WATCH: Elly De La Cruz’s first hit in MLB is the Reds’ hardest-hit ball all season
The future is now in Cincinnati.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/YV4LZM3ZFJHVDNTPZMQ2WV2SGI.jpg)
CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Elly De La Cruz, the Reds’ top prospect, scalded a double to the wall in the third inning Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park for his first major league hit.
He also walked in the first and scored.
His stand-up double came off the bat at 112 mph, the hardest-hit ball by a Cincinnati Red in 2023.
He also has the fastest sprint speed of any Reds baserunner at 30.4 feet/second, according to JJ Cooper with Baseball America.
The Reds De La Cruz to the big league earlier Tuesday, marking a momentous moment in the youth emergence in Cincinnati.
De La Cruz made his MLB debut Tuesday at third base and is batting cleanup for the Reds against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Just 21 years old, De La Cruz is the No. 1 ranked prospect by ESPN and the No. 4 ranked prospect by MLB.com.
De La Cruz stands 6′5″, which draws comparison to another young NL Central star in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz.
The switch-hitting infielder born in the Dominican Republic has become a highlight machine with his moonshot home runs while playing AAA ball in Louisville.
He said Tuesday during his introductory press conference that while he cannot promise home runs, he can promise to give 100% effort to the team.
It is more than just power that makes De La Cruz a prized prospect.
His talent across all aspects of the game gives him the chance to become a five-tool star.
De La Cruz scouting grades from MLB.com:
- Hitting: 55
- Power: 60
- Running: 70
- Arm: 60
- Fielding: 55
He played in 38 games for the Reds AAA affiliate in Louisville in 2023.
Over that time, De La Cruz batted .297, hit 12 home runs, drove in 36 runs and had 11 stolen bases. He also had a .977 fielding percentage at shortstop.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2023 WXIX. All rights reserved.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/ZG4VD3JBAVDT5IOINQLILQACIM.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/UA4NX4RYMVDBXIUIOPJVV66AE4.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Q32BS6MWNZCQJEU5MXGTZEYMAI.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/5BKJS5G7YNGKLD34544DSTGXOI.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/N4AMOBBMRFDONH7DADF4NN74AE.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JT3R2DO5TRF23GWZJDIH5T3ZHE.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/P65H4ZEFBJHILLJU7EZ7546GOU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/3YBSPB4D6ZCXNGIL6OWIG3FJNY.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/SIDHHA6GZFHLDD63UZLWDEO5BY.jpg)