2021 and 72 across 56 innings in 2022. His role with Kansas City is in the late innings, and he has shown the ability to handle high-leverage spots, including extra-inning work against the Boston Red Sox.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cruz’s most notable milestones include his MLB debut on August 29, 2023, with the Kansas City Royals, the trade that brought him to Kansas City in January 2023, and his first career MLB win on May 9, 2025, against the Boston Red Sox. He has continued to develop as a reliable bullpen arm for the Royals organization.
Steven Cruz Career Wins
Through statistics recorded on June 21, 2026, Steven Cruz has recorded four MLB wins, with his first coming on May 9, 2025, in an extra-inning game against the Boston Red Sox. His major league win total has been built through consistent bullpen work for the Kansas City Royals since his 2023 debut.
Kansas City Royals Highlights
Cruz made 10 appearances for Kansas City during his 2023 rookie campaign, posting a 4.97 ERA with 15 strikeouts across 12 and 2/3 innings. He added five scoreless appearances in 2024, striking out four batters across 5 and 2/3 innings, before recording his first career win in 2025. His overall MLB line stands at a 4-3 record with a 4.40 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
Other Wins & Performances
Before reaching the majors, Cruz was a steady winner in the minor leagues, including a 4-2 record across 28 combined appearances for Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids in 2021. He also recorded 9 saves in 2023 while splitting the year between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha.
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Steven Cruz Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Steven Adalberto Cruz was born in the Dominican Republic, a country with one of the deepest pipelines of professional baseball talent in the world. Specific details about his parents and immediate family are not publicly documented in available sources.
Personal Life
Public information about Cruz’s personal life, including his marital status and any children, is not widely documented. He maintains a presence on Instagram under the handle @stevencruzr_, where fans can follow updates on his career and life off the field.
2025 Season Performance
Cruz began the 2025 season with Triple-A Omaha after being optioned by Kansas City at the end of spring training. He worked his way back to the major league club and on May 9, 2025, he recorded his first career MLB win, closing out an extra-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox by retiring the final outs of the game.
His 2025 campaign with Kansas City showed continued growth as a late-inning reliever, with Cruz proving capable of handling high-leverage situations. The first MLB win marked a turning point in his career, signaling his emergence as a contributor rather than just a depth piece in the Royals’ bullpen.
Looking ahead, Cruz remains an option for the Royals’ bullpen in 2026 after once again beginning the year at Triple-A Omaha. His strikeout profile and steady minor-league track record suggest he will continue to factor into Kansas City’s relief plans.