Cincinnati Reds Shortstop Elly De La Cruz has had a meteoric rise in Major League Baseball. The young star was given the biggest possible compliment by long-time MLB journalist Tom Verducci. “The ceiling for him [De La Cruz] is whatever he wants it to be.” Verducci sees De La Cruz as a star that both Major League Baseball, and the Cincinnati Reds, will be able to build around for years to come.
De La Cruz is hitting .253 this season with 15 home runs and 39 RBI. He is also leading the league in both strikeouts and stolen bases. Will De La Cruz be able to continue showing improvement in the second half of the 2024 season?
Elly De La Cruz Career Summary
Elly De La Cruz’s improvements this season have catapulted him into an elite tier 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vy6CDxXIao
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 6, 2024
De La Cruz made his MLB debut last season with the Cincinnati Reds. He had some electrifying moments on the basepaths, but much like this season, has struggled to find his footing at the plate. He made his debut on June 6, 2023, after spending the first few months of the season in the minor leagues.
De La Cruz was ninth last season in stolen bases but struck out approximately 1.5 times per game. He struck out 144 times in 98 games last season. De La Cruz is a career .243 hitter with 28 home runs, 83 RBI, and 78 stolen bases. Elly must maintain his standing as one of the fastest players in the league, but become a more well-rounded hitter to fulfill the potential Verducci believes the young player possesses.
Cincinnati Reds Season Summary
It has been a rough first half for Cincinnati. With a record of 42-46, they are in fourth place in the National League Central and 4.5 games back of the third and final National League Wild Card spot. The offense of the Cincinnati Reds has struggled this season. They are 27th in batting average, 21st in home runs, and 15th in runs scored.
Their offense is led by De La Cruz, Second Baseman Jonathan India, and Left Fielder Spencer Steer. Steer leads the team with a batting average of .278 and is 11th in the league in OBP. Steer is top 20 in the league in home runs while De La Cruz leads the club in round-trippers. The Cincinnati Reds pitching staff has experienced some success in 2024. They are 11th in ERA, eighth in opposing batting average, and 11th in WHIP.
The pitching staff is led by Starting Pitchers Andrew Abbott and Hunter Greene. Abbott leads the team eight wins and with an ERA of 3.28. Greene is top 20 in the league in strikeouts. Closer Alexis Diaz has also been a bright spot this season as he is tied for seventh in the league with 19 saves.
Reds Upcoming Schedule
The Cincinnati Reds play the second game of their three-game set this afternoon against the Detroit Tigers. Cincinnati then hosts the Colorado Rockies for a four-game series beginning on Monday. The Reds are looking for their first playoff appearance since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The last time they made the MLB Playoffs in a full season was in 2013.
Elly De La Cruz is one of the most exciting players in the league but still has a long way to go if he wants to become one of the best players in Major League Baseball. With Tom Verducci’s quote, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of De La Cruz to live up to expectations.
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