Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz' MLB debut is set. The top prospect was called up from Triple-A Louisville by the Cincinnati Reds to play in the team's series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team announced Tuesday.
With De La Cruz ranked as ESPN's No. 1 baseball prospect and the MLB's No. 4 overall prospect, this news has been highly anticipated. He'll take Nick Senzel's roster spot, who was placed on the injured list with a knee injury Tuesday.
The 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic has recorded a .298 average with 49 home runs in 262 games.
After missing some time on the injured list due to an injured left hamstring, De La Cruz's season started on April 20. Since then, the switch-hitter, listed at 6-foot-5, is consistently producing viral highlights. This season he batted .297/.398/.633 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 38 games.
He's responsible for the hardest-hit ball in professional baseball this season, sending it for an exit velocity of 118.8 mph. In the same game, he hit three balls over 116 mph.
Elly De La Cruz drills an RBI double 118.8 mph 🔥
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 9, 2023
That's the hardest-hit ball in Triple-A and the Majors this year.@LouisvilleBats | @Reds pic.twitter.com/UCFUewgQ9G
De La Cruz' arm isn't his only threat. He's fast, recording a 10.97-second sprint from home plate to third base on Friday. That run tied him for the quickest measured dash from home to third in the Majors this years, according to MLB.com.
He also has a ridiculous arm. Early last month, he sent a 99.2-mph throw from third to first base. It was thee hardest throw in all of professional baseball at the time. With all of that to offer, it's no surprise that De La Cruz has garnered all kinds of fans — including Grammy nominated rapper Jack Harlow, who is a Kentucky native.
Your new source for Elly De La Cruz highlights:@ellylacocoa18 ╳ @jackharlow pic.twitter.com/JByHRt0LuI
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 3, 2023
Because of De La Cruz's unique size and skills, there were some questions about where he might fit for Cincinnati. He's currently expected to play shortstop and third base, Reds general manager Nick Krall told SiriusXM MLB Radio.
It seems the Reds (27-33) only stand to benefit from De La Cruz's addition, as they sit in third place in the NL Central. Exceeding the expectations of many this season, the team is only 5 and 1/2 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates for the No. 1 spot.
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