One of the biggest personalities in sports entertainment today says no amount of fame, applause, or viral success compares to the peace he has found in Jesus Christ.
Robert Anthony Cruz — better known to millions of fans as “Coach RAC” of the Savannah Bananas — is opening up about his Christian faith and why he refuses to stay quiet about the impact Jesus has had on his life.
Cruz, known for his energetic coaching style, viral baseball videos, and crowd-pleasing performances with the wildly popular Savannah Bananas, recently told Crosswalk Headlines that his relationship with Christ is the only thing that has truly fulfilled him.
“It’s the only thing that has satisfied my soul – sincerely,” Cruz said. “I have experienced hitting a home run in front of a ton of people, I’ve experienced a bunch of people wanting my autograph and all that – and the more that the spotlight is put on me, the more I realize it’s not meant to be on me.”
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The Savannah Bananas have exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming a nationwide sensation with their unique mix of baseball, dancing, comedy, and fan interaction. The team has drawn massive crowds in 2026, including more than 100,000 fans at both Texas A&M’s Kyle Field and the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium.
Often described as the baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, the Bananas have created stars out of their players and coaches — and Coach RAC has become one of the organization’s most recognizable faces, amassing roughly 2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
But Cruz says the growing spotlight has only reinforced his belief that true joy cannot be found in success or recognition.
“And so myself and so many of my teammates have experienced the joys of doing life with Jesus, and nothing else compares to it,” he said. “And so for me, I can’t help but be outspoken about it, because I love people, and I want them to experience that same peace and joy.”
Cruz shared his testimony while attending the 2026 K-LOVE Fan Awards, where he accepted the Sports Impact Award.
His journey to the Bananas was far from predictable. Cruz played college baseball at Biola University before signing with the Washington Nationals organization in 2021. At the time, he believed he was one step away from achieving his lifelong dream of playing Major League Baseball.
Instead, he was released the following year.
“I thought I was one step closer to achieving my childhood dream of playing pro ball, and wound up getting released in 2022,” he explained.
Afterward, Cruz turned to social media, creating baseball coaching videos while searching for direction. That unexpected path eventually led him to the Savannah Bananas — a move he now sees as part of God’s greater plan.
“It’s just been on a meteoric rise since I joined,” he said. “I never could have envisioned being where I’m at.”
Faith has also become deeply woven into the Bananas clubhouse culture. According to Cruz, players and staff gather weekly for Bible study while traveling across the country.
“We meet intentionally every week,” he said. “We have a Bible study. We’ve had that going now for almost three years. We get in the Word.”
Cruz said the group recently studied the books of Ephesians and Hebrews together, and those gatherings have helped create a strong spiritual bond among teammates who are constantly on the road.
The impact, he says, has spread beyond Bible studies and into worship nights where players openly share how God has transformed their lives.
“But I think that so many of my teammates whose lives have been transformed, and wanting to share their testimonies at our worship nights – all of that has been, I think, an outgrowth of us intentionally meeting together,” Cruz said.
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