Overview:
Elly De La Cruz, a 22-year-old shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, has made a strong impact on the team with his speed, hard-hitting ability, and rifle arm. Despite the economics of baseball, it is unlikely that De La Cruz will remain with the Reds for the rest of his career. Despite this, Reds fans should enjoy his mania while he is still affordable and under the Reds' control. De La Cruz is a draw for the Reds, and a hot streak could lead to post-season dreams for the team.
A superstar rarely plays in the 513 (area). The ‘70s Reds had a galaxy of stars. Morgan, Bench, Rose, Perez. Since the 70’s Cincy would have a superstar here and there. They certainly have one now. Elly De La Cruz made his MLB debut last season. It was probably one of the most hyped debuts for a Red since Ken Griffey Jr. left Seattle to play in his hometown at the turn of the century.
The young De La Cruz can do it all. He is one of the fastest men in all of MLB. De La Cruz is probably best known for three things. His blazing speed, hard-hitting ability, and rifle arm. As sports science has taken the forefront in recent years, De La Cruz is known for having one of the hardest-hit exit velocities off his bat in history. Last season the Dominican-born star finished hitting .235 with 13 home runs and 44 rbi’s. The numbers may not be eye-popping but De La Cruz is still very young and wet behind the ears. He just turned 22 years old only a few months ago.
This season the maturity level has been taken up a notch—the patience while batting is evident. The Reds shortstop has gone deeper in counts and thus far raised his batting average to .71 percent higher than last season. With the economics of baseball today, the chances of De La Cruz playing his entire career with Cincinnati would be rare. The second a superstar emerges with big numbers a bidding war usually ensues once the contract is up. The small market of Cincinnati cannot compete with the Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago teams of the MLB world. Reds fans may need to enjoy the De La Cruz mania while he’s still affordable and under the Reds’ control.
Cincinnati is currently holding its own in the National League Central division. They are 2.5 games out of first place behind the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. The season is long. For De La Cruz, he continues to be a draw for the Reds by himself. The Reds will have a De La Cruz bobblehead giveaway day in June.
Cincinnati has a young team built around him. The Reds’ superstar has even started to do interviews in English. This is something he was unable to do last season. He will go through his slumps like he will hit his hot streaks. For the Reds, a De La Cruz hot streak could mean post-season dreams or even more. That’s a lot of pressure for a 22-year-old. Only time will tell if he can handle it.