Juan Carlos Cruz (born October 15, 1978 in Bonao, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.

Cruz features a fastball that tops out at 99 MPH, along with a hard slider, and a changeup.

Cruz attended Janaco Bonao High School in Bonao. He was signed for the Chicago Cubs by scout Jose Serra. He began his pro career with the Cubs' Rookie Level team, the Mesa Cubs, where he went 2-4 with a 6.10 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in only 41.1 innings pitched. Cruz went 5-6 with a 5.94 for Chicago's Single-A affiliate, the Eugene Emeralds, in 1999.