José Cruz, Jr.

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For other people of this name, see Jose Cruz

**José Cruz, Jr.**
Major League Baseball debut
San Diego Padres — No. 22
Right Fielder
Bats: Switch	Throws: Right
May 31, 1997 for the Seattle Mariners
Selected MLB statistics (through August 2006)
AVG	.249
HR	198
RBI	602
Teams
Seattle Mariners (1997) Toronto Blue Jays (1997-2002) San Francisco Giants (2003) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004) Arizona Diamondbacks (2005) Boston Red Sox (2005) Los Angeles Dodgers (2005-2006) San Diego Padres (2007-present)

José Luis Cruz, Jr. (born April 19, 1974 in Arroyo, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres. Over his nine year playing career Cruz has played for seven teams, the most recent being the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cruz stands 6'0" tall and weighs 210 pounds. He is a switch hitter who throws right-handed. He is the son of former major league outfielder and current Houston Astros first base coach José Cruz, and the nephew of former big leaguers Héctor and Tommy Cruz.

Cruz was a 1995 graduate of Rice University and a member of Team USA in 1994, and was also a three time All-American while at Rice, setting virtually all possible offensive records.

Cruz Jr. was a first round pick, 3rd overall, for the Seattle Mariners in the 1995 amateur draft and began his Major League career on May 31, 1997. His days in Seattle were short as he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Paul Spoljaric and Mike Timlin on July 31, 1997. He stayed in Toronto until 2003 and twice hit at least 30 HR with the Blue Jays - one of those seasons he also stole at least 30 bases. He was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco Giants on January 28, 2003. In San Francisco he won a Gold Glove and broke Willie Mays' franchise single-season record for outfield assists with 19. He was later acquired as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004. In 2005, Cruz Jr. played for three teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Boston Red Sox and finally the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although injured most of the year, Cruz ended the season on a tear, hitting .301 with six homers as a Dodger.

Cruz was picked to play for Puerto Rico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. In the tournament, Cruz hit .353 with a .476 on-base percentage in five games, helping Puerto Rico reach the second round.

The Dodgers designated Cruz for assignment on August 1, 2006.

José Cruz, Jr. has worked as a Major League Baseball analyst for MLB.com.

Cruz has signed a contract with the San Diego Padres. Cruz had been out of baseball since being released by the Dodgers late in the 2006 baseball season.