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The future of the Cincinnati Reds is fast and powerful, and its name is Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz, who signed with the Reds as an international free agent in 2018 and is the team’s consensus No. 1 prospect, made his MLB debut on June 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. To date, the 6-foot-5 infielder has dazzled the baseball scene.
Elly De La Cruz’s best moments from his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds
De La Cruz walked in his first MLB at-bat and then doubled in his next at-bat. The following night, he blasted a 458-foot home run and legged out a triple. That home run had a 114.8 MPH exit velocity, the second-hardest-hit long ball to begin a career in the Statcast era (2015-present).
As far as the triple is concerned, De La Cruz recorded a 10.83 home-to-third speed, which is the fastest-tracked home-to-third time in the sport this season. Furthermore, the three hits that De La Cruz totaled across his first two games (double, triple and a home run) make him the fifth-youngest player in the last 40 seasons with three extra-base hits in that span. It also makes him the youngest player to do so since Manny Machado in 2012 with the Baltimore Orioles.
De La Cruz entered the Reds’ Tuesday night matchup against the Kansas City Royals having totaled one home run, four RBIs and four stolen bases while owning a .296/.406/.519 batting line. He’s the first player to total four RBIs and four stolen bases through the first seven games of an MLB career since Vince Coleman in 1985 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
De La Cruz then reached base four times (two hits and two walks) in the Reds’ Sunday afternoon win over the Cardinals, making him the youngest player in Reds history to achieve this feat since Jay Bruce in 2008.
De La Cruz is just 21.
Major League Baseball
Cincinnati Reds
Elly De La Cruz
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