Detroit – Imagine being Trei Cruz Friday night.
He finally makes his big-league debut at age 27, after a methodical and at times fraught climb through the minor leagues. Comerica Park is packed. Tarik Skubal is pitching. Nelly is staging a post-game concert. The division-leading White Sox are in town.
In the stands are 20-some members of his family, who hastily flew in to be part of this moment, including his grandfather Jose Cruz and father Jose Cruz, Jr. – both long-time big-leaguers.
“Special moment,” he said.
That he struck out three times, well, that’s just going to be an ironic footnote to this night. That was washed away by the Tigers’ 4-2 win and by the emotional family hug afterward.
“I walked out and my mom was running,” Cruz said. “She gave me a hug. It was an emotional moment, for sure. But it felt great. It was one of those moments where all that hard work, all that grinding, the minor leagues, the injuries, all that just coming together and all of it being worth it.
“It just made the moment special, for sure.”
The Cruz family is baseball royalty in Puerto Rico and in Houston. Trei’s grandfather was a two-time All-Star and played 19 years, 13 with the Astros. His father played 12 seasons, mostly with the Blue Jays and was a Gold Glove-winning outfielder.
They’ve been where Trei was Friday, disappointed by the three strikeouts, but still taking in something that’s been a lifetime in the making.
“My dad told me he had one of the worst debuts ever,” Trei said. “He said I just had to beat his 0-for-7 record. That’s what we’re looking for. I have four more at-bats to make it happen.”
That calmness, that sense of humor, that dogged perseverance, it comes from his grandfather.
“He’s been everything,” Trei said. “There is no baseball in the Cruz family without him. He came from nothing and to see him go undrafted to almost quitting baseball when he was 16 to somebody giving him a chance in Puerto Rico to getting signed by the Cardinals and making the career he did in Houston – pretty special.
“He’s always been a support system for me growing up. He always told me to keep going, have fun and not take the game too seriously. He’s the guy who will give you confidence when you are in your lowest moments.”
His father, who was the hitting coach on AJ Hinch’s first coaching staff in Detroit before leaving to take over the program at Rice University, is, as Trei said, the more methodical thinker.
“My grandfather is more just, go out, see the ball and hack at it,” he said, smiling.
Cruz was drafted in the third round by the Tigers in 2020. After a year in rookie ball, he spent two in Low-A, two in High-A and parts of four in Double-A. He got put on the 40-man roster after the 2025 season and invited to his first big-league camp this spring.
He would’ve made his debut in May, when the Tigers were dealing with one injury after another, but he was dealing with his own injury (dislocated knee).
Then, out of the blue, the call came.
“It happened quick,” he said. “They told me I had a flight in two and a half hours. We were in Rochester (NY). I called my parents. They were crying, freaking out. They were a mess. But it was awesome. And then to see them all come out and support me, it was awesome to celebrate with them after the game and just take some pictures and watch Nelly, which was random.”
The relationship between Hinch and Cruz Jr., goes back to when they both played for Team USA. Throughout Hinch’s years in Houston, he became close to the entire family.
“AJ gave me a hug and just said, I know how special this is for you,” Trei said. “It was special to have that moment and to have him as my manager. It’s a full-circle moment, for sure.”
Hinch told the family to stick around. Trei is expected to be in the starting lineup on Sunday.
“I’m really happy for Trei and the family, just from a baseball history standpoint,” Hinch said. “How cool is it to have a family with three generations of players. It’s a rarity and a really cool baseball moment.”
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
White Sox at Tigers
➤First pitch: 1:40 p.m., Comerica Park
➤TV/Radio: Detroit Sports Net, 97.1, 107.9
Scouting Report
➤Davis Martin (9-3, 3.31), White Sox: He’s coming off a clunker in the Bronx where the Yankees got him for nine runs, three homers, in 3.1 innings. And, generally this season, he’s struggled on the road (5.09 ERA). But the good version is a tough day for hitters. He works off a four-seamer (94 mph) and sinker (93), mixing sliders to right-handers and throwing the kitchen sink at lefties (changeups, cutters and curveballs).
➤RHP Keider Montero (3-5, 3.67), Tigers: Well, his stay in the bullpen was short. He worked out of the bullpen on Tuesday, then reinstated into the rotation after Justin Verlander strained his left hamstring during a bullpen session Wednesday. His last start, on June 11, was a beauty, blanking the Twins over 6.1 innings.
— Chris McCosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Trei Cruz, third generation big-leaguer, soaks in an emotional debut
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
