SEE IT: New Nats Signee Robert Anthony Cruz Surprises Father originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Turning dreams into reality can be overwhelming for some, particularly those close enough to know the amount of hard work that got them there.
For the father of Robert Anthony Cruz, the emotions were running high. Cruz, the young undrafted free agent who in a TikTok post spoke of agreeing to his first professional contract with the Washington Nationals, made sure to give the news to his father in person.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Surprising his father with the new Nationals hat Cruz likely received after signing, the two embraced in a proud moment for the dad and quite the touching moment for the sports community to witness.
Cruz is coming off an All-American senior season in which he boasted a .388 batting average with 45 hits, 11 home runs and 36 RBI out of Biola University in the PacWest. In 93 total games, the California native hit 21 homers, 79 RBI and sported a .326 average.
Cruz is expected a join a solid class of rookies heading into the Nationals system after Washington selected 20 prospects in the MLB draft. On the first day of the draft, general manager Mike Rizzo and company took some names you may have heard of, including highly-touted shortstop Brady House at No. 11 and Dusty Baker's son Darren. The second day, the Nationals added seven more pitchers to their 10 overall.
Where Cruz fits in the Nats' future plans remains to be seen, but for a young prospect fulfilling his ultimate dream, these moments are everything.
