Puerto Rican pitcher Fernando Cruz of the New York Yankees will receive the Pedrín Zorrilla Award, given annually to the most outstanding Puerto Rican player in Major League Baseball, the Puerto Rico Sports Journalists Association (APDPUR) and the Zorrilla family announced in a statement on Monday, November 9. APDPUR is presided over by Hiram Vega Pérez.
The announcement coincides with the 121st anniversary of the birth of Zorrilla, a historic figure in Puerto Rican sport, a driving force behind baseball and founder of the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the island’s professional baseball. "We are pleased that this recognition falls to Fernando Cruz, an athlete who has shown excellence, passion and a deep sense of identity," Vega Pérez said in the statement.
In 2026 Cruz completed a breakthrough season, establishing himself as one of the most dominant, reliable and consistent middle relievers in organized baseball. He finished with a 4-2 record and two saves and the lowest earned run average of his major league career, 3.13 over a full season, bettering the 3.56 of the previous campaign.
He appeared in 61 games, working 54.2 crucial innings before right elbow discomfort stopped his participation in late August. He struck out 67 batters in those 54.2 innings, a rate above 11 strikeouts per nine innings, and held opposing hitters to a .207 batting average, with left-handed batters hitting just .180 against him. Cruz also represented Puerto Rico at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.