Elly De La Cruz uses speed to leg out amazing base hit
Elly De La Cruz won’t stop making highlight plays. On Sunday, the Cincinnati Reds shortstop showed off his speed, beating Astros’ José Abreu to first base despite the infielder fielding his grounder just feet away from the base.
The commentators were in awe. A common theme involving De La Cruz.
The Reds called up De La Cruz on June 6. The Dominican Republic native was recently ranked as the No. 1 prospect by ESPN. De La Cruz has proven worthy of the assessment.
In his first three games with the Reds, the 21-year-old crushed a 458-feet home run while becoming only the second player in at least 123 years to homer, get a single, double, triple and a stolen base in his first three games.
“I knew this day was going to come,” De La Cruz said through a translator, per ESPN. “But it didn’t mean that I was going to be weird about it or anything like that. I was just enjoying my moment out there (in the minors), playing out there like it was my last day and just enjoying the moment while I was there.
De La Cruz crushed 28 homers and stole 47 bases across Class A and Double-A last year. Before joining the Reds earlier this month, De La Cruz played for Triple-A Louisville. Reds manager David Bell believes in the addition of De La Cruz.
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“A lot of times, they just have to dictate when they’re ready, and that’s what Elly did. He went and played extremely well not only on the field but just the way he approaches the game and the way he works. All the things that we’re looking for to add a player into our team and help us win,” Bell said.
The risky pickup is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Reds country. The Reds beat the Astros 9-7 in the contest. De La Cruz had one hit in four at-bats.
The Reds are currently on a seven-game win streak with a 36-35 record. The tally is good enough to earn Cincinnati second place in the NL Central Divison, trailing only the Brewers (37-34).